May 31 movie: High Plains Drifter. This was not as successful, for me, as Once Upon a Time in the West. It had some interesting ideas (the thing about painting the town red was just brilliant) & was enjoyable in places. But. I found everyone in the movie so unpleasant that I couldn't root for anyone. For example, the hero begins the movie by encountering a rude woman and shutting her up by dragging her into a barn and raping her. That was so extremely off-putting to me that the movie simply never recovers.
Of course I don't think Eastwood is suggesting that an uppity woman not only deserves to be raped, but will probably enjoy it. Yet, that is exactly what happens in the movie. Perhaps he was trying to convey the idea that what the hero suffered (in flashback) has damaged him to the point where he's no better than the bad guys. And I have to say, I kind of don't want to watch a movie like that.
Post a comment