It’s a damn good Western.
Going back to the thought about how everybody has their reasons, every person in this town has some excuse for not helping Will Kane fight the criminals planning to kill him. Kane was the driving force in making this town safe, which gave them the chance to get comfortable.
The west isn’t wild for these people anymore. They expect to be protected and secure. It’s a turning point, and they’d rather Kane leave or stand alone than take on the risk of supporting him.
On my list of films to work through for this series, I know Rio Bravo comes next. I’ll have more to say about High Noon there because they’re such a good point-counterpoint (and they were intended as such).
Grace Kelly’s performance as Amy Fowler Kane is the fulcrum this whole movie turns on. Her religious beliefs demand she remain nonviolent, but when pushed to the point where she either acts or watches as her husband is murdered, she picks up the gun.
When characters have their deepest beliefs challenged and choose to set them aside because of the conflict of the moment, that’s when a story can shine. Maybe it’s finding the exception to the rules, or maybe it’s turning your back on those rules. Maybe it’s a one time thing or a new path. But finding that moment when a character steps out of their patterns and dogma and acts with agency? When it works, when it feels natural and inevitable like it does here, it is a wonderful thing to see.
This Builds Character 
You must be logged in to post a comment.