O Estranho sem Nome

One of the great western plots is the outsider stranger who comes to a town and one way or another rids it of its bad elements. A cliché best typified by Shane. In High Plains Drifter we have the town of Lago which sure doesn't look like much. A mysterious stranger comes to town played by Clint Eastwood and he's certainly up for the role of town savior. But as the film unfolds is Lago a town worth saving?

The funny thing is that Eastwood himself did a variation on the plot of Shane in Pale Rider. He's as noble there as Alan Ladd was in Shane. But in High Plains Drifter his gunfighter skills are almost superhuman. And he's far from noble. His brooding presence frightens the town people but he might be their savior so like it or not, they put up with it though they don't like it.

In fact the town's leading citizens are really a scurvy lot and the town has a lot of secrets. As you watch High Plains Drifter you wonder if the crowd is worth saving.

It all works out the same as it does for Shane, but with one supernatural twist. In fact there's not another Clint Eastwood movie let alone western film where the supernatural comes in. It truly is a star vehicle for Eastwood, most of the supporting cast don't have enough to work with to create memorable characters. An exception is Barry Curtis, a midget who Eastwood elevates to prime importance and is really the only true friend the High Plains Drifter has.

In fact High Plains Drifter has a ride into the sunset like no other.

I really had no idea what to expect when I grabbed High Plains Drifter from the video store shelf. I recently saw The Outlaw Josey Wales, and really enjoying that film, I figured I couldn't go wrong; I was right. High Plains Drifter is more than just another western with the standard assortment of gun fights, bar scenes, and shots of horseback riding on wide-open prairie. To be sure, it does have its share of the said events, it is a western after all, but what I particularly liked was the film's character development and well thought out story.

I don't want to ruin any of the film's enjoyment for any potential viewers, so I won't go into describing any of the characters. Suffice it to say though that they all have a very realistic quality to them, especially Clint Eastwood's character. No stereotyped good guys/bad guys here, thank you very much.

As I mentioned, the story is also very nicely developed. It has multiple layers which are peeled away as the movie progresses, remaining entertained throughout.

High Plains Drifter is an excellent western. If you're a fan of the genre, you'll no doubt find it to be an entertaining watch.

By the early 70s, actor Clint Eastwood's career had gone from being a mere extra to a well-known Hollywood star. Thanks to the success of Sergio Leone's immortal Westerns, Eastwood was noticed and soon he began to work in very good projects, with great results. Despite being a respected actor, nobody could have imagined that his talent as director was even superior to his acting skills, and after a fairly good debut in 1971 (the thriller "Play Misty for Me"), he crafted his first masterpiece in 1973 as a tribute to his own artistic mentors: the haunting western "High Plains Drifter".

"High Plains Drifter" is the story of a small mining town named "Lago" which is constantly troubled by outlaws and gunfighters. One day a stranger (Clint Eastwood) comes to town, and manages to kill three of those outlaws, gaining instant recognition and the offer of having whatever he wants from the town if he gets rid of the rest of the gang. He accepts but the town doesn't know that the mysterious stranger has a secret that will change their lives for ever.

The figure of the stranger comes to town to alter the fragile equilibrium of their existence, and soon the town's own demons return to haunt them. Eastwood's character is not exactly the hero we know, but a morally ambiguous cruel man that doesn't hesitate to use and abuse the townspeople and that clearly has an agenda of his own. Written by Ernest Tidyman, this is a dark tale that explores the ambiguous morality of people and the concepts of justice and revenge.

Eastwood's second directorial effort is a powerful movie that brilliantly combines the elements of Western with those of suspense and thriller. Due to his solid career in Westerns, Eastwood knows the genre's characteristics and pushes them forward to create something more, a movie beyond its genre. With brilliant camera-work, he goes from dream sequences out of a nightmare to day sequences in Leone's Spaghetti Western style. This is definitely a tribute to his mentors (In fact, he included a small reference to his directors in a cemetery scene).

The acting is remarkably good, with Eastwood himself leading the cast with great skill and his powerful presence. His character is a lot more complex than his "Man With No Name" and it could be said that he mixes in one character the characteristics of the three outlaws of "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly". The underrated Billy Curtis is great as Mordecai, probably the only one in town who knows (and understands) the stranger's secret. The rest of the cast is very good and even those in small roles (such as William O'Connell as the barber) give performances of high quality. Apparently Eastwood's talent with people was there from the beginning.

Tidyman's story is very well-constructed, and can be seen from diverse points of view. Every character in town is well-defined no matter how long their screen-time is, and Eastwood makes the most of it. It's hard to find a flaw in this movie and I really can't praise it enough. It is a story that once that grabs you never lets you go.

"High Plains Drifter" is a must-see, not only for Western fans, it is a powerful story that is more than what it seems. Great camera-work, haunting images, terrific script, superb acting, all pieces fit to create Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece. This dark western sets the path of Eastwood's career as a director and one can see why is he one of the best directors alive. 10/10

"High Plains Drifter" is probably Clint Eastwood's darkest western and that says quite a bit. It has similarities with "Pale Rider", his other western gem. The hero is a mysterious, ghost-like figure and he fights against the evil and corruption that infests a small town in the middle of nowhere. What sets these two films apart is that here Eastwood is fighting a lone battle , and his only sidekick is the midget Mordecai, while almost all other inhabitants of Lago are corrupted or/and cowardly.

Eastwood delivers one of his strongest performances here and manages to be charming and humorous besides exacting cool-blooded vengeance. His interactions with the two women (Marianna Hill and Verna Bloom, both solid in their roles) who are very different draws comparisons to his earlier film "Hang 'Em High". But what sets this apart from the typical Eastwood fare is the dark nature of this movie. Anthony James, the man with the unforgettable face, is once again back as one of the main villains. The rest of the cast are quite forgettable and lesser known names, which adds credibility to this movie, making it a film to be taken seriously and not just a gathering of famous faces.

This film's perhaps strongest asset is the excellent screenplay by Ernest Tidyman, the Oscar-winner for "French Connection" and it is probably the best screenplay ever written for an Eastwood-directed western. The storyline never ceases to surprise and is full of suspense and great dialogue. As always, Clint knew who to pick. As always in the Clint films, this movie is not about love. Clint and Bloom's affair almost results in love, but it never gets the chance to develop. The surprise ending adds a great touch. This film really is a delight for fans of Clint Eastwood and unusual, film-noirish westerns.

In the coastal town of Lago, a drifter (Clint Eastwood) arrives and is bullied by three "bad guys". He kills them and soon he is invited by the locals to protect the city against three outlaws that would leave a nearby prison in a couple of days. One year ago, these criminals killed Marshal Jim Duncan using whips. The marshal asked for help and the coward towners did not help him. The killers were sent to jail and promised to come back to burn the city when they leave the jail. The citizens offer anything the stranger want "free of charge" for the protection against the rage of the criminals. Who might be the stranger with no name?

"High Plains Drifter" is a great movie about revenge. The viewer never knows whether the "stranger with no name" is a brother or a friend of Marshal Jim Duncan, or whether he is the avenger angel of Jim Duncan himself looking for revenge. In the last scene, when Mordecai asks for the name of the stranger while carving the gravestone of Jin Duncanin the cemetery telling that he did not know his name, the drifter responds that Mordecai does know his name. In the gravestone is written "Marshall Jim Duncan - Rest in Peace". Fans of western movies will not be disappointed with this film, no matter whether he is a cowboy or a supernatural character. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Estranho sem Nome" ("The Stranger without a Name")

Note: On 01 Sep 2020, I saw this film again.