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High Noon (1952)
At this point there is no doubt as to the only danger is no longer a myth in the history of western, but in the history of cinema and the relationship between film and ideology. Have been written many rivers of ink, surely too much on this allegation in the film against the reactionary witch-hunts of Senator Joseph McCarthy because of links with the Communist Party of the film’s screenwriter, Carl Foreman, but we would like repeat it again a thousand times that, so I try to address some alternative reading of Fred Zinnemann’s film that can complement what is already known by everyone.
We could talk about the analysis that makes the figure of the hero, a hero who for once he is given the ability to doubt their ability (perhaps this is what it failed to understand or dislike Howard Hawks) and search support all those who always supported him when things were doing very well.
It has always been said that unity is strength, and in case of danger just before the union is broken everywhere, every inhabitant of the village has its own reasons and interests for not supporting a community member, ranging from materialistic and hypocritical selfishness to self-centeredness of some of the attitudes of others, and those who have always been ordinary citizens, without ambition, in the absence of a consensus community took refuge in the cowardice of the individual alone.
Curiously, the few who seem to want to help the hero without a doubt be considered unless the members of the town: drunks, teenagers and elderly destitute who are least suited for the dangerous task. Thus, the hero must finally face their identity crisis by the community and not expect anyone to take it up the fire for himself and overcome his doubts.
Beyond these minor considerations, we should highlight the excellent narrative shown by Zinnemann at the time of the misfortunes of Marshal Kane and estimated the tension of the story gradually steadily, as are the inserts showing in the assembly of the outlaws awaiting the arrival of the train or watch the remaining minutes to mark the arrival of the former. No doubt the director had a hand in the invaluable help of assembler Elmo Williams coming to give a film almost real time.
Was also blessed with a cast almost overwhelming in its entirety, with small but attractive fixtures for the papers of an action, many of them closely linked to gender, such as Thomas Mitchell, Lon Chaney Jr., Harry Morgan, Otto Kruger, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Robert J. Or Lee Wilke Van Cleef beginner who does not pronounce a word, for example.
But the great advantage of the division is its protagonist, a Gary Cooper who returned to be reborn in a overwhelming, full of nuances and gestures that speak of a character that came as the ring finger while not sounding out the first to do it. His interpretation of the Oscar-winning Hollywood Academy, full of natural (despite the fact that Cooper said that his expressions were due to be suffering an ulcer), and undoubtedly sat bases became the mirror that looked to many creators in the future heroes of delineating more complex for the genre, but let’s not forget that was not the first hero with deep psychological and even less.
Just for a teacher to appreciate the interpretation of Cooper and the famous banda sonora de Dimitri Tiomkin Just before the threat deserves a prominent place among the great works of the western.
DATASHEET
Director: Fred Zinnemann.
Production: Stanley Kramer for Stanley Kramer Productions / United Artists.
Screenplay: Carl Foreman, based on the story The Tin Star, John W. Cunningham.
Photography: Floyd Crosby.
Music: Dimitri Tiomkin.
Sound: John Speak.
Editor: Elmo Williams.
Cast: Gary Cooper (Marshal Will Kane), Thomas Mitchell (Mayor Jonas Henderson), Lloyd Bridges (Harvey Pell Assistant), Katy Jurado (Helen Ramirez), Grace Kelly (Amy Fowler Kane), Otto Kruger (Judge Percy Mettrick) Lon Chaney Jr. (Martin Howe), Harry Morgan (Sam Fuller), Ian MacDonald (Frank Miller), Eve McVeagh (Mildred Fuller), Morgan Farley (Priest), Harry Shannon (Cooper), Sheb Wooley (Ben Miller), Robert J . Wilke (Pierce), Lee Van Cleef (Jack Colby), John Doucette, Jack Elam, Chubby Johnson, James Millican, Syd Saylor, Bob Carson, Chuck Hayward, Lee Aaker …
Nationality and year: United States. 1952.
Technical data and duration: 85 minutes. 1.37:1. B / N.
Topics: Greatest Films, Movies
Tags: High Noon, Joseph McCarthy, Katy Jurado, Lloyd Bridges, Otto Kruger, Screenwriter
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