High Noon (1952)

Helen: I don't understand you. No matter what you say. If Kane was my man, I'd never leave him like this. I'd get a gun. I'd fight.
Amy: Why don't you?
Helen: He is not my man. He's yours.

Director: Fred Zimmerman
Producer: Stanley Kramer
Main Cast: Gary Cooper, Lee Van Cleef, Grace Kelly, Lon Chaney and Lloyd Bridges Runtime: 85 minutes

It takes more than a big budget to make a great movie.  High Noon was a relatively low budget film for the time yet it was made intelligently, making good use of the funds available.  The result was a smash hit that remains very solid to this day.  It’s not action packed, but has suspense that builds up throughout the movie to the finale.  Absolutely brilliant.

The movie starts with Jack Colby and his horse on a hill waiting, then the music starts not an orchestra but a simple song with a simple yet important beat.  Through the course of the opening credits two of Jacks friends arrive who then head toward the train station in Hadleyville to meet up with recently released from jail Frank Miller (Ian McDonald).  In the meantime, in that same town, a wedding between Marshall Kane (Gary Cooper) and Amy Kane (Grace Kelly) has just occoured and just as they are about to head off on their honeymoon word comes in that Frank Miller, the man who the Marshal put away, has been released and is heading to town.  Not wanting to let this maniac harass the town yet again, Kane decides to stay and muster up deputies from the town folk to fight off this four-man gang once and for all.

To build a sense of suspense, the filmmakers did something that works amazingly well.  In 1949 a film called “The Set-up” (starring Robert Ryan as a boxer) came out and virtually played in real time so the length of the movie is pretty much real-time. Similarly, High Noon comes out close to running in real time as the camera periodically switches to the clock as midday approaches, and also focuses on a railway line stretching into the distance both of which build up the suspense as we see high noon approach and look expectantly for the smoke from the steam train to start appearing in the distance.  Now whether it was planned or not, the music also adds to this feeling of time counting down as the main theme song is played throughout parts of the movie with its near 1 second beat intervals making us feel that each beat of the song is one second closer to 12pm and one second less that the Marshal has to round up deputies.  Can he find them before the Noon train arrives?  Such a fantastic film.

Interestingly, in one scene filming the train coming down the track they were lying on the tracks to get a low angle and as the train approached the colour of the smoke changed from grey to black which was supposed to be a signal that the brakes were not working correctly but of course those doing the filming didn’t know that.  They ended up getting out of the way just in time however the camera got struck however the film canister inside remained intact and is used in the footage in the film.

The Bluray in review is from the U.S. and is sadly locked to Region A which makes it unplayable in Australian Bluray players (except the Laser Bluray player range available at some stores).  However you can get the Australian DVD for less than $10 on ebay from Australian sellers.  The Bluray has the following extras:

• Trailer
• The Making of High Noon

If you are able to play Region A (Australia is Region B – same as the Europe) Blurays, the same company who brought this Bluray out also has a more recent release with a new 4K restoration of the film and more extras but naturally costs more.

The image quality on the disc reviewed is really good and only a little worse than the more expensive 4K restoration.  The important film grain is present which adds to the feel and texture of the image as opposed to a smooth waxy look and is very well balanced between the bright highlights and darker shadows.  The sound likewise is also very good with clear dialogue.  

This is a film that could be watched by those who dislike Westerns and yet at the same time remains a very solid Western in itself.  Overall it is a brilliant movie that just like many older films, does not get the attention it should.  Currently sitting at number 3 (as at December 2016) of best Westerns of all time, this is one that should be on your watch list, though keep in mind its not a gun slinging match like many other Westerns but rather realistic, down to earth solid filmmaking.  Very Highly recommended.

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