High Plains Drifter (1973)
November 9, 2022 9:16 AM - Subscribe

A gunfighting stranger (Clint Eastwood) comes to the small settlement of Lago. After gunning down three gunmen who tried to kill him, the townsfolk decide to hire the Stranger to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.

Also starring

Directed by Clint Eastwood. Written by Ernest Tidyman.

93% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on Showtime. Also available for digital rental. JustWatch listing.

Today, I'm going to post six movies that are problematic and/or made by/starring problematic people, but also either: have merit/are acclaimed; won some awards; are very popular; have a certain amount of cultural cachet. I'll be tagging these #problematicmovies.

This movie is on the list because not once, but twice, it features scenes where The Stranger rapes a woman, only to have her kind of enjoy it, and maybe sort of become his ally. You know, because of his magic penis and all.
posted by DirtyOldTown (2 comments total)
 
This is a pretty good movie, except for the rapes. "Except for the rapes" is a hell of a qualifier, though.

Interestingly, Eastwood thought he was implying that The Stranger was the original (late) sheriff's brother, come to town to avenge him. But nearly everyone who watches this ends up believing he is the actual ghost/avenging spirit of the sheriff himself. From his appearance out of nowhere, to his ominous behavior, to his weird familiarity with everyone in town, even as he is a stranger to them, to literally painting the town red and renaming it "Hell," to disappearing into nowhere at the end. The film is also much more interesting if you view him as supernatural.

This bit at the end ("I never did know your name, mister." "Yes, you do.") also works better that way.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:21 AM on November 9, 2022


Now this is in my head…
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 9:32 AM on November 9, 2022 [1 favorite]


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