Review of High Plains Drifter (1973) by Simon D — 31 Jul 2015

A dark and nasty revisionist western that throws horror and supernatural overtones into the mix, High Plains Drifter is Eastwoods subverting of the genre that made him, especially in the sometimes troubling spin on his "man with no name", he's not the hero, like we expect or even an anti hero, what he is is subject to speculation, at the very least a dark figure of vengeance and retribution, one thing he most certainly is is a total bastard, especially the fact that he actually rapes a woman, the films most difficult and troubling moment, it's Eastwoods most clear and brutal subversion of his iconic figure, but there's a "she wanted it really" overtone that leaves a seriously queasy feeling in the gut and a bad taste in the mouth, maybe it's the totally fucked sexual politics of the time, but still, uneasy questions linger over the scene.

However, Clints clearly not a good guy at all here and this plus the movies unrelentingly harsh, creepy, black as night tone mark it out as a truly unusual western.