High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter


Starring:Walter Barnes, Verna Bloom, Paul Brinegar, Richard Bull, Billy Curtis, Robert Donner, Stefan Gierasch, Jack Ging, Ted Hartley, Marianna Hill, John Hillerman, Anthony James, Geoffrey Lewis, William O'Connell, John Quade, Mitch Ryan, Dan Vadis, Buddy Van Horn, Scott Walker
Studio: Universal Studios
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. The digital video disc offers standard and widescreen formats and a remastered soundtrack. --Jeff Shannon
Clint Eastwood Western Icon Collection (High Plains Drifter/Joe Kidd/Two Mules For Sister Sara)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Clint
Clint Eastwood Western Icon Collection (High Plains Drifter/Joe Kidd/Two Mules For Sister Sara)
Starring: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood | Western Stars | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
( C )( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
All Universal Studios TitlesAll Universal Studios Titles | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
WesternsWesterns | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
  2. Clint Eastwood - Westerner (The Outlaw Josey Wales / Pale Rider / Unforgiven Single Disc Edition)
  3. Hang 'em High
  4. John Wayne: Screen Legend Collection (Reap the Wild Wind / Rooster Cogburn / The Hellfighters / The War Wagon / The Spoilers)
  5. Clint Eastwood - Cop (Dirty Harry / Magnum Force / Tightrope)

ASIN: B000N3SSBW
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Description

With his steely-eyed stare and one of the most commanding screen presences of all time, Clint Eastwood is a true American icon to film fans everywhere. Join him in the Clint Eastwood: Western Icon Collection in three of his most popular films: High Plains Drifter, Joe Kidd and Two Mules for Sister Sara. This powerful, must-have collection showcases Clint Eastwood in some of the toughest and most unforgettable roles of his career. High Plains Drifter When "The Stranger" (Clint Eastwood) rides into the sin-ridden town of Lago, bullets fly as he battles three ruthless gunmen in a pulse-pounding shoot-`em-up. Joe Kidd Gunslinger Joe Kidd (Clint Eastwood) is hired by a wealthy landowner (Robert Duvall) to quell a range war with Mexican revolutionaries, but he soon finds his loyalties in question when he falls for a beautiful rebel. Two Mules for Sister Sara A hard-hitting drifter (Clint Eastwood) and a unusual nun (Shirley MacLaine) set off on an action-packed adventure when they join a band of freedom fighters in their mission to capture a well-protected enemy garrison.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Clint .......2007-05-25

Not his best westerns, but a western with Clint is still better than any other
High Plains Drifter
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • High Plains Drifter
  • Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director....
  • Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone
  • Not too bad for plagiarism
  • Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style
High Plains Drifter
Starring: Walter Barnes , Verna Bloom , Paul Brinegar , Richard Bull , and Billy Curtis
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Action & AdventureAction & Adventure | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
OutlawsOutlaws | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
WesternsWesterns | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video
Barnes, WalterBarnes, Walter | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Bloom, VernaBloom, Verna | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Brinegar, PaulBrinegar, Paul | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Curtis, BillyCurtis, Billy | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Donner, RobertDonner, Robert | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Gierasch, StefanGierasch, Stefan | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ging, JackGing, Jack | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Hill, MariannaHill, Marianna | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Hillerman, JohnHillerman, John | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
James, AnthonyJames, Anthony | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lewis, GeoffreyLewis, Geoffrey | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Quade, JohnQuade, John | ( Q ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
All Universal Studios TitlesAll Universal Studios Titles | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
WesternsWesterns | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
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DVDs Under $7.49DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( H )( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Hang 'em High
  2. Pale Rider
  3. Two Mules For Sister Sara
  4. The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
  5. Clint Eastwood - Westerner (The Outlaw Josey Wales / Pale Rider / Unforgiven Single Disc Edition)

ASIN: 0783225725
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars High Plains Drifter.......2007-07-03

Eastwood's eerie, magnificent "Drifter," his second effort in the director's chair, turns the final showdown cliché of the Hollywood Western on its head: Instead of confronting the killer posse alone, for money or out of brute contempt, The Stranger teaches the cowardly townsfolk how to defend themselves--then promptly disappears. And where else but in an Eastwood flick would the protagonist, for the purposes of intimidation, have a town literally painted red and renamed Hell? Such flashes of dark humor animate the story, as do The Stranger's haunting flashbacks, the austere sets, and the cast of irregulars. Enigmatic and violent, "Drifter" reworks the Man With No Name persona into a mystical folk hero, and the effect is riveting.

5 out of 5 stars Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director...........2007-06-16

This is Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director. This was Eastwood's 3rd film (after Play Misty for Me and Breezy), and it still remains one of his best films. Misty and Breezy are excellent films, but this one is far better than both of them. Many critics have said this is a tongue in cheek Western. I digress strongly. Yes, there are humourous elements in it, but it's a morally complex, eerie, and brilliant piece of filmmaking. Eastwood's character doesn't really have a name, but this isn't an extension of his work with Sergio Leone. It has a lot to do with revenge, karma, greed, and what small town America in the west was really like. It wasn't like the idealised, "God-fearing" folk (that cliche gets a real takedown in this film) you see in typical Hollywood westerns. The ending is downright surreal, but it works brilliantly. Even the supporting players (especially Billy Curtis) are excellent here. A decent number of Eastwood's films have some bad acting in them in the supporting roles, but here that doesn't happen. Eastwood shot this masterpiece in 24 days, and under budget too. This was Clint's first great film.

5 out of 5 stars Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone.......2007-06-03

Clint Eastwood starred as the "man with no name" in many of Sergio Leone's "Spagetti Westerns." Here, Eastwood directs his own similar-type western, although, at the end of this flick, we find out that Eastwood's character really does have a name.

After Eastwood rides into the town of Lago and kills the three hired guns who were the village's protectors, he is hired by the townspeople as a replacement gunman. They hope that Eastwood will protect them from a ruthless gang that was sent to jail on trumped up charges by the townspeople. The gang members have done their time and are now coming back to get their revenge. But it turns out that Eastwood has his own reasons for wanting some revenge too.

"High Plains Drifter" ranks with the best of Leone's westerns. It is an excellent film and a classic of the genre, with a supernatural twist.

Eastwood's forgettable "Pale Rider" was a sort of remake of "High Plains Drifter." In "Pale Rider," however, the individualistic message of "High Plains Drifter" was replaced by a communitarian one.

3 out of 5 stars Not too bad for plagiarism.......2007-05-24

Don't get me wrong, I like these old Eastwood westerns as much as the next guy, but this movie is almost a direct steal from a "Bonanza" eisode called "Twilight Town" that aired ten years before this movie came out. I have no respect for plagiarism no matter who stars in the movie. I did give it a few for entertainment value.

5 out of 5 stars Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style.......2007-04-12

It's a movie as morally complex as the history of America itself.

Yes, the town, Lago, has blood on its hands. Yes, the townspeople have flirted with evil by having three common thugs bullwhip their sheriff to death because he would likely report their mine as located on federal lands and so endanger their ambitions for limitless wealth. Yet, the movie also appears to see the town, Lago, as worthy of redemption.

After railroading the thugs into prison, the town very conveniently proceeds to pretend that nothing ever happened: "These are God fearing people," the new sheriff earnestly tells the High Plains Drifter. However, when the thugs are released from prison, they seek to receive their back wages in the blood of the townspeople who doublecrossed them.

Only when the townspeople experience the same terror that their bullwhipped sheriff must have experienced does the High Plains Drifter reappear to save them from the thugs. Indeed, at the end of movie, when the High Plains Drifter rides away from town on horseback, a tombstone is erected with the name of the murdered sheriff.

Unlike the outlaws, the townspeople feel a very real sense of collective guilt, which the High Plains Drifter and their ordeal have reawakened. Perhaps that is the hope of America -- that we do have guilt over our past and we do not just pretend that nothing ever happened.

High Plains Drifter
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • High Plains Drifter
  • Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director....
  • Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone
  • Not too bad for plagiarism
  • Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style
High Plains Drifter
Starring: Walter Barnes , Verna Bloom , Paul Brinegar , Richard Bull , and Billy Curtis
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Action & AdventureAction & Adventure | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
OutlawsOutlaws | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
Barnes, WalterBarnes, Walter | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Bloom, VernaBloom, Verna | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Brinegar, PaulBrinegar, Paul | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Curtis, BillyCurtis, Billy | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Donner, RobertDonner, Robert | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Gierasch, StefanGierasch, Stefan | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Ging, JackGing, Jack | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Hill, MariannaHill, Marianna | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Hillerman, JohnHillerman, John | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
James, AnthonyJames, Anthony | ( J ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Lewis, GeoffreyLewis, Geoffrey | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Quade, JohnQuade, John | ( Q ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
All Universal Studios TitlesAll Universal Studios Titles | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
ClassicsClassics | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
WesternsWesterns | Universal Studios Home Entertainment | Studio Specials | Stores | DVD | Video
( H )( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:
  1. Hang 'em High
  2. Pale Rider
  3. Two Mules For Sister Sara
  4. The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
  5. Clint Eastwood - Westerner (The Outlaw Josey Wales / Pale Rider / Unforgiven Single Disc Edition)

ASIN: 0783223668
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. The digital video disc offers standard and widescreen formats and a remastered soundtrack. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars High Plains Drifter.......2007-07-03

Eastwood's eerie, magnificent "Drifter," his second effort in the director's chair, turns the final showdown cliché of the Hollywood Western on its head: Instead of confronting the killer posse alone, for money or out of brute contempt, The Stranger teaches the cowardly townsfolk how to defend themselves--then promptly disappears. And where else but in an Eastwood flick would the protagonist, for the purposes of intimidation, have a town literally painted red and renamed Hell? Such flashes of dark humor animate the story, as do The Stranger's haunting flashbacks, the austere sets, and the cast of irregulars. Enigmatic and violent, "Drifter" reworks the Man With No Name persona into a mystical folk hero, and the effect is riveting.

5 out of 5 stars Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director...........2007-06-16

This is Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director. This was Eastwood's 3rd film (after Play Misty for Me and Breezy), and it still remains one of his best films. Misty and Breezy are excellent films, but this one is far better than both of them. Many critics have said this is a tongue in cheek Western. I digress strongly. Yes, there are humourous elements in it, but it's a morally complex, eerie, and brilliant piece of filmmaking. Eastwood's character doesn't really have a name, but this isn't an extension of his work with Sergio Leone. It has a lot to do with revenge, karma, greed, and what small town America in the west was really like. It wasn't like the idealised, "God-fearing" folk (that cliche gets a real takedown in this film) you see in typical Hollywood westerns. The ending is downright surreal, but it works brilliantly. Even the supporting players (especially Billy Curtis) are excellent here. A decent number of Eastwood's films have some bad acting in them in the supporting roles, but here that doesn't happen. Eastwood shot this masterpiece in 24 days, and under budget too. This was Clint's first great film.

5 out of 5 stars Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone.......2007-06-03

Clint Eastwood starred as the "man with no name" in many of Sergio Leone's "Spagetti Westerns." Here, Eastwood directs his own similar-type western, although, at the end of this flick, we find out that Eastwood's character really does have a name.

After Eastwood rides into the town of Lago and kills the three hired guns who were the village's protectors, he is hired by the townspeople as a replacement gunman. They hope that Eastwood will protect them from a ruthless gang that was sent to jail on trumped up charges by the townspeople. The gang members have done their time and are now coming back to get their revenge. But it turns out that Eastwood has his own reasons for wanting some revenge too.

"High Plains Drifter" ranks with the best of Leone's westerns. It is an excellent film and a classic of the genre, with a supernatural twist.

Eastwood's forgettable "Pale Rider" was a sort of remake of "High Plains Drifter." In "Pale Rider," however, the individualistic message of "High Plains Drifter" was replaced by a communitarian one.

3 out of 5 stars Not too bad for plagiarism.......2007-05-24

Don't get me wrong, I like these old Eastwood westerns as much as the next guy, but this movie is almost a direct steal from a "Bonanza" eisode called "Twilight Town" that aired ten years before this movie came out. I have no respect for plagiarism no matter who stars in the movie. I did give it a few for entertainment value.

5 out of 5 stars Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style.......2007-04-12

It's a movie as morally complex as the history of America itself.

Yes, the town, Lago, has blood on its hands. Yes, the townspeople have flirted with evil by having three common thugs bullwhip their sheriff to death because he would likely report their mine as located on federal lands and so endanger their ambitions for limitless wealth. Yet, the movie also appears to see the town, Lago, as worthy of redemption.

After railroading the thugs into prison, the town very conveniently proceeds to pretend that nothing ever happened: "These are God fearing people," the new sheriff earnestly tells the High Plains Drifter. However, when the thugs are released from prison, they seek to receive their back wages in the blood of the townspeople who doublecrossed them.

Only when the townspeople experience the same terror that their bullwhipped sheriff must have experienced does the High Plains Drifter reappear to save them from the thugs. Indeed, at the end of movie, when the High Plains Drifter rides away from town on horseback, a tombstone is erected with the name of the murdered sheriff.

Unlike the outlaws, the townspeople feel a very real sense of collective guilt, which the High Plains Drifter and their ordeal have reawakened. Perhaps that is the hope of America -- that we do have guilt over our past and we do not just pretend that nothing ever happened.

High Plains Drifter [Region 2]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • High Plains Drifter
  • Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director....
  • Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone
  • Not too bad for plagiarism
  • Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style
High Plains Drifter [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
( H )( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Similar Items:
  1. Hang 'em High
  2. Pale Rider
  3. Two Mules For Sister Sara
  4. The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
  5. Clint Eastwood - Westerner (The Outlaw Josey Wales / Pale Rider / Unforgiven Single Disc Edition)

ASIN: B000053W4P

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars High Plains Drifter.......2007-07-03

Eastwood's eerie, magnificent "Drifter," his second effort in the director's chair, turns the final showdown cliché of the Hollywood Western on its head: Instead of confronting the killer posse alone, for money or out of brute contempt, The Stranger teaches the cowardly townsfolk how to defend themselves--then promptly disappears. And where else but in an Eastwood flick would the protagonist, for the purposes of intimidation, have a town literally painted red and renamed Hell? Such flashes of dark humor animate the story, as do The Stranger's haunting flashbacks, the austere sets, and the cast of irregulars. Enigmatic and violent, "Drifter" reworks the Man With No Name persona into a mystical folk hero, and the effect is riveting.

5 out of 5 stars Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director...........2007-06-16

This is Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director. This was Eastwood's 3rd film (after Play Misty for Me and Breezy), and it still remains one of his best films. Misty and Breezy are excellent films, but this one is far better than both of them. Many critics have said this is a tongue in cheek Western. I digress strongly. Yes, there are humourous elements in it, but it's a morally complex, eerie, and brilliant piece of filmmaking. Eastwood's character doesn't really have a name, but this isn't an extension of his work with Sergio Leone. It has a lot to do with revenge, karma, greed, and what small town America in the west was really like. It wasn't like the idealised, "God-fearing" folk (that cliche gets a real takedown in this film) you see in typical Hollywood westerns. The ending is downright surreal, but it works brilliantly. Even the supporting players (especially Billy Curtis) are excellent here. A decent number of Eastwood's films have some bad acting in them in the supporting roles, but here that doesn't happen. Eastwood shot this masterpiece in 24 days, and under budget too. This was Clint's first great film.

5 out of 5 stars Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone.......2007-06-03

Clint Eastwood starred as the "man with no name" in many of Sergio Leone's "Spagetti Westerns." Here, Eastwood directs his own similar-type western, although, at the end of this flick, we find out that Eastwood's character really does have a name.

After Eastwood rides into the town of Lago and kills the three hired guns who were the village's protectors, he is hired by the townspeople as a replacement gunman. They hope that Eastwood will protect them from a ruthless gang that was sent to jail on trumped up charges by the townspeople. The gang members have done their time and are now coming back to get their revenge. But it turns out that Eastwood has his own reasons for wanting some revenge too.

"High Plains Drifter" ranks with the best of Leone's westerns. It is an excellent film and a classic of the genre, with a supernatural twist.

Eastwood's forgettable "Pale Rider" was a sort of remake of "High Plains Drifter." In "Pale Rider," however, the individualistic message of "High Plains Drifter" was replaced by a communitarian one.

3 out of 5 stars Not too bad for plagiarism.......2007-05-24

Don't get me wrong, I like these old Eastwood westerns as much as the next guy, but this movie is almost a direct steal from a "Bonanza" eisode called "Twilight Town" that aired ten years before this movie came out. I have no respect for plagiarism no matter who stars in the movie. I did give it a few for entertainment value.

5 out of 5 stars Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style.......2007-04-12

It's a movie as morally complex as the history of America itself.

Yes, the town, Lago, has blood on its hands. Yes, the townspeople have flirted with evil by having three common thugs bullwhip their sheriff to death because he would likely report their mine as located on federal lands and so endanger their ambitions for limitless wealth. Yet, the movie also appears to see the town, Lago, as worthy of redemption.

After railroading the thugs into prison, the town very conveniently proceeds to pretend that nothing ever happened: "These are God fearing people," the new sheriff earnestly tells the High Plains Drifter. However, when the thugs are released from prison, they seek to receive their back wages in the blood of the townspeople who doublecrossed them.

Only when the townspeople experience the same terror that their bullwhipped sheriff must have experienced does the High Plains Drifter reappear to save them from the thugs. Indeed, at the end of movie, when the High Plains Drifter rides away from town on horseback, a tombstone is erected with the name of the murdered sheriff.

Unlike the outlaws, the townspeople feel a very real sense of collective guilt, which the High Plains Drifter and their ordeal have reawakened. Perhaps that is the hope of America -- that we do have guilt over our past and we do not just pretend that nothing ever happened.

High Plains Drifter [Region 2]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • High Plains Drifter
  • Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director....
  • Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone
  • Not too bad for plagiarism
  • Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style
High Plains Drifter [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Westerns | Genres | DVD | Video
( H )( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Similar Items:
  1. Hang 'em High
  2. Pale Rider
  3. Two Mules For Sister Sara
  4. The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
  5. Clint Eastwood - Westerner (The Outlaw Josey Wales / Pale Rider / Unforgiven Single Disc Edition)

ASIN: B00005A999

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars High Plains Drifter.......2007-07-03

Eastwood's eerie, magnificent "Drifter," his second effort in the director's chair, turns the final showdown cliché of the Hollywood Western on its head: Instead of confronting the killer posse alone, for money or out of brute contempt, The Stranger teaches the cowardly townsfolk how to defend themselves--then promptly disappears. And where else but in an Eastwood flick would the protagonist, for the purposes of intimidation, have a town literally painted red and renamed Hell? Such flashes of dark humor animate the story, as do The Stranger's haunting flashbacks, the austere sets, and the cast of irregulars. Enigmatic and violent, "Drifter" reworks the Man With No Name persona into a mystical folk hero, and the effect is riveting.

5 out of 5 stars Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director...........2007-06-16

This is Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director. This was Eastwood's 3rd film (after Play Misty for Me and Breezy), and it still remains one of his best films. Misty and Breezy are excellent films, but this one is far better than both of them. Many critics have said this is a tongue in cheek Western. I digress strongly. Yes, there are humourous elements in it, but it's a morally complex, eerie, and brilliant piece of filmmaking. Eastwood's character doesn't really have a name, but this isn't an extension of his work with Sergio Leone. It has a lot to do with revenge, karma, greed, and what small town America in the west was really like. It wasn't like the idealised, "God-fearing" folk (that cliche gets a real takedown in this film) you see in typical Hollywood westerns. The ending is downright surreal, but it works brilliantly. Even the supporting players (especially Billy Curtis) are excellent here. A decent number of Eastwood's films have some bad acting in them in the supporting roles, but here that doesn't happen. Eastwood shot this masterpiece in 24 days, and under budget too. This was Clint's first great film.

5 out of 5 stars Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone.......2007-06-03

Clint Eastwood starred as the "man with no name" in many of Sergio Leone's "Spagetti Westerns." Here, Eastwood directs his own similar-type western, although, at the end of this flick, we find out that Eastwood's character really does have a name.

After Eastwood rides into the town of Lago and kills the three hired guns who were the village's protectors, he is hired by the townspeople as a replacement gunman. They hope that Eastwood will protect them from a ruthless gang that was sent to jail on trumped up charges by the townspeople. The gang members have done their time and are now coming back to get their revenge. But it turns out that Eastwood has his own reasons for wanting some revenge too.

"High Plains Drifter" ranks with the best of Leone's westerns. It is an excellent film and a classic of the genre, with a supernatural twist.

Eastwood's forgettable "Pale Rider" was a sort of remake of "High Plains Drifter." In "Pale Rider," however, the individualistic message of "High Plains Drifter" was replaced by a communitarian one.

3 out of 5 stars Not too bad for plagiarism.......2007-05-24

Don't get me wrong, I like these old Eastwood westerns as much as the next guy, but this movie is almost a direct steal from a "Bonanza" eisode called "Twilight Town" that aired ten years before this movie came out. I have no respect for plagiarism no matter who stars in the movie. I did give it a few for entertainment value.

5 out of 5 stars Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style.......2007-04-12

It's a movie as morally complex as the history of America itself.

Yes, the town, Lago, has blood on its hands. Yes, the townspeople have flirted with evil by having three common thugs bullwhip their sheriff to death because he would likely report their mine as located on federal lands and so endanger their ambitions for limitless wealth. Yet, the movie also appears to see the town, Lago, as worthy of redemption.

After railroading the thugs into prison, the town very conveniently proceeds to pretend that nothing ever happened: "These are God fearing people," the new sheriff earnestly tells the High Plains Drifter. However, when the thugs are released from prison, they seek to receive their back wages in the blood of the townspeople who doublecrossed them.

Only when the townspeople experience the same terror that their bullwhipped sheriff must have experienced does the High Plains Drifter reappear to save them from the thugs. Indeed, at the end of movie, when the High Plains Drifter rides away from town on horseback, a tombstone is erected with the name of the murdered sheriff.

Unlike the outlaws, the townspeople feel a very real sense of collective guilt, which the High Plains Drifter and their ordeal have reawakened. Perhaps that is the hope of America -- that we do have guilt over our past and we do not just pretend that nothing ever happened.

High Plains Drifter [Region 2]
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • High Plains Drifter
  • Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director....
  • Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone
  • Not too bad for plagiarism
  • Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style
High Plains Drifter [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000A12H2

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood's second film as a director (and his first Western) is a variation on the "man with no name" theme, starring Eastwood as the drifter known only as "the Stranger." He rides into the desert town of Lagos and is quickly attacked by three gunmen. Recovering with the aid of a local dwarf (a memorable role for Billy Curtis), the Stranger is hired by the intimidated townsfolk to fend off a band of violent ex-convicts. After teaching the citizens self-defense and instructing them to paint the entire town red and rename it "Hell," the Stranger vanishes. He reappears when the marauding criminals arrive, and delivers justice and teaches the townsfolk a harsh lesson about moral obligation. Is he a figure from their past or a kind of supernatural avenger? Combining humor with action, High Plains Drifter is both a serious and tongue-in-cheek tribute to the Westerns that made Eastwood a household name. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars High Plains Drifter.......2007-07-03

Eastwood's eerie, magnificent "Drifter," his second effort in the director's chair, turns the final showdown cliché of the Hollywood Western on its head: Instead of confronting the killer posse alone, for money or out of brute contempt, The Stranger teaches the cowardly townsfolk how to defend themselves--then promptly disappears. And where else but in an Eastwood flick would the protagonist, for the purposes of intimidation, have a town literally painted red and renamed Hell? Such flashes of dark humor animate the story, as do The Stranger's haunting flashbacks, the austere sets, and the cast of irregulars. Enigmatic and violent, "Drifter" reworks the Man With No Name persona into a mystical folk hero, and the effect is riveting.

5 out of 5 stars Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director...........2007-06-16

This is Clint Eastwood's first masterpiece as a director. This was Eastwood's 3rd film (after Play Misty for Me and Breezy), and it still remains one of his best films. Misty and Breezy are excellent films, but this one is far better than both of them. Many critics have said this is a tongue in cheek Western. I digress strongly. Yes, there are humourous elements in it, but it's a morally complex, eerie, and brilliant piece of filmmaking. Eastwood's character doesn't really have a name, but this isn't an extension of his work with Sergio Leone. It has a lot to do with revenge, karma, greed, and what small town America in the west was really like. It wasn't like the idealised, "God-fearing" folk (that cliche gets a real takedown in this film) you see in typical Hollywood westerns. The ending is downright surreal, but it works brilliantly. Even the supporting players (especially Billy Curtis) are excellent here. A decent number of Eastwood's films have some bad acting in them in the supporting roles, but here that doesn't happen. Eastwood shot this masterpiece in 24 days, and under budget too. This was Clint's first great film.

5 out of 5 stars Clint's Homage to Sergio Leone.......2007-06-03

Clint Eastwood starred as the "man with no name" in many of Sergio Leone's "Spagetti Westerns." Here, Eastwood directs his own similar-type western, although, at the end of this flick, we find out that Eastwood's character really does have a name.

After Eastwood rides into the town of Lago and kills the three hired guns who were the village's protectors, he is hired by the townspeople as a replacement gunman. They hope that Eastwood will protect them from a ruthless gang that was sent to jail on trumped up charges by the townspeople. The gang members have done their time and are now coming back to get their revenge. But it turns out that Eastwood has his own reasons for wanting some revenge too.

"High Plains Drifter" ranks with the best of Leone's westerns. It is an excellent film and a classic of the genre, with a supernatural twist.

Eastwood's forgettable "Pale Rider" was a sort of remake of "High Plains Drifter." In "Pale Rider," however, the individualistic message of "High Plains Drifter" was replaced by a communitarian one.

3 out of 5 stars Not too bad for plagiarism.......2007-05-24

Don't get me wrong, I like these old Eastwood westerns as much as the next guy, but this movie is almost a direct steal from a "Bonanza" eisode called "Twilight Town" that aired ten years before this movie came out. I have no respect for plagiarism no matter who stars in the movie. I did give it a few for entertainment value.

5 out of 5 stars Karma -- Clint Eastwood Style.......2007-04-12

It's a movie as morally complex as the history of America itself.

Yes, the town, Lago, has blood on its hands. Yes, the townspeople have flirted with evil by having three common thugs bullwhip their sheriff to death because he would likely report their mine as located on federal lands and so endanger their ambitions for limitless wealth. Yet, the movie also appears to see the town, Lago, as worthy of redemption.

After railroading the thugs into prison, the town very conveniently proceeds to pretend that nothing ever happened: "These are God fearing people," the new sheriff earnestly tells the High Plains Drifter. However, when the thugs are released from prison, they seek to receive their back wages in the blood of the townspeople who doublecrossed them.

Only when the townspeople experience the same terror that their bullwhipped sheriff must have experienced does the High Plains Drifter reappear to save them from the thugs. Indeed, at the end of movie, when the High Plains Drifter rides away from town on horseback, a tombstone is erected with the name of the murdered sheriff.

Unlike the outlaws, the townspeople feel a very real sense of collective guilt, which the High Plains Drifter and their ordeal have reawakened. Perhaps that is the hope of America -- that we do have guilt over our past and we do not just pretend that nothing ever happened.

DVD:

  1. The Great American Western, Vol. 22
  2. Legend of the Lone Ranger
  3. Silver Spurs
  4. Cattle Stampede
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  7. Western Heroes
  8. The Great American Western: Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Randolph Scott
  9. John Wayne: West of the Divide/The Man from Utah
  10. Real Stories of the Old West

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