Seeing High Noon in a packed hushed movie theatre – up on the big-screen – was awesome. There were a couple of yahoos who just came to scorn it – but they were the kind of jackasses who scorn any honest sentiment. You could tell.
Everybody else was there to have a BLAST.
It was awesome. So much fun. And so fun to “show” it to my friend Jen who had never seen it. I had said to her beforehand, “There’s one shot in the movie which is on pretty much any ‘top moments in cinema’ list. It’s when he comes out on the street, and it’s high noon.” Jen said, worried, “Could you nudge me when the shot comes?” I said, “You won’t be able to miss it.”
And of course – the second he walks outside, and it’s high noon, and the camera pulls back and back and up and up, until he looks smaller and smaller, and more and more alone … Jen looked at me, like: “Uh-huh. That is OBVIOUSLY the shot you were talking about.”
If you ever see the movie again, watch Gary Cooper’s body language as the camera pulls back. It’s so subtle, and … it would probably work on you subconsciously … it’s nothing noticeable, but I’m nuts and notice everything. He OPENLY lets his body language be like a trapped animal, insecure, vulnerable (but again – it’s so subtle – he’s not “acting”). He’s looking around, he’s a bit hunched over himself, he has this one tiny subtle gesture of flicking the sweat off his hand …
It’s the opposite of how you think a “hero” should face danger. He’s scared and alone. He doesn’t know what to do.
Funny – I know the movie’s a Western and all, and it’s got a plot, and yadda yadda, but to me it’s pretty much primarily a character study. It’s a psychological study of Marshall Kane – and that’s IT.
Gary Cooper, apparently, when he got the script, sat down and cut out 75% of his lines. He knew that this part did not reside at all in what he SAID. It was all going to have to happen in his eyes, and face.
I love the movie. It was exhilarating to watch it, eating popcorn, out in public … on the big screen. It was exhilarating, too, to have to wait in LINE to get in to see it.
Gary Cooper was THE man. I’m not sure there was ever anyone else in Hollywood who was really in his class.
Wow. Yeah. I get it, Sheila. I felt the same way when I got to see “Wizard Of Oz” 2 years ago.
And can I just say, can you name me ONE star today that would DARE cut ANY of their LINES out of a MOVIE starring THEM???
CW – I agree.
My girlfriend Jen had never seen him in anything. She couldn’t believe it. The second she saw him – during the wedding-ceremony scene – she glanced at me, like: Holy crap.
It’s not just his looks or whatever – there’s something else. Something REAL. That’s a true movie star.
Alex –
No shit, right? Apparently, Bogart would do the same thing. Every script would arrive, and he would sit down and cut out half of his lines.
I love that.