William Friedkin on HIGH NOON

Director William Friedkin discusses the importance of this seminal Western starring Gary Cooper (#27 on AFI's list of 100 Greatest American Films) and how it remains relevant to this day.

[@volwolf]

its a great film that just happened to take place in an 1870's western setting. Gary Cooper earned a well deserved oscar for this film. To me the messages in the film are just as relevant today as they were back in 1952.

[@Cleon29Warrior]

Absolutely my favorite western, one of my favorite films and the best western ever made. I think that Marshal Will Kane is perhaps the biggest hero of American film. Ok, maybe together with Atticus Finch, I really can't say which one is more marvelous character.

[@JohnnylMr]

Well said, William!

[@francismausley7239]

Truly a most principled character in a story... "How noble and excellent is man if he only attain to that state for which he was designed. And how mean and contemptible if he close his eyes to the public weal and spend his precious capacities on personal and selfish ends." ~ ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Baha'i Faith

[@WeaponXXIV]

This film is certainly one of the best films ever made. My favorite scene is the scene with Lon Chaney Jr. refusing to help Gary Cooper and when I listened to the commentary was shocked and disgusted that instead of talking about Chaney's wonderful work at portraying guilt and fear in that scene they were discussing Bill Clinton.

[@jnagarya519]

The impeachment of Bill Clinton was attempted payback for Nixon. And those who hate Clinton for bullshit reasons IGNORE the fact that Lewinski STALKED Clinton -- NOT the reverse.

[@PaceFilmsProductions]

I love High Noon, great western. Really silly that anyone would think it was a communist film. I read somewhere that Gregory Peck was the first choice but turned it down because he thought it was too similar to a film he had just done called "The Gunfighter". I recently watched it on youtube and in my HONEST opinion I think The Gunfighter is better, thats just me though.

[@rboltt]

If you start the film at 10:50am, the train whistles at noon.

[@JohnnylMr]

Yes, and how many principled people in our world? How many people today would help Marshall Will Kane? He stood alone as he would today on a planet of cowards..

[@marcelosastre3621]

Se trata sencillamente de el ícono más grande de todos los tiempos el gran gary cooper, y posiblemente el mejor western de todos los tiempos ,y solo para los mejores cinéfilos del mundo y té lo dice el juezdeoeste 💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@bourdieufan7433]

High Noon my absolute favourite communist movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@malafakka8530]

I like High Noon and have seen it several times but I never thought of it as a great western.

[@robinrubendunst869]

And it speaks to the hypocrisy, cowardice and ingratitude and allowing others to do their “dirty work.” It’s very telling that at the end of the film, Cooper glares at the townspeople disgustedly, throws his sheriff’s badge in the dirt at their feet then rides away. It’s really an indictment against the townspeople.

[@thetop100films]

High Noon is the favorite among several presidents USA and Polish (it helped elect Lech Walesa!) but John Wayne hated it, calling it the most un-american thing he'd ever seen

[@yanndick]

I like HIGH NOON for Gary COOPER's character but, ultilmately, the movie sadly only shows that to be a "hero", one has to live among cowards and to have no other choice for staying alive than to do the work alone...

[@michael69040]

Well, not quite. He was serving- not living- among cowards something he grew to resent. The tin star flung to the dirt was his epiphany. These people do not deserve being protected.

[@codeoptimizationware2803]

@yanndick : Being a "hero" is nothing to strive for and in real life it's many times more than merely "reluctant". It's often a terrible burden foisted upon some ordinary person by circumstance and/or others that are trouble-making anti-heroes. Remember early in the film, Will Kane specifically tells his new wife, who doesn't understand why he's taking the best course of action (among other options much less viable) by staying to deal with the situation there, that it's not to thump his chest nor to "prove" some point to others that will not take an initiative anyway. He told her something like _If you think I like this, you are crazy!_ He plainly he hated having to do what he had to do because of those criminals that should've already been hung or at least in the big house for life but weren't, whatwith what was for him to like about being under such circumstances...? Heh, nothing. What a bunch of shit! Think on this: The word "hero" is a word for _others._

[@michael69040]

Examine the "character" of Will Kane. He shacked up with a Mexican woman after he sent her boyfriend off to prison. She seems to still love him. She was good for sex but really wasn't "marriage material". Think a little before responding.

[@roseymalino9855]

You're assuming facts not in evidence. What we know from the movie is that Mrs Ramirez did not marry 3 white males. They were good for sex but not the marriage quality of her husband using your logic.Or was she now sour on marriage? Yes she has feelings for Will as does he for her. He's concerned enough that one of the first things he does with his limited time is to warn her of impending danger.

[@michael69040]

@@roseymalino9855 She took off but not after berating Kane's Quaker wife for not sticking by him. "If Kane had been my man......." She always seemed to be a woman who looked out for herself first-not the sacrificial type at all. We see such women characters in many films made today- ambitious and cunning and ready to move on when their personal safety is threatened. Glenn Frankel's HIGH NOON was a compelling read for me.

[@roseymalino9855]

@@michael69040 You switched issues. Also, not 'berate'; maybe disparage or contrast. And she didn't say my husband or spouse. I tend to avoid movies these days. They invariably include some kind of peculiarity which adds annoyance to an otherwise poor movie.