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High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:50 am
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:50 am
High Plains Drifter (1973) - A Stranger rides into the corrupt mining town of Lago. After three tough guys harass him, he kills them rather easily. The three men had been hired by the town as protection from some other hitmen they had double crossed. The townspeople decided to hire the Stranger in place of the 3 tough guys. It all started, we find out, that the town had the local Marshal killed to silence him, because he discovered their mine was on federal property. The Stranger gets revenge on the whole town for the Marshall.
Pale Rider (1985) - A corrupt mining company is trying to push out some small time prospectors off of their claims with rough tactics, and kill a girl’s dog. She prays and along comes a rider who has a preacher’s collar and scars from 6 bullet holes in his back. He is metaphorically the Pale Rider (Death on a pale horse from the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse in Revelation), but that’s never explicitly stated. The company hires gunfighters, who are corrupt former marshals, and they think they recognize the Preacher as a dude they shot and killed previously.
In both movies, Clint Eastwood exacts revenge and then rides off without anyone really knowing anything about him, including his name (he has other movies where he has no name).
Which movie did you enjoy more?
In which movie was the main character more obviously a ghost?
To me, the titles should be switched. I think The Stranger from High Plains Drifter is more like the 4th horseman of the apocalypse, “Death, with Hell coming after”. He even paints the town red and paints the word “Hell” on the town sign marker.
I always assumed that the Preacher in Pale Rider had only been previously wounded and assumed to be dead. He never seemed like a ghost to me. I always took the movie to be more like a re-telling of the movie Shane.
BTW, I love both movies!
Pale Rider (1985) - A corrupt mining company is trying to push out some small time prospectors off of their claims with rough tactics, and kill a girl’s dog. She prays and along comes a rider who has a preacher’s collar and scars from 6 bullet holes in his back. He is metaphorically the Pale Rider (Death on a pale horse from the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse in Revelation), but that’s never explicitly stated. The company hires gunfighters, who are corrupt former marshals, and they think they recognize the Preacher as a dude they shot and killed previously.
In both movies, Clint Eastwood exacts revenge and then rides off without anyone really knowing anything about him, including his name (he has other movies where he has no name).
Which movie did you enjoy more?
In which movie was the main character more obviously a ghost?
To me, the titles should be switched. I think The Stranger from High Plains Drifter is more like the 4th horseman of the apocalypse, “Death, with Hell coming after”. He even paints the town red and paints the word “Hell” on the town sign marker.
I always assumed that the Preacher in Pale Rider had only been previously wounded and assumed to be dead. He never seemed like a ghost to me. I always took the movie to be more like a re-telling of the movie Shane.
BTW, I love both movies!
This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 7:20 pm
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:05 am to Jimbeaux
In High Plains Mordicai says he never knew his name and Clint replies; "Yes you do."
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:11 am to BuckyCheese
Exactly. It’s a very clear indication that the Stranger is the ghost of the dead Marshal.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:11 am to Jimbeaux
quote:
Which movie did you enjoy more?
Pale Rider
quote:
In which movie was the main character more obviously a ghost?
I never figured the main character was a ghost in either movie.
quote:
BTW, I love both movies!
This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 8:13 am
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:38 am to Jimbeaux
High Plains Drifter.
"Who are you!"
"Who are you!"
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:40 am to Jimbeaux
quote:
Which movie did you enjoy more?
In which movie was the main character more obviously a ghost?
Answer to both is HPD.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 8:44 am to BuckyCheese
Yes and then it cuts to a shot of the Marshall's tombstone.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 9:01 am to Jimbeaux
I’ve only seen HPD once and assumed he was a ghost and exacts vengeance on the town leaders in an ironic manner. It has flashbacks that seem to reinforce my take. The Ex cons he kills at the end were the ones hired to kill him originally.
Pale Rider I’ve seen numerous times and it is a masterpiece of cinematography and just a fine western 15 years after the western genre really ended its peak run.
I think I read somewhere that in 1967 westerns made up like 18% of TV and the big screen. Societal changes among other things led to the decline of the genre throughout the early 70’s.
Pale Rider I’ve seen numerous times and it is a masterpiece of cinematography and just a fine western 15 years after the western genre really ended its peak run.
I think I read somewhere that in 1967 westerns made up like 18% of TV and the big screen. Societal changes among other things led to the decline of the genre throughout the early 70’s.
This post was edited on 5/18/20 at 9:03 am
Posted on 5/18/20 at 9:06 am to Jimbeaux
quote:
Pale Rider
Rewatched this yesterday. It was clear that the hired Marshal at the end of the movie recognized the preacher. While it isn't clear if he is a ghost or someone who the Marshal presumed to be dead, the Marshal clearly says "You!" several times. I don't remember there being any background details given like in High Plains Drifter which made it pretty clear that it was the ghost come back for revenge.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 9:29 am to Jimbeaux
Both.....and Outlaw Josey Wales.....and .....and.....
Posted on 5/18/20 at 9:46 am to Jimbeaux
Clint is most obviously a ghost in HPD. Although wikipidea quotes Eastwood as saying his character is a ghost in Pale Rider also.
Love both, but I guess I'd pick HPD right now.
Love both, but I guess I'd pick HPD right now.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 10:20 am to Jimbeaux
quote:
In which movie was the main character more obviously a ghost?
Did he not disappear at the end of HPD? I guess people are assuming he just rode out of eyesight. I always thought he disappeared because he was done with what he came back for.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 11:00 am to Jimbeaux
High Plains Drifter for me. But it’s been a long time since I’ve watched Pale Rider. Probably could stand to watch it again
Posted on 5/18/20 at 11:36 am to Jimbeaux
Sydney Penny (Megan Wheeler) grew up nice...
Posted on 5/18/20 at 12:15 pm to BuckyCheese
Mordicai ask:"what did you say you name is?"
Stranger replied:"I didn't."
Stranger replied:"I didn't."
Posted on 5/18/20 at 12:31 pm to Jimbeaux
I saw High Plains Drifter first and loved that, if I had seen the other first probably would be that one.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 2:38 pm to Jimbeaux
HPD. Just something about it.
"you’re going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking up your arse.”
"you’re going to look awfully silly with that knife sticking up your arse.”
Posted on 5/18/20 at 2:48 pm to cattus
Was that about the extent of cursing that any of these movies had?
Kind of strange considering what even TV shows get away with today.
Kind of strange considering what even TV shows get away with today.
Posted on 5/18/20 at 3:16 pm to Plague on Wheels
Are these movies streaming anywhere to watch?
Posted on 5/18/20 at 7:22 pm to ksdolfan
They show up on cable pretty frequently. I think there’s a western channel that I got through my Roku which shows commercials but doesn’t cost anything. I’d bet they have them.
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