Even though I am a huge fan of westerns, I had never seen High Noon, which is included on many Top 10 Westerns Lists, so I was looking forward to finally viewing this.
Unfortunately, as the movie progressed, "Do not forsake me, oh my darlin" kept intruding in the background, with the most asinine lyrics ever - "his'n rhyming with prison" etc. In addition to the lyrics, the accompanying instrument that sounds like a washtub being strummed made it even more distracting. The music leading up to the showdown didn't add any tension whatsoever for me and I had to mute it.
However, the last five minutes were the most rewarding so the movie wasn't a total wash. I actually thought Grace Kelly was fantastic (and I'm not usually a fan) and I agree with other reviewers that Gary Cooper was WAY too old for this role. See him instead in Sergeant York if you have to choose between this movie and that one.
Disappointingly, I do not see what earned all the high praise and favorable reviews. Give me The Searchers, Ride the High Country, The Magnificent Seven, The Wild Bunch, True Grit, and my favorite western parody - Support Your Local Sheriff. These to me deserve the high praise.
It was a pleasant surprise at the end to see Jack Elam as the drunk sleeping it off in the jail cell, especially since most of his roles in westerns were as a heavy. He was barely recognizable.
Also, Sheb Woolley of Purple People Eater fame was a surprise as a bad guy and I didn't understand his breaking out the window to get a woman's bonnet to hang on his gun belt before the showdown. I'm sure there was some significance but it went over my head.
Unfortunately, as the movie progressed, "Do not forsake me, oh my darlin" kept intruding in the background, with the most asinine lyrics ever - "his'n rhyming with prison" etc. In addition to the lyrics, the accompanying instrument that sounds like a washtub being strummed made it even more distracting. The music leading up to the showdown didn't add any tension whatsoever for me and I had to mute it.
However, the last five minutes were the most rewarding so the movie wasn't a total wash. I actually thought Grace Kelly was fantastic (and I'm not usually a fan) and I agree with other reviewers that Gary Cooper was WAY too old for this role. See him instead in Sergeant York if you have to choose between this movie and that one.
Disappointingly, I do not see what earned all the high praise and favorable reviews. Give me The Searchers, Ride the High Country, The Magnificent Seven, The Wild Bunch, True Grit, and my favorite western parody - Support Your Local Sheriff. These to me deserve the high praise.
It was a pleasant surprise at the end to see Jack Elam as the drunk sleeping it off in the jail cell, especially since most of his roles in westerns were as a heavy. He was barely recognizable.
Also, Sheb Woolley of Purple People Eater fame was a surprise as a bad guy and I didn't understand his breaking out the window to get a woman's bonnet to hang on his gun belt before the showdown. I'm sure there was some significance but it went over my head.