WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
1. It's a western starring Gary Cooper.
2. It's about a guy looking for people in a small town to help him in an impending gun fight with outlaws.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
I had been looking forward to watching this one for a while. In fact, for some reason, as I got closer to completing this bucket list item, I decided that "High Noon" would be the final "new" film I'd see. I thought it was a safe bet that I'd like the movie and feel good about ending the AFI list quest on a high note (as opposed to say, any of these films).
Well, I did end up enjoying this movie. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it had some great things going for it: Gary Cooper's acting, a simple yet compelling story that really made me feel for the main character, and the ultimate use of time as a tension-builder. In fact, except for a couple edits, this movie moves in real time, which was a pleasant surprise once I noticed it (I wonder if the creators of 24 got their inspiration from this movie). That really built the tension for me, sort of like a giant wave coming right at you from miles away - it's a steadily-moving doom that's impossible to escape or ignore. It made the shots of the empty train station and tracks ominous, too - you don't see anything coming, but you know it's only a matter of time.
However, once the climactic ending finally arrived, I felt a bit underwhelmed, though I think that's probably because of all the other movies I have seen that have huge, explosive endings with crazy twists in the action (there is a twist in this one, but it's presented so mildly that you might not even notice it). For its time, I'd say this was probably a great ending.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
It's a classic western with a story that's extremely simple, but with so much subtext it leaves you thinking about virtue, courage, cowardice, and standing up for what's right (it did for me, at least). It was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning 4 of them (Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Song, and Best Music). For the record, the award-winning song seemed a bit strange and lame in the beginning, but its use throughout the movie, and how the lyrics align with the story, made this one of the most appropriate Oscar-winning songs ever, in my opinion. Too many songs win when they are only played during the closing credits, and they're over-produced and homogenized - like "Into the West" from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Complaints
The few times they edited scenes in such a way that it ceased to be truly in real-time, and the underwhelming ending.
LET ME SUM UP...
Classic western with a simple story that makes you want to be there for Gary Cooper's character. A great tension-builder that falls a little flat in the end, but overall a very good movie.
MY RATING: 7/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 100!!!
