It’s rare that an actor gets to portray two iconic characters on the big screen. For Gary Cooper, his legendary career is top-lined by playing two of cinema’s greatest heroes: Sergeant York and Marshall Will Kane. Whereas the former was a real-life person who wouldn’t let a film be made unless Cooper portrayed him, Kane is a work of fiction that exemplifies the archetype of the Western hero.
High Noon, one of history’s great Westerns, focuses on Kane in a most precarious position. It’s his last day on the job, as he’s going to marry a beautiful woman (Grace Kelly) and retire from law enforcement. However a man who Kane brought to justice, Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), has vowed to come back to kill Kane and anyone who stands in his way to get there. Encouraged by the townspeople to run, Frank refuses to take the coward’s way out and chooses to stand against Miller and his three cohorts. With the rest of the town refusing to stand with him, Kane stands against the four alone in a climatic shootout.
Transpiring in real time, the film is intense for a Western. With only 10 minutes of action, comprised entirely of the finale, the film is more about suspense and atmosphere than anything else. The buildup to the shootout is intense as it gets, as slowly everyone leaves Kane’s side until he’s the last man standing.
It’s definitely not a traditional Western in the conventional sense, as it’s less about the violence for the bulk of its running time, but High Noon is the embodiment of the spirit of the Western because of Marshall Kane. He’s a man doing what he thinks is right despite everyone telling him otherwise, against seeming impossible odds. The ideal of the man alone against the odds, fighting for what he thinks is right, is the embodiment of the Western hero and has been imitated ever since.
Director Fred Zinnemann tightens up the suspense for the first 70 minutes that the film is incredibly gripping by the time Miller and his gang gets into town. We don’t know if Kane will survive or not, and the odds seem against him, and Zinnemann builds the story to the point where Kane’s death could be a potential outcome. Nothing is predetermined and we have as much a clue about Kane’s fate as he does.
When it comes to making a list of the best Westerns to be made, it’s hard to argue against High Noon.
Presented in the original 4×3 presentation with a revamped Dolby audio, the film has a better presentation than prior editions. The audio presentation is in Dolby 3.0, a step up from its original 2.0 (which is available on this edition as well), and is about as good as it can be given the limitations. The visual presentation is a bit better as well, as the film has no grain or aging evident. This is a spectacular black and white cut and the film doesn’t show any of its 50 years plus worth of age.
Inside High Noon is a retrospective on the film. With introductory comments by fan and former President Bill Clinton, and bits from him and others throughout, the piece focuses on the film’s influence in the near six decades since it’s release. Having been screened in the White House more than any other film, and listed as the favorite films of Presidents Clinton, Eisenhower and George W. Bush, the piece touches on the film’s varying levels of acceptance amongst film-going public and its controversy therein. This is a complete retrospective on the film, covering all bases including using the shooting script to illustrate differences between the finished product and what the script originally had in mind.
Behind High Noon was featured on the “Special Edition” of High Noon released several years ago. It’s the 50th Anniversary Tribute to the film, and follows much of the same material as “Inside High Noon.”
The Making of High Noon, hosted by Leonard Maltin, is from the “Special Edition” and is your basic making of featurette.
Tex Ritter: A Visit to Carthage, Texas is a look at the singer of the film’s theme and the museum in his honor.
Radio Broadcast with Tex Ritter is also from the previous edition of the film, as is Ritter’s performance of the theme on the Jimmy Dean Show.
High Noon is an essential DVD to own in any collection, especially if you’re a fan of the Western. If you were dissatisfied with the first “Special Edition” of the film, then this is a significant upgrade in terms of presentation with a few extras thrown in as well.
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Lionsgate presents High Noon. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, Ian MacDonald. Written by John W. Cunningham & Carl Foreman. Running time: 85 minutes. Rated Approved. Released on DVD: June 10, 2008.
