Review of High Plains Drifter (1973) by Brendan H — 19 Oct 2017

111009, 151110, 161201 & 171020: It's funny how you notice little details with each consecutive viewing of a film. With High Plains Drifter, this time around, I picked up that Stacey Bridges (Geoffrey Lewis) and the Carlins (Dan Vadis & Anthony James), the badass villains that they are, use hollow-point bullets.

These bullets would've been damn rare, if not non-existent around the time this film was to have taken place. As for the film itself, there is no way I'm changing my ratings on this one. High Plains Drifter is one of my rare five star movies.

I could just talk for hours about how great the cast and characters are. The villains are a perfect example. Lewis and James are easily recognizable, classic black hat bad guys but I believe special credit should go to whoever chose Dan Vadis to portray Dan Carlin.

Vadis' character, in his relatively little short screen time, comes across as a true psychopath, a guy you just wouldn't want to mess with...unless you're The Stranger (Clint Eastwood). And the townsfolk of Lago? What a wonderful ensemble of wacky personalities, each special and contributing to the overall community in their own unique way.

From the more prominent players, such as Mordecai (Billy Curtis), to the lesser ones, the Mexican laborers, the cast seems to have been perfectly selected and scripted. The outcome is an almost uncomfortably honest portrayal of a corrupt, narcissistic community, something viewers likely all fear, and associate with, in some small way.

There are some interesting theories on-line regarding the intention of the script behind High Plains Drifter, in particular, The Stranger's relationship to Marshal Duncan. Check them out as I've found they've only contributed to my enjoyment of this film.