“It’s a good Western action film and one of the few I wouldn’t mind rewatching down the line.”
Moving right along in my Clint Eastwood watch-a-thon journey of films, we have…unsurprisingly, another Western. Only, what’s interesting about this one is…it feels incredibly similar to another Clint Eastwood movie I feel like I just watched not too long ago.
Believe it or not, Pale Rider shares a lot of the same DNA with High Plains Drifter. If you’re not familiar with that movie and you do want to watch it without being spoiled, then you’ll have to pause this review and get back to it later, because I’m about to spoil that in order to talk about this. Why? Because they are both structured insanely similar to one another, to the point where…it almost feels like a mirror image of one another. I doubt this was on purpose, but I can’t help but realize the similarities.
So, the reason why I’ll be spoiling the other film is due to the “twist” of that film, if you can even call it that. While everything in that movie is very much up in the air and left for the audience to decide for themselves, it’s heavily hinted at that they Sixth Sensed that movie. Clint was playing a dead guy the whole time, only everyone could actually see him. He was basically a vengeful demon who was uber pissed and comes to this town, forces them to do weird crap before massacring them all out of revenge.
In this film, he’s playing a spirit AGAIN, but this time it’s not a vengeful demon type of situation, but rather like a guardian angel. Benevolent, protective, like a guide. He’s still a tough guy and kicks major tail, but the initial purpose of his presence is completely different.
Now, where it was a twist in High Plains Drifter, this was not. The movie more or less opens up on a little girl praying for a protector, and in comes Clint on his trusty pale steed to save the day.
Now, I remember specifically not loving High Plains Drifter. I found it weird and kind of random most of the time before it got to the point. This felt a lot more grounded and emotionally resonating than the other, so between the two, I definitely prefer this...even though the other one is often touted as a masterpiece.
Neither are movies I loved, keep in mind. In fact, I haven’t loved any of his movies so far. I’ve mostly just appreciated them and considered some of them hidden gems and a good time, but nothing masterpiece level or anything. My average score across the 11 films I’ve seen so far is 63%…which matches how I feel about these movies overall. They’re mostly fine. Enjoyable to a degree, but I know there’s better out there.
Overall, in terms of filmmaking, I would say there are a few takes in the film that stood out to me and I noticed as being pretty cool for whatever reason, but I would say Eastwood’s directorial craft has seen better days. Most of that stuff feels business as usual here. Most of the villains are one-note…I like some of the townsfolk that Eastwood is helping, but again, not enough to be incredibly memorable either.
I think at the end of the day, this is the type of movie you’re going to remember more for its concept and premise, and ultimately spirit. It’s a good Western action film and one of the few I wouldn’t mind rewatching down the line.
Unbiased/Technical Score: 34/50 or 68%
Biased/Entertainment Score: 37/50 or 74%
Total Combined Score: 71/100 or 71% (3.5/5 on Letterboxd)