2/4  A poor and overated western.
High Noon fails to create the dread of this force that is coming. When it comes you are not afraid and it is all a bit easy. It is mainly about how everyone is deserting him, and some have very good reasons, and the church scene makes no s... (read full)

3.5/4  High Noon Quick Review
A true classic western, no doubt about it. It's an excellent movie!

1.5/4  High Noon Quick Review
I don't remember much about this movie other than it was slow, crappy sound, and not a lot of fun to watch. With a crisper version and more patience I think it could be good.

5/5 A classic that survives time
  by Jacques COULARDEAU (OLLIERGUES France)
That's a simple western film, just before the renaissance of the genre with Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone and a few others. It is a classic of that period (1952) and in a way a turning point. A criminal was caught and sent to prison because one marshal and the population of a township did what they had to do. The criminal should have hanged but some law from Washington changed the game and he only got five years of prison. Five years later he comes back to kill those who had tried to have him hanged. The town learns about it when they see three of his associates come for the noon train, and it is confirmed by telegraph that the criminal, a certain Miller, is on the train. The city has a little more than one hour to do what they can to solve the problem. The marshal had just gotten married thirteen minutes earlier and he was to leave on his honeymoon and he was no longer the marshal and a new marshal was arriving on the following day only, slightly too late. The marshal comes back to assume the situation. He tries to get six deputies and the only he gets are a family man with two kids (he volunteers because he is convinced many more are going to come and he will step back when he finds out no one else has volunteered), then a one-eyed saloon customer who does not realize he is not fit for it, and a fourteen year old boy who is definitely too young and untrained. All the others refuse and even ask him to leave for Miller to do nothing. His newly-wed wife leaves on the noon train, or at least gets on it, though she will get off at the last minute. The judge leaves as soon as he can. The mayor asks in church the marshal to leave, while the parson refuses to commit himself (thou shalt not kill). All his friends avoid him or just plain say no. Alone he is and alone he will have to deal with the four outlaws who are trying to kill him. He will of course succeed. the details of his simple strategy and opportunistic tactics are in the film and you will have to go check them. And the film reveals how cowardly people can be and how they consider law and order is not their problem but that of the professional they pay to take care of it. That's the only really positive point that is different from the standard vision of traditional older western films. It is not blind gunfights and it is not everyone against the criminal. It shows the psychology of people in a crisis situation is very often divided and their reflex is often to hide their heads in the sand or run to cover behind the first bush they can find, senior or junior, who cares, provided it is not a burning bush.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Paris 12 Créteil, CEGID


5/5 Republic & Lionsgate's New Release of High Noon Rocks
  by Kent Martin (Elkridge, Maryland)
Republic and Lionsgate's new 2009 release of the little western called "High Noon" is excellent. The remastered picture quality/sound quality are superb. Being a movie buff and lover of fine westerns, and with High Noon being my favorite western film of all time, I am very pleased to state that this project was done right. The second DVD in this double set package add many fine extras from both the prior release along with new ones that haven't been seen. All are quite interesting. What a joy it is to watch this properly restored film!

If you love "High Noon" this is the DVD package to get.




5/5 Eternal Classic
  by Andres M. Pacheco-fores (Tallahassee, FL USA)
This is the ultimate American Western. Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood ain't got nothin on High Noon. White Hat guy vs. Black Hat guy, showdown at forty paces or whatever. The Best. That "courage" tag is right, because that's what this movie is: courage, in movie form.

4/5 Almost perfect, but...
  by Discerning (East Coast)
The movie is, of course, a classic, and the quality of the DVD is superb. The story teaches a great lesson about what America can expect from the rest of the world as we either face down our enemies or attempt to solve our current economy problems - ALONE.

My biggest problem with this "package" was the "Inside High Noon," documentary and it's many cuts to Bill Clinton giving his "take" on a story about a man of legendary courage and character. Can the irony GET any deeper? It is so incongruous I simply cannot watch it, and that's a shame because obviously somebody involved in this project is a big Clinton fan and decided this was an excellent chance to link this clown with a legend like Will Kane, showing the typical poor taste all Bill Clinton fans are cursed with.

I'll watch the movie over and over, but the 2nd disc was sentenced to the microwave and then the trash. Bill Clinton enjoyed 8 years in my house agianst my will, and that's all the time he'll get.


5/5 Sheriff Kane and Helen Ramirez
  by Bettina
When he goes to her room to warn her about Frank Miller's return they have this short exchange in Spanish which was very hard for me to make out even when I played it back several times. I felt it must be relevant since it was included and even more so now that I have the translation:
"Un año sin verte" (A year without seeing you)
"Si, lo se" (Yes, I know)