Refreshing is the word that High Noon brings to my mind when I watch it. In a world of so much compromise and so much concern about what everyone else is thinking, it’s quite refreshing to watch a movie about a man who knows exactly what he should do and he does it. It might cost him lack of respect, loss of his wife, and even the loss of his own life. No matter what it costs, he’s still going forward with it, because he knows that none of those things will mean anything if he doesn’t do what he needs to do. How can he live a happy life with his wife when they’re living with the fact that they’re being hunted? How can he live with himself after leaving the town to fend for themselves without a marshal? He knows he can’t do either, so he stays to do what is right.

The whole movie is basically, Gary Cooper’s day getting worse. Things start off good with his marriage. But, then, he finds out his arch nemesis is returning on the noon train. This news is bad, but it’s not the end of the world because he pictures deputizing some people, handling the situation without problem, and getting back to honeymooning by lunchtime. When he returns to town, his wife storms off on him and he discovers he’s all on his own to fight the bad guys.

Isn’t that a great set up for a movie? It’s almost the perfect plot. See, the plot doesn’t exist to move us from one chase scene to the next. Its purpose is not solely to give us a reason to look at special effects for an hour and a half. The plot exists in this movie to help us see more deeply into how a person acts. We can ask, “What drives his commitment to do the right thing?” “Is he doing the right thing?” “How would I act in a similar situation?” You can actually watch this movie and interact with thoughts of character and chivalry for two-hours. This is the exact opposite of most of the movies produced today (and back then). Like I said, in my mind, it’s refreshing.

It’s these thoughts that allow me to overlook a few weak moments of acting and a score that’s a little overly dramatic at times. This stuff doesn’t bother me when I have so much to think about while I’m watching the movie. Plus, on this viewing of the movie, I noticed that the part of the song they always play “Do not forsake me, oh my darling” comes whenever he’s probably thinking, “This is the last thing I need right now. At least I need my wife to support me.” The song is almost like a glimpse into the life of his thoughts.

There are plenty of other great things about this movie. There are some wonderfully edited sequences, specifically, immediately before the train arrives. The shots of the clocks are great. Especially, the fact that the clocks take up more and more of the screen as time runs out. But, the thing that makes this movie stand strong, in my opinion, is Gary Cooper’s character. His actions among his awful situation make for a most interesting viewing.

I highly recommend this movie. You can probably pick up the DVD pretty cheap. It could use a few extra bells and whistles, but it has a great documentary on it, which makes up for a lot of what could be there. Besides that, I think DVDs add lots of life to black and white movies (maybe more than they do for older color films), which makes the DVD even more worth having.

It’s also one of the only movies I can remember where the main bad guy doesn’t come back from the dead. That right there makes it a piece of cinema history and well worth adding to your collection. There’s not many westerns better than this one.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12