I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs. Revisited it few days back on a blu-ray. Any time youre alone and you feel youre not getting the support you need, then watch this film. A retiring happy Marshall who is about to leave the town around 10.40 a.m. with his newly wedded wife gets a tragic news when he is informed that a man he sent to prison years ago, has been released and is coming to town on the 12:00 noon train for a revenge showdown with him. The Marshalls honour and pride wont let him run away inspite of being insisted by his wife n townsfolk to leave the town. It is not the arrival of the criminal which troubles the Marshall but the lack of help from his friends n townsfolk leaves him all nervous. The haggard n tired looking Cooper did the perfect portrayal of the Marshall in distress. This is a superbly acted and directed film. The editing is top notch. The tension is maintained throughout. Cooper utters no long dialogues, yet his expressions and movements are those of a man resolute in his lonely duty. The character of Cooper writing his last will and testament before the final showdown looked like as if the character is expecting his doom for sure. Another highlight is the song, Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin by Dimitri Tiomkin. The film begins with this song and we get to see a very young Lee Van Cleef with his menacing nose.

Despite the fact that "High Noon" is highly regarded as one of the greatest western films of all- time, it took me a long time to actually spin it up in the DVD player. Probably because, to be honest, I was afraid it would be little more than a "stock western". When I did "give in", however, I now completely understand the praise.For a basic plot summary, "High Noon" is a story about an Old West town that is about to see the return of Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), a convicted gunslinger freshly released and ready to wreak havoc on the town that sent him "up the river". Waiting for him is a posse led by fellow no- gooder Jack Colby (Lee Van Cleef). In the town itself, Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) has just been wed to his beloved Amy (Grace Kelly) and about to begin the honeymoon when he gets news of Frank Miller's return. Kane's high moral standards compel him to stick around for the confrontation, but will he be able to rally the town around him to clean up the streets once again?There are two reasons why I consider this movie to be a cinematic classic:First, it is actually a very complex film in terms of thematic material. It is most definitely NOT the traditional 1950s western flick. The movie really delves into themes of humanity and how people react in times of great stress. Seemingly every single person or group of people in the film have their own set of values, and at some point they are all called into question as the intensity ratchets up.Secondly, the tension just continues to pick up as "high noon" (the train's destination time) approaches. With every passing moment, the weight of the day pushes down harder on Marshal Kane.The acting in this movie is also top-notch. Besides those already mentioned above, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, and Katy Jurado play great auxiliary roles, adding their own little niches to the overall tapestry.Overall, I really had no expectations going into this movie and by the time the credits rolled I was thoroughly impressed by the human drama. This is one of the most entertaining westerns ever made, provided you enjoy movies with great character interactions. Yes, you do get the gunfights and the typical western iconic landmarks, but you also get top-notch drama to boot.

'High Noon' is one of the most acclaimed, respected and influential films not just within the Western genre, but in all of American cinema history. Along with a handful of other films, 'High Noon' paved the way for a new wave of films called 'Revisionist Westerns' which subverted the conventional clichés of past Westerns along with blurring the distinctions between good and evil.The screenwriter Carl Foreman wanted his screenplay to reflect the demons of McCarthyism which was prevalent in Hollywood at the time. On watching the film with this prior knowledge, one can easily see that it has those allegorical subtext in it due to the extensive presence of betrayal and isolation. But the film can easily resonate with anyone even if the viewer doesn't see any connection with McCarthyism, this is because at the heart of it, 'High Noon' is a tale of moral dilemma.The director Fred Zinnemann and screenwriter Carl Foreman have actually kept the door open for multiple interpretations. Yes from an idealistic viewpoint, the viewer will certainly put himself/herself in Marshal William Kane's shoes and sympathise with him. From that perspective the town folks who backed out on him and refused to support him will look ever so cowardly. However, this film can be easily watched from the perspective of the town's folks. From this perspective, one can easily see why they wanted Kane to leave as soon as possible so that the blood loss could be avoided. Kane could have escaped with his wife and allowed his succeeding Marshal to deal with Frank Miller and his gang. Even though Kane was a great Marshal, but even then Kane's zeal to stick to his 'code' can be easily seen as a machismo fueled act of foolishness to retain his own ideas of masculinity and heroism in his own eyes. The excuses given by the people who refuse to side with Kane in this encounter for the most part actually seem plausible and understandable. I also understand the Mayor when he asks the people to veer off from any potential violence as he thought this would steer away all the investors up North who might be viewing this town as potentially investment worthy. So this is morally ambiguous and the viewer can view the themes in any way he/she feels. It is a heavily cynical film about the human spirit and our inherent selfishness. This is why I think this film will work as a great companion piece with either Billy Wilder's 'Ace in the Hole' if you want similar cynicism or Frank Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life' if you want to undercut 'High Noon's cynicism with a touch of unity.'High Noon' is majestically directed. The intro to the film with the three horse-riders riding into the small town and the onlookers reacting to them was breathtaking and utterly evocative. This intro heavily reminded me of 'Yojimbo'. Zinnemann is masterful at composing frames be it POV shots, unbroken shots, still shots,etc. The film takes place in real time and it moves along with great pace. Zinnemann brilliantly uses the 'High Noon Ballad' to raise tension, but he also knows exactly when to remove background music and let the visuals and real sounds take over to accentuate the emotional effect. The director brilliantly handles the mythic aspect of the character of Frank Miller. The concept of the unseen and invisible but ominous evil is beautifully done through the use of clocks, momentary shots of the railway, tracks, etc. with the music adding to it.Gary Cooper is a bit like Jeff Goldblum in my eyes, his acting style can be a bit jarring, but the tentativeness and vulnerability that is a fixture in his gestures and mannerisms is perfect for the role William Kane as the character himself feels extremely vulnerable under pressure of the adverse circumstances that he finds himself in. Kane's character itself subverted the concept of having the all powerful, idealistic, stoic hero, instead we get a human being who although being idealistic is prone to feelings and emotional vulnerability. We even see him break down at one point in the film after being overwhelmed by the fear of ominous adversity. Everyone else like Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell,etc. are great too. 'High Noon' in my opinion thoroughly deserves its reputation as a masterpiece. It is multi-layered, its cynicism has depth, and it dared to do something different in terms of character representation within the Western genre at a time when it was almost unheard of. Well written, brilliantly directed and well acted, this is an essential watch.

HIGH NOON is an exciting and inspiring western. Honestly, this is the little piece of art. The sheriff of a town in the Wild West all alone must confront the gang killer. This is a film in which all components are working properly.Through the story permeate the diversity of human character. This is a movie about a brave and standoffish sheriff who at any moment to firmly take a stand. Opposite him are new wife, former love, a city full of punk and a coward (each has a valid reason) and a group of bandits. The director conceived action, so that it coincides duration of the story and the actual duration of the film. Innovative and successful. Zinnemann scored steady growth of tension, which further intensified the use of close-ups of the main character, from which emanated despair and loneliness. Several anthology, visually magnificent scene was achieved by using a camera on the crane, which, although not entirely a novelty, is not overly used in the cinema of the time. Black - white photography is more than impressive.It is important to recognize the courage and composure in a man. All against one. The film touches on many issues that were not typical of westerns, such as individual responsibility, alienation, hypocrisy and of course human morality. People are often in difficult or desperate situations on their own. I have the impression that this simple story with dramatic consequences. I do not mean you no harm, on the contrary I want you well, but I can not help you. People are too often silent observers, although "something" directly concerns them.Gary Cooper as Marshal Will Kane simply dominated in this film. Age and visible fatigue contribute to realistic presentation of his character. Grace Kelly as Amy Fowler Kane was a young wife who is coping quite well. Pacific attitude is ordered at the right time. Katy Jurado as Helen Ramírez is a mysterious Mexican tied to both sides. Lloyd Bridges as Deputy Marshal Harvey Pell was deputy to whom no one can rely on.Emotional and moral film with good climatic ending. If you go against the will of the people, you generally stay alone, in this case, one man can spit in the face of the people, because he saved their asses. This is not a controversial film. It is quite interesting and somewhat intriguing.