High Noon
(1952)
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Gary Cooper is Hollywood's perfect hero, the very embodiment of integrity and grace in this greatest of all Westerns. As a newly married town marshal, he must balance an innate sense of justice and duty with loyalty to his beautiful new--and pacifist--bride (Grace Kelly). When he is left by an ungrateful town to face a gang of deadly outlaws alone, the hands of the clock move in real time as one of the greatest showdowns in movie history draws ever closer. Frequently interpreted as a parable about artists left to stand alone and face persecution during the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklistings, the film was declared un-American by none other than John Wayne--apparently he was offended by the film's ending, which shows Sheriff Kane removing his badge and tossing it in the dirt. |
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Whether it's viewed as a showdown western or an arch comment on Hollywood during the Communist witch-hunt, Fred Zinnemann's 1952 masterpiece could never be improved upon. So why Rod Hardy felt compelled to try is a question that persists throughout this redundant remake. Confronting Will Kane with six vengeful bandits instead of four might make Tom Skerritt a better shot, but it doesn't make him Gary Cooper. There's simply none of the disappointed dignity that characterised Coop's forlorn search for deputies and desperate attempt to explain duty to his new bride. With Michael Madsen in scenery-chewing support, this is downright poor.
Halliwell's Film Guide
A minor Western with a soft-pedalled message for the world, this turned out to be a classic simply because it was well done, with every scene and performance clearly worked out. Cinematically it was pared to the bone, and the theme tune helped.