Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Clint Eastwood | ... | The Stranger | |
Verna Bloom | ... | Sarah Belding | |
Marianna Hill | ... | Callie Travers (as Mariana Hill) | |
Mitchell Ryan | ... | Dave Drake | |
Jack Ging | ... | Morgan Allen | |
Stefan Gierasch | ... | Mayor Jason Hobart | |
|
Ted Hartley | ... | Lewis Belding |
Billy Curtis | ... | Mordecai | |
Geoffrey Lewis | ... | Stacey Bridges | |
Scott Walker | ... | Bill Borders | |
Walter Barnes | ... | Sheriff Sam Shaw | |
Paul Brinegar | ... | Lutie Naylor | |
Richard Bull | ... | Asa Goodwin | |
Robert Donner | ... | Preacher | |
John Hillerman | ... | Bootmaker |
A Stranger rides into in the dusty mining town of Lago, where the townspeople are living in the shadow of a dark secret. After a shootout leaves the town's hired-gun protectors dead, the town's leaders petition the Stranger to stay and protect them from three ruthless outlaws who are soon to be released from prison. The three have their sights set on returning to Lago to wreak havoc and take care of some unfinished business. A series of events soon has the townspeople questioning whether siding with the Stranger was a wise idea as they quickly learn the price that they each must pay for his services. As the outlaws make their way back into Lago, they discover that the town is not exactly as they had left it, and waiting in the shadows is the Stranger, ready to expose the town's secret and serve up his own brand of justice. Written by bob-oconnor1964
I really had no idea what to expect when I grabbed High Plains Drifter from the video store shelf. I recently saw The Outlaw Josey Wales, and really enjoying that film, I figured I couldn't go wrong; I was right. High Plains Drifter is more than just another western with the standard assortment of gun fights, bar scenes, and shots of horseback riding on wide-open prairie. To be sure, it does have its share of the said events, it is a western after all, but what I particularly liked was the film's character development and well thought out story.
I don't want to ruin any of the film's enjoyment for any potential viewers, so I won't go into describing any of the characters. Suffice it to say though that they all have a very realistic quality to them, especially Clint Eastwood's character. No stereotyped good guys/bad guys here, thank you very much.
As I mentioned, the story is also very nicely developed. It has multiple layers which are peeled away as the movie progresses, remaining entertained throughout.
High Plains Drifter is an excellent western. If you're a fan of the genre, you'll no doubt find it to be an entertaining watch.