I have, I
believe, recently mentioned that I do not watch as many westerns as I should.
It is of course up for discussion what “should” and “shouldn’t” be watched, but
I pride myself in having more than just a passing interest in cinema. This is
why I feel it’s a tad bit shameful I don’t know more about a genre that was the
backbone of the entire art form at one time, not to mention the creator of so
many sub-genres and cinematic traditions later on. Hence, I have been a good girl, and have
begun to properly research the subject. Now, am I influenced by the fact that
Quentin Tarantino (yes, yes, him again) is such a fan of Sergio Leone in my
choice? Yes. Unquestionably so. His films, starring Clint Eastwood and giving
us so many moments and conventions that became cinematic staples later on are
cinematic classics that should be watched though. Mind you there is a lot more
than just duty that attracts me to this film. I know I moan on and on about
originality and thinking outside the box but still. There is something very
comforting about a simpler world, goodies vs baddies – both very clearly black
and white, with the goodie winning out in the end. Mind you, in a fistful of
dollars we can’t exactly call our goodie “white as snow” ethically speaking but
hey… At least there’s nothing
complicated about who you’re meant to back… ;)
The
beginning of the story is familiar to all, even to those of us who are complete
foreigners to the genre. A nameless, sharp-shooting stranger rides into a
little town close to the Mexican border. It is high noon and the town is
shrouded in a deadly quiet, all but the coffin maker who always seems to have
his hands full… The town is torn apart by the in-fighting of two rival
families, both planted firmly on the wrong side of the law and both hell-bent
on becoming the one and only masters of the town. The rivalry is all-consuming
and the two gangs have no consideration for the consequences of this fight to
the town. Our hero (Clint Eastwood), has other plans. He will play double
agent, playing one family against another to make himself a wad of cash… And
maybe, just maybe he might be able to do some good for the good folk of the
town too. The stranger must be careful though. He walks a very dangerous path
where one wrong step could cost him his life…
Well, first
and foremost we are very much in the domain of comfort films ladies and gents.
But you knew that already. It’s Clint Eastwood. It’s a western. You know how
things are going to go down. It is a brilliant combination of “raah” moments
and adventure, peopled with some of the badest baddies you could possibly imagine. And, even though
you may not be a huge fan of Clint Eastwood’s style – some are and some aren’t
you know – you have to admit, here, it’s brilliant. The stranger has to keep
his cards very close to his chest and not give a single shred of thought and
emotion away as he negotiates the minefield that is the gang relations. But the
true mark of a good director comes through here too because in with all the
stuff we “know and love” is mixed a truly nail-biting story. We get caught up
in it so very easily, and credit where it’s due, you have to admire the
stranger’s shrewdness in playing the two families against each other (or in
this case, the shrewdness of the scriptwriter). The story takes such twists and
turns that it you never fall into the lethargy of knowing the “goodies will win
in the end”, simply because you are never %100 sure what our hero is exactly up
to. Well that and the fact that he does not really seem to be your common or
garden “good guy”. I mean, are we %100
sure he “wins in the end”? You’re in for
a jolly good adventure with this one, fellas. It’s the kind of film that makes
you understand why kids were so obsessed with playing cowboys in the heyday of
these films… If you’re looking to get away from your day to day life for an
hour or two and go on an adventure from your front room, this is the fella to
go for ladies and gents. And given the almost desert-like quality to the
British weather at the moment, a rather fitting adventure at that.
Kayıtlar
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder