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One of the most influential and iconic Westerns ever made, High Noon is a powerful film about the individual drive to do good in the face of a society that would rather turn a blind eye to evil. Directed by Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity) and produced by Stanley Kramer (The Defiant Ones), it remains just as riveting, nail-bitingly tense and fiercely political as it was in the 1950s.
In an Oscar-winning performance, Gary Cooper (Man of the West) stars as small-town Marshal Will Kane, who is preparing to retire and ride off into the sunset with his bride Amy (Grace Kelly, Rear Window). However, his plans are derailed when he is informed that an outlaw he once sent to jail, Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald, Johnny Guitar), is soon to arrive with his brutal gang in tow. High Noon then follows Kane in real time as he tries to assemble a posse – but the townspeople are reluctant to help him and Amy, a pacifist who abhors violence, wants him to simply walk away. But as high noon approaches, Kane realises he must do the right thing… with or without help.
While High Noon is now an acknowledged American masterpiece, its release was controversial. Both John Wayne (who turned down its central role) and Howard Hawks (who made Rio Bravo in response) hated the film for its thinly veiled critical commentary on McCarthyism and the persecution of those accused of having “communist” beliefs. The film has lost none of its political power – or its irrefutable entertainment value. Having brought the film to Blu-ray in 2019, the Masters of Cinema series is now proud to present its UK debut on 4K Ultra-HD.
