High Noon

Day 251 - 9/8/09 - Movie #250

BEFORE: At some point, I found that the radio format that appealed most to me was "Classic Rock" - I wish the local station (Q104.3) would play a little more 80's and a lot less 90's in their Classic Rock Mix, but I get by. (I mean come on, by technical definition, isn't the 80's more "classic" than the 90's? How can Stone Temple Pilots qualify as classic, if REO Speedwagon doesn't?) As time wears on, we all get a little bit older, and our favorite tunes become "classics", God willing. Thank god they're not considered "oldies" yet, that's what I say. Bottom line, I can't name one song written after 1990 that I want to hear on a regular basis - there, I said it.

Now I find that my favorite movies are the "new classics" as well. Tonight we go past "classic" Westerns and dig out an oldie - is it also a "goodie"?

THE PLOT: A marshall, personally compelled to face a returning deadly enemy, finds that his own town refuses to help him.

AFTER: I can see why this film should be required viewing for film critics. It's the technical definition of a slow build - and as Robert Osborne pointed out on TCM, it plays out in something darn close to real time. Very films manage to do that - I think "88 minutes" came pretty close, and Johnny Depp was in one called "Nick of Time", but it's quite uncommon.

The dialogue is pretty stilted - as I listened to Gary Cooper, I recognized speech patterns similar to the animated Hank Hill - so I'm wondering if Mike Judge used "High Noon" for inspiration or if it's all in my head. Either way, what both characters share is an unfailing moral compass, a sense of what's right and decent, when surrounded by people who generally lack such a thing.

Supporting roles filled by Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, Harry Morgan, and making his fourth appearance this week in Western garb, Lee Van Cleef as one of the villains. Some weird cameos too, including Sheb Wooley (of "Purple People Eater" fame) as another of the villains and Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy from "It's a Wonderful Life") as the town's mayor. Lon Chaney Jr. is in there somewhere too (minus werewolf make-up).

I'm sure you know the classic set-up - bad man coming into town on the noon train, sheriff tries to round up some defense, but ends up standing alone. I pictured a lonely shootout in a Western street, with one of two potential outcomes - I'm pleased to say that after such a long build-up, the final action scenes were more complex and satisfying than that.

A lot has been written about this film over the years - it's Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, and a commentary on McCarthyism all rolled into one. Here's my take - what if after all that buildup about Frank Miller coming to town, it turned out he was just coming to do some errands? You know, get out of prison and finally get around to picking up that dry-cleaning, or see if there are any packages for you at the post office? A lot of mail builds up during five years in prison....wouldn't that be funny?

RATING: 5 out of 10 shots of whiskey