AFI Top 100: #27
Nothing better than dudes being dudes... duking it out and wanting to kill each other in a classic, western setting. Frank Zinnemann's High Noon is the epitome of this classic storytelling trope, yet one that executes it so very well. I surprisingly really enjoyed this film, for as basic of a story and as simple of direction that it was. There is a lot to take about the western genre from this film and while I do not think there was much of anything groundbreaking in this movie, I believe that it set the standard for many western films to come. Clocking in at a tight 85 minutes, this movie has no time to waste when it comes to getting down to the action, except when it holds back incredibly well to focus on the characters and really make the audience feel for the protagonist. This also might be one of the first westerns of this era I have seen that does not rely on using racist stereotypes for the sake of its plot or try to make its audience see past a character's flaws, but instead, Zinnemann actually takes the time to excellently build this world.
Town marshall Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is getting ready to retire as a lawman and start his new life with his wife Amy (Grace Kelly). On the day of his wedding, he finds out that a criminal he put away years ago named Frank Miller (Ian McDonald) is out on parole and coming to get his revenge. Kane tries to gather up his town's men to help him fight back but soon realizes that he must face this challenge himself. My favorite aspect of this script, written by Carl Foreman and adapted from the magazine story "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham, is how it does not go straight to the action but instead takes its time to build its world. This movie could have easily been intercut with action scenes of Kane fighting off Miller's goons, but Zinnemann cleverly saves this until the end. Practically the entire runtime is devoted to showing how Kane is really by himself in this fight. Starting off the film with his wedding surrounded by all of his friends and colleagues contrasted with how they immediately abandon him to let him fight his own fights is incredibly interesting. I loved this contrast in the storytelling and it really showed how diligent Kane was to end this battle. Cooper gives the performance to match this story's energy as well and he embodies this old western marshall like none other. He may have everything that typical actors of this time do, from his looks to mannerisms, but again, I believe this plays into how well he influences other, more standard westerns that came after this one. This entire story is really quite simple but since it is done right, it is no less enjoyable. My only gripe is that I wish the final scene between Kane and Miller was given a bit more tension and not breezed past so much, but it remains very effective regardless. The action sequences are done very well and even involving Kelly's character Amy was fantastic.
Kelly's performance as Amy was equally as intriguing. Her standup attitude and agency as her own character made her so awesome to watch. The writing fueling her actions was great, as she was able to clearly hold her own subplot that carried a lot of weight. This created a lot of great tension throughout the film, as it makes the audience really wonder if she would leave on the train or not if Kane were to be killed. Her ultimatum makes her such a critical part of this movie and I loved every second that she was on screen. Although this movie is solid in its writing and direction, it is also incredibly well-made. The cinematography from Floyd Crosby is astounding and he makes every shot feel incredibly pivotal. Despite the entire film taking place in a few buildings in one town, the variety of techniques that Crosby utilized was fascinating. High Noon is one of the earliest examples I can think of that uses quick zooms and pans to reveal things out of frame. This was fantastic to see and I loved how the movement of the camera really adjusts to suit the action of the scene. The camerawork paired with the original music from Dimitri Tiomkin was brilliant and especially the recurring motif of the empty chair was great to see. While it may be taken a bit humorous at first due to the almost campy nature of this film's atmosphere, the overly-exaggerated zooming became very entertaining. Even just from the title itself, this movie gives its audience exactly what they came for: an exciting, character-driven western with a good ol' fashioned shootout. I can absolutely see why this movie has become so influential and while endless people have toyed with and parodied the genre, there is no denying the watchability of this type of film.
High Noon is a great, little western that sets the standard for how many of these stories were told for years to come. Cooper and Kelly give some of the greatest performances I have ever seen in this genre and while their characters were written well together, they have the chemistry to match as well. I would definitely recommend this film and I will most likely be revisiting as well, given how easily entertaining this story was.
My Rating: ★★★½
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