High Plains Drifter

Summary

“Isn’t forcible rape in broad daylight a misdemeanor in this town?”

In 1971, Clint Eastwood directed the film Play Misty for Me. That year he also starred in The Beguiled and in the iconic role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry, which was a monumental success for the actor. In 1972, Eastwood starred in Joe Kidd – a Western directed by John Sturges with a screenplay by the great Elmore Leonard. Apparently Eastwood and Sturges disagreed on how to direct the film, so it should come as no surprise that the next film Eastwood starred in, High Plains Drifter, was directed by himself. High Plains Drifter has a lot in common with some of the Spaghetti Westerns that Clint made famous, but it is an entirely different type of Western in tonality. Fans of the film have continued to rediscover the film and hold it in the same high esteem as some of the best Sergio Leone films. I bought the Universal Pictures Blu-ray in 2013 and then bought it again inadvertently when I purchased the Clint Eastwood: The Universal Pictures 7-Movie Collection. Kino Lorber have given the film a stunning new release that features a brand new 4K transfer and some new supplemental features.

As the film begins, the Stranger (Clint Eastwood) rides into the isolated mining town of Lago in Inyo County, California. The name fits the town as it resides by a large lake. The Stranger walks into the saloon to get a drink and three men inside the bar pick a fight with him. The Stranger walks across the street to a barber shop and when the three gentlemen decide to follow him in there for a confrontation, he quickly shoots all three to death. When he walks outside the barber shop he bumps into Callie Travers, a feisty blonde who lives in the town. When she insults him and knocks a cigar out of his mouth, he drags her to a stable and forces himself on her. He goes to the local hotel and lays down in his room. The Sheriff, Sam Shaw, approaches the Stranger with a job. It turns out that the three men that he killed had been hired by the town to protect it from three brothers – Stacey Bridges and brothers Dan and Cole. Those three men had whipped federal marshall Jim Duncan to death in the street. The town had eventually turned on the men and managed to imprison them, but the three men will be getting out of prison soon. Fearing revenge from Bridges and the boys, the town is willing to make the Stranger an offer he can’t refuse – infinite credit in the town. The Stranger accepts their proposal. He makes the town’s lowly dwarf Mortdecai the new sheriff of the town and the town’s mayor. He moves into the hotel and kicks all of the guests of the hotel out. He begins to enact his plan to transform the town and its citizens before the danger arrives, but he finds resistance amongst the townspeople along the way.

High Plains Drifter is a great Western that has weird flourishes that set it apart from many of Eastwood’s other films. I like it a lot, but there are some fair reasons why some will find themselves at odds with the film. The biggest issue with the film is that the protagonist of the film actually forces himself on a woman within fifteen minutes of showing up on screen. Living in the middle of the #metoo movement, this scene is so totally out of place and outdated that I can imagine people feeling uncomfortable and turning the film off. That said, this scene is short and never becomes overly gratuitous or exploitative, but it is definitely one hell of a strange way to introduce a protagonist. This sequence doesn’t display a very mature way of looking at male and female relationships and this is the one aspect of the film that doesn’t that has not aged well. If you can get past that one issue, you are in for a treat.

High Plains Drifter has a truly unique vibe. I have seen the film described as being part of the “Weird West” genre or as a “Gothic Western.” I like the terminology of “Weird West” and I can only think of a few films that fit into that category (Keoma being one, Bone Tomahawk another, though very different from one another and this film.) High Plains Drifter is a unique film that has some supernatural or Gothic elements that separate it from the usual Western fare. The finale in particular of the film is where these elements really come into play and add to the lasting appeal of the film. The score by Dee Barton accentuates the film by relying on themes that sound in tune with stranger motifs that one could imagine Morricone using not only in a Leone film but in a giallo film. For myself, the more abstract flourishes make the film exciting and interesting. 

The performances in the film are great. Clint Eastwood maintains his dominance of the “stranger without a name” category of antiheroes he was synonymous with at the time. While this Stranger is very different from the Man with No Name, the film certainly owes a debt to the cache that Eastwood had built in that role. Character actor Geoffrey Lewis is enjoyable as the revenge seeking Casey. Marianna Hill is really great as the spurned Callie. Perhaps the most memorable actor aside from Eastwood in the film is Billy Curtis as the dwarf mayor of Lago, Mordecai. It is impossible to forget his contribution to the movie. With the additions of Verna Bloom, Ted Hartley, Mitchell Ryan, and Jack Ging, the film has a great supporting cast.

The script by Ernest Tidyman, who had written The French Connection two years earlier, moves at a steady clip towards a satisfying climax. As the Stranger paints the town red, it would be hard to find fault in the script’s mechanics. It’s a clever story with enough good ideas to stand out from the pack. Clint Eastwood’s direction of the film is well done and shows that even early on Eastwood was a natural behind the camera. 

Overall – while not for everyone, High Plains Drifter is one of my favorite Clint Eastwood Westerns. 

Video

This transfer of High Plains Drifter in 1920x1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 looks fantastic. Universal released the film as a stand-alone disc and within their Clint Eastwood: The Universal Pictures 7-Movie Collection box set in 2015. Like the recent release of Joe Kidd, the Blu-ray presentation by Kino Lorber from a new 4K scan is a tremendous leap in quality from the prior presentation. Fine detail has been improved substantially and the updated presentation really brings the film to life. Filmed in Panavision in Technicolor, High Plains Drifter shines on the Blu-ray format with a wide aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Cinematographer Bruce Surtees understood exactly what Eastwood was intending and the unique waterside setting in the High Sierras photographs very well. It’s a great looking film and a great presentation by Kino Lorber.

Audio

High Plains Drifter features both a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track and a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. Both sound great, but I preferred the 5.1 track for the added depth of field. Dialogue is clear. The fantastic score by Dee Barton comes across well in both tracks. Fans should be pleased.

Supplements:

• Audio Commentary – filmmaker and Western film expert Alex Cox gives his thoughts on the film.
• A Man Named Eastwood – this vintage featurette that is essentially an EPK from Universal for High Plains Drifter. It is fun to see how they promoted Eastwood at the time alongside some behind-the-scenes footage.
• William O’Connell – actor William O’Connell – who appeared in five films with Eastwood – looks back on his career and life.
• Mitchell Ryan – in an interview that was filmed possibly over Zoom (?) for Covid-19 restrictions, actor Mitchell Ryan recalls working on the film, the beautiful location, and how Eastwood was able to draw performances in one take. A good interview.
• Marianna Hill – actress Marianna Hill discusses her part in High Plains Drifter and her working relationship with Clint Eastwood on the film. One moment of note is when she mentions that she believes that she had a previous life in Western times. Marianna is definitely an interesting interview subject, so fans should check this out.
• Two Trailers and TV Spot 
• Radio Spot 
• Image Gallery
• Trailers From Hell – director Edgar Wright weighs in.
• Trailers From Hell – screenwriter Josh Olson weighs in.

Overall Scores:

Video – 5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4.5/5

High Plains Drifter is a strange and wonderful Western film starring Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood also shows his talent behind the director’s chair on the film. The script by Ernest Tidyman has elements of humor and the supernatural that set it apart from the other Westerns made at the time. The film falls under the “Weird West” category but also shares some common elements with Eastwood’s films with Sergio Leone. With excellent cinematography by Bruce Surtees and a memorable High Sierra location, this is one of my personal favorite Clint Eastwood Westerns. Kino Lorber have proven themselves time and again to be excellent caretakers for films by and starring Clint Eastwood. With a brand new 4K transfer and some excellently appointed new special features, this release comes highly recommended.