Pale Rider (1985)

An Ignored Classic From Clint Eastwood

- Iconic names like John Ford, John Wayne and Sergio Leone are all synonymous with the western genre but no name is more synonymous with the genre from my perspective than Clint Eastwood. In 1985, Eastwood delivered his fifth directed western: Pale Rider. Although it was a financial success, was allowed to compete for the "Palme d'Or" at Cannes Film Festival and sees frequent play time on American television to this day, many critics and film buffs consider Pale Rider a step down the western ladder for Clint Eastwood.

I contend that Pale Rider is, in this regard, an ignored classic. While not completely written off as a bad movie, Pale Rider does seem often affectionately brushed aside as being a worthwhile western but nothing that is particularly special. Few genre films have had their positives ignored and have been more heavily disregarded for encapsulating all that we love about the genre than Pale Rider! Yes, Pale Rider is more fun and straight-forward than other Eastwood westerns, not quite matching intellectual or emotional strides with the likes of Unforgiven (1992) or The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), and borrows certain elements from Shane (1953) and Eastwood's own High Plains Drifter (1973) but that does not diminish its own excellence.

A small California mining community in the 1880s is praying for a miracle and it has come in the form of a mysterious, gun-toting "Preacher" (Clint Eastwood). Mining mogul Coy Lahood (Richard Dysart) has exhausted his lands and now looks to that which is lawfully owned by Hull Barrett (Michael Moriarty) and a small group of mining families to expand his business. Since no one is giving up their claim, Lahood and his gang have resorted to violence and intimidation in an attempt to drive the families out. The young Megan Wheeler (Sydney Penny) prays to God for help and He seems to have heard her cry: a mysterious man, apparently a preacher, rides in on a white horse to help this mining community. But where this rider helps the community by banding them together and fending off thugs he also brings danger as the Lahood gang strikes back and hires out some help of their own.

A lush, passionate film about heroism and love, Pale Rider is Eastwood's 1980s highpoint that is often overlooked as one of the best westerns ever despite its wonderful look, great characters and unforgettable moments (including one of the western genre's best final shootouts).  While Pale Rider is arguably not as interesting as other Eastwood westerns (again, invoking the legacies of Unforgiven and The Outlaw Josey Wales), it is easily the most laid-back enjoyable of Eastwood's directed westerns. A sizeable amount of violence creeps into the film that keeps the story action-packed yet grounded in the serious but Eastwood also does a great job balancing in humor and thoughtful themes regarding courage and love. Overall, Pale Rider is a highly enjoyable and uniquely exciting film thanks to Eastwood's incredible storytelling talent.

Pale Rider also is the film that marks a parting of ways between Eastwood and longtime cinematographer-collaborator Bruce Surtees (from Play Misty For Me (1971) to this film). This collaboration would end with a bang as Pale Rider looks fantastic, containing some of the finest shots in Eastwood's filmography. The colors are deep and the shadowing is very striking, while the majesty of the Sawtooth and Boulder Mountain ranges (doubling for the Sierra Nevada) is captured to amazing effect. One of the main things I particularly enjoy about western films and Clint Eastwood's films in general is the way they look - and Pale Rider certainly does not disappoint.

But in spite of these high-quality elements, Pale Rider has accumulated its share of critics. One critic in particular turned his nose up at Pale Rider, claiming that it "does nothing to disprove the wisdom that this genre is best left to the revival houses. A double feature of Shane and Eastwood's High Plains Drifter will do just fine, thanks." Pale Rider does indeed reuse some key elements from Shane and High Plains Drifter but don't worry, it is all for good. Pale Rider takes the same elements from both Shane and High Plains Drifter, improving upon what I disliked the most about both films it riffs: the characters.

One of the shared aspects of High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider is Eastwood's nameless, violent stranger who rides into town. A highly praised aspect of High Plains Drifter is the supposed ambiguity of Eastwood's lead character. I never bought into that because I thought High Plains Drifter made it quite obvious who Eastwood's "Stranger" character was. Pale Rider on the other hand paints a truly ambiguous backstory for Eastwood's character. Rather than give the audience direct insights into who the stranger character specifically is (as High Plains Drifter does with various flashback sequences), Eastwood makes several subtle inferences with spiritual and worldly overtones in regards to the true identity of the character. Unlike High Plains Drifter, which gives away the identity of the lead character in certain scenes, the identity of Eastwood's stranger in Pale Rider can only be deciphered in the minds of each individual viewer.

Shane shares a similar aspect with Pale Rider as well, specifically the central structure of the story that sees an unannounced arrival of a helpful stranger to a community in need of defense and guidance against a corrupt gang that wants their land. Some criticize the supporting cast in Pale Rider as giving bad to mediocre performances; certainly worse than that cast of Shane. I disagree. Although the cast of Pale Rider (save Eastwood) do not have the same kind of name recognition as the players in Shane (such classic talents as Van Heflin, Jean Arthur, Elisha Cook Jr. and Jack Palance), I do find them to be quite impressive: Michael Moriarty gives a great, quiet performance as Hull; John Russell is a memorable antagonist; and Sydney Penny performs her youthful role far better than her the irritating Shane counterpart Brandon De Wilde. But beyond the individual performances, I found the characters they perform to be far more interesting and multi-faceted. The supporting characters in Pale Rider seem to struggle with much more than the characters of Shane were and are much more complex.

An even more recognizable difference in the two casts is Clint Eastwood's performance as the Preacher in Pale Rider, which far surpasses that of Alan Ladd's title role performance in Shane. Despite enjoying Shane as an overall film, I found Ladd's performance incredibly dull. Ladd's Shane never made much of an impression on me as a character; he did not feel genuine or compelling. Eastwood on the other hand greatly improves upon the similar character in Pale Rider with an intense and natural presence that, in conjunction with who he is and does, makes the character likable and intriguing.

Although largely a critical and financial success upon its release, I do not feel that Pale Rider currently enjoys the reputation that it is due. Instead of being held up as a western standard, Pale Rider has seemed to settle for a "good but not great" status that I do not think is deserving at all. Few westerns emerged out of Hollywood in the 1980s and none of those that did even came close to matching the atmosphere, character and excitement of this film. Eastwood delivered a classic 1980s western for the ages in Pale Rider and I hope more film fans, critics and buffs will soon acknowledge this.


CBC Rating: 9/10

Woman On The Run (1950)

And The Police Man and Killer, Dan,

Were Searching Everyone....

- While women tend to be at the apex of evil in many a film noir plot (the famous "femme fatale" roles), one can hardly call the genre a "man's genre." Film noir has empowered women on screen, albeit often times empowered to do bad things to the male stars. Still, while women have been essential to the genre, classic film noir rarely featured a woman protagonist. Directed by Norman Foster's (known primarily for helming a number of Mr. Moto and Charlie Chan serials), the 1950 film noir Woman On The Run is notable for its female protagonist but also for being a well-made movie.

Headstrong housewife Eleanor Johnson (Ann Sheridan) and struggling artist Frank Johnson (Ross Elliot) are, "in a way," married. Having grown apart, Frank and Eleanor live practically separate lives together in San Francisco as their marriage crumbles. But their lives are forever changed when Frank narrowly escapes death and goes on the run from the cops and the mob for witnessing a murder. Motivated by pure obligation, Eleanor searches for him, aided by an unusually helpful reporter (Dennis O'Keefe), and begins to realize more about the man she thought she knew and the extent of gravity in his current situation.

Working in Hollywood since she was 18, contracted to Paramount after winning a beauty contest, Ann Sheridan was by no means new to film by 1950. In fact, by the 1950s Sheridan's career had been falling after being a WWII pinup girl and starring a number of films in the 1930s (Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)) and 1940s (I Was A Male Order Bride (1949)). Although her blockbuster successes would forever be behind her by 1950, Ann Sheridan is terrific as Eleanor Johnson in Woman On The Run. In an age of Hollywood were actresses outlived their welcome even faster than they do in the 21st Century, Sheridan commands the screen creating a dimensional, engaging character with the killer beauty, strong screen presence and sharp frankness that defined her entire career. She never misses a beat and never backs down. Even as Sheridan convincingly allows for frequent vulnerability in Eleanor as the story progresses she never allows for any creampuff cliche or objectifying weakness, instilling a strong identity and confidence in her character. Supporting performers Dennis O'Keefe, Ross Elliot and Robert Keith are serviceable but Sheridan simply owns the whole show.

But Woman On The Run is a good show in its entirety. Carefully handling the tension and twists as well as constructing some particularly clever and memorable individual scenes, director Norman Foster forms an engrossing story and remarkable picture out of his and Alan Campbell's screenplay. The visuals, especially the shadowing and camera movements, are excellent and the film's San Francisco setting is also well captured. San Francisco has been portrayed beautifully on screen in such greats as Dirty Harry (1971), Dark Passage (1947) and Vertigo (1958) and Woman On The Run also does the City by the Bay justice. Woman On The Run is quite the film noir all-around; most noteworthy in the genre, on paper, for its memorable film noir female protagonist but ends up impressive and exciting in its own right from the eerie opening to the literal roller coaster ride of a climax.

CBC Rating: 8/10



Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)

Mr. Mitchum & Ms. Kerr Excel In Mr. Allison

- World War II has stretched into 1944, and somewhere in the South Pacific a small raft is tossed around by the waves, floating indifferently to nowhere. Time passes, and this small raft touches the beach of a small island, pouring out the exhausted United States Marine Corporal Allison (Robert Mitchum). Searching the island, he finds it populated by only one Irish nun, Sister Angela (Deborah Kerr), who has been stuck there for days. Now marooned mates, Cpl. Allison and Sister Angela get to know one another and work together for survival. As one might guess, their little vacation does not go so smoothly; the Japanese Army pops by for a visit and we are talking about one island with one man and one woman - you do the math. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957) is an unforgettable film from John Huston, a film about survival, faith, and really caring for someone.

Robert Mitchum has given a lot of great performances throughout his 50 year career in film, but he has never been seen quite like this. In Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison, Mitchum really opens up and lets loose as this cool and composed but tough and stop-at-nothing Marine, but the subtleties of his performance especially brings out the placid humanity of his character. It is an example of a truly riveting performance - Mitchum has never been finer. No one but Deborah Kerr would suffice in the role of Sister Angela. Through Kerr, Sister Angela is reserved but sparkling and soft yet unwavering in whatever she does. She also makes those of us who are not nuns easily and respectfully understand where her character is coming from. Mitchum and Kerr have such a great and complementing on-screen chemistry, and their cinematic tag-team is the main thing behind the film's fun and compelling nature.

John Huston was no film-making novice by 1957, and put together an excellent film with Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison. Huston gets fantastic performances from Mitchum and Kerr but the film also has an equally fantastic look. Perfect camera movements, picture quality, locations, sets and special effects serve the film wonderfully as visual treats but also as an excellent cinematic setting for the story and Mitchum and Kerr's performances.

Huston directs the film, but he also, along with John Lee Mahin, wrote the screenplay - and what a wonderfully written film this is. Adapted from Charles Shaw's novel, Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison has an engaging story with fun, thoughtful, and respectful dialogue throughout. The interaction and development of the Cpl. Allison and Sister Angela characters through the performances of Mitchum and Kerr is what this film is all about. Who knew a nun and an American Marine would have so much in common? Sure they have the common goal of staying alive on the island but they also grow close to one another and end up impacting each other in different ways. Cpl. Allison has never cared about or been much use to anyone outside the Marine Corp., he is only familiar with his past life of getting into more trouble than doing any good and his current life as a Marine. That is until he has to look after Sister Angela - suddenly things are different. Then on the other side of things, you have Sister Angela, who has not had a life outside of the church, finding herself growing closer to this Marine and thrown into the middle of a dangerous war situation.

With a great story filled with wonderful characters, warmth, humor, action, tension and suspense; film specifics of unequaled quality; and two amazing film-driving performances from Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr; Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is an excellent and unforgettable film.


CBC Rating: 10/10