Amazon.com Essentials:
Written by Carl Foreman
(who was later blacklisted during the anticommunist hearings of the
'50s) and superbly directed by Fred Zinnemann, this 1952 classic stars
Gary Cooper as just-married lawman Will Kane, who is about to retire
as a small-town sheriff and begin a new life with his bride (Grace
Kelly) when he learns that gunslinger Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) is
due to arrive at high noon to settle an old score. Kane seeks
assistance from deputies and townsfolk, but soon realizes he'll have
to stand alone in his showdown with Miller and his henchmen.
Innovative for its time, the suspenseful story unfolds in approximate
real time (from 10:40 a.m. to high noon in an 84-minute film), and
many interpreted Foreman's drama as an allegorical reflection of
apathy and passive acceptance of Senator Joseph McCarthy's
anticommunist campaign. Political underpinnings aside, this remains a
milestone of its genre (often referred to as the first
"adult" Western), and Cooper is flawless in his
Oscar-winning role. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com Essentials:
One of the greatest Westerns ever made gets the deluxe
treatment on this superior disc from Republic Home Video's Silver
Screen Classics line of special-edition DVDs. Written by Carl Foreman
(who was later blacklisted during the anticommunist hearings of the
'50s) and superbly directed by Fred Zinnemann, this 1952 classic stars
Gary Cooper as just-married lawman Will Kane, who is about to retire
as a small-town sheriff and begin a new life with his bride (Grace
Kelly) when he learns that gunslinger Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald) is
due to arrive at high noon to settle an old score. Kane seeks
assistance from deputies and townsfolk, but soon realizes he'll have
to stand alone in his showdown with Miller and his henchmen.
Innovative for its time, the suspenseful story unfolds in approximate
real time (from 10:40 a.m. to high noon in an 84-minute film), and
many interpreted Foreman's drama as an allegorical reflection of
apathy and passive acceptance of Senator Joseph McCarthy's
anticommunist campaign. Political underpinnings aside, this remains a
milestone of its genre (often referred to as the first
"adult" Western), and Cooper is flawless in his
Oscar-winning role. The first-rate DVD gives this landmark film all
the respect it deserves, beginning with a digitally remastered
transfer from the original film negative. Additional features include
the exclusive documentary The Making of High Noon, hosted by
film historian Leonard Maltin and featuring interviews with the late
Lloyd Bridges (who played Cooper's rival ex-deputy), director Fred
Zinnemann, and producer Stanley Kramer. Also included is the original
theatrical trailer and a special chapter stop highlighting the
Oscar-winning song "Do Not Forsake Me." Offered in English
and dubbed French and Spanish, with English closed-captioning or
Spanish and French subtitles. --Jeff Shannon
