High Noon

• Directed by Fred Zinnemann
• July 24, 1952

A town marshal’s sense of duty is put to the test when he must choose between facing a gang of outlaws seeking revenge or leave town with his bride.

It is widely known High Noon was famously born out of the Red Scare with characters and presented events taking on certain aspects of those events. Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) must stand his ground to protect his town as well as himself or run away as a gang of criminals bent on revenge against him arrive the day before his replacement is set to arrive. During the film, which occurs in real time he seeks help, but none is to come because everyone is afraid. As an allegory it makes sense. Kane represents the persecuted communist as perceived at the time given a few stated aspects of the character.

The people of Hadleyville represent the American public who are of no aid even though siding with him is the right thing. Some even do tepidly stand up but chicken out when they see the weakness of others. Some he viewed as friends or just trustworthy look to take advantage of the situation for their own benefit. Even if you don’t subscribe to the Red Scare and the ensuing House Un-American Activities Committee being a bad thing there are broader lessons to be had.

Part of the reason for the lack of help appears to be Will Kane’s aversion to religion. He does not attend the town’s only church so they view him as the other. Not directly stated but very much implied. Maybe they even took it personally that Kane married his new wife Amy (Grace Kelly) in front of a judge rather than the town preacher.

The story mirrors individuals who were left out hanging out to dry during the Red Scare who thought their friends and other important people would back them up. High Noon has a message and it delivers it quite well. More broadly this is about a desperate man who can’t back down because if he does he’ll be running for the rest of his life most likely. The threat isn’t going to stop at the town’s borders. It will haunt him either in reality or in his mind no matter where he goes. 

The story keeps going and everything contributes to it. And there are no dead spots. High Noon reaches an inevitable climax-at least for your general Western. Given that this was about the Red Scare was this film kinda advocating some type of fighting back along the lines of violence rather than just standing your ground? Not sure though I am at a loss on how you end a Western with an approaching killer any other way than with blazing guns.

As is often the case people (the locals) only come out when the dangerous has passed. In that it is a bit of a pointed finger at the audience and calls them out for their perceived cowardice in the face of the Red Scare. Yet the story never lectures. It simply presents avoiding the impression of scalding the viewer.

If you’re looking for a political message or just a good film High Noon delivers. It certainly has something to say but that message never drowns out the good story. A must watch for movie fans!