Pale Rider (1985)

Excellent but underrated film

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Here's another eerily evocative western from the undisputed master of the genre. PALE RIDER might well be my favourite Eastwood western yet: it's a perfectly made movie in which the star is at the top of his career both in terms of direction and acting. The plot itself is nothing remarkable – poor gold panners are hassled by a big wig business boss and a mysterious stranger turns up to fight for their cause – but it's the execution where this film excels. With a beautiful backdrop of mountainous scenery and a talented supporting cast, Eastwood delivers one of the finest westerns of the 1980s.I particularly enjoyed Eastwood's turn as the unnamed preacher in this one. It's a reprise of a similar character he played in HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER, although his origins here are perhaps even more mysterious (he shows up when one of the characters prays to God for a miracle). Michael Moriarty, the archetypal quirky star of '80s genre fare, has possibly his most sympathetic role as the family man striving to do good who finds himself outnumbered by the bad guys. Carrie Snodgress gives sterling support as the backbone of his family, and the beautiful young Sydney Penny is captivating as his young, innocent daughter. The bad guys are well supported, too, with a brief show-stopping turn from Richard Kiel, Chris Penn playing a typical sleaze, Richard Dysart as the bluff businessman, and the excellent John Russell as the sinister lawman with whom Eastwood's character has a score to settle.The story plays out pretty much as you'd expect, but there's an emphasis on plot and character over lame shoot-outs. The action, when it occurs, is stylishly done (early on our hero kicks backside with a piece of wood in a scene that would act as inspiration for Steven Seagal's entire career), with the traditional shoot-out at the climax particularly accomplished. Overall, this is a moving production, with believable characters and a story arc that doesn't disappoint. An underrated favourite.

This Western sees Clint Eastwood return to the saddle almost a decade after his last outing in 'The Outlaw Josey Wales' This film is set in California where a group of independent gold miners find themselves terrorised by a rival, Coy LaHood, who wants to take over their valley and bring in his modern, and highly destructive, hydraulic mining system. After an attack on their settlement teenager Megan Wheeler prays for a miracle… shortly afterwards a stranger saves Hull Barret, the man who is courting Megan's mother Sarah, when he is attacked by Coy's thugs in town. This man returns to the miners' settlement and reveals himself to be a preacher. Upon hearing how he helped Hull the other miners start to rally together and stand up to the threats. Coy isn't a man to back down though and soon he employs one Marshal Stockburn and his deputies; officially lawmen but in reality gunmen who will kill for whoever is willing to pay them. The Preacher will have to take off his dog collar and pick up his guns if he is to protect the miners.By the time this film was released it was thought that the Western genre was over… clearly it wasn't even it would never be as popular as it used to be. Eastwood may be showing his age he is still a solid presence; in fact his slightly grizzled look adds to the characters toughness. It has been said that this film is clearly inspired by 'Shane' and has obvious similarities with Eastwood's earlier film 'High Plains Drifter'… this isn't really a problem though; it is still an enjoyable film that tells the story in an interesting way. There is a slight supernatural element to the film although it is strongly suggested rather than made clear. There is a good amount of action from start to finish but there is also plenty of time spent on character development so we grow to care about the members of the miners' settlement; most notably Hull, Sarah and Megan. As one would expect Eastwood is great as the preacher/gunfighter. The rest of the cast are fine too; especially Michael Moriarty who plays the gentle but strong-willed Hull Barret and young Sydney Penny who played Megan. While there are one or two uncomfortable scenes there is little to offend… I suspect if it were recertified now the BBFC would give it a '12' rather than the current '15'. Overall this might not be Clint Eastwood's best western but it is still well worth watching if you are a fan of Eastwood or Westerns in general.

A small group of miners and panhandlers are trying to make their claims pay despite local magnate and bully LaHood trying to force them out. Into the middle of this conflict arrives a hard man, known only as the Preacher. He provides a figurehead, encouraging the underdogs to stand up for themselves. Then LaHood brings in bogus lawman Stockburn and his deputies as enforcers.Superficially, this is a perfectly conventional western - underdogs vs bully, with the Preacher as the external catalyst who gives the underdogs the will to fight. Even the "family" who adopt the Preacher (the mother who might have a thing for him, and the daughter who definitely does) are no great surprise.But running alongside the formula is a secondary story, the subject of the film's title: dialogue tells us that the rider of the pale horse is Death, and it pointedly tells us this just as the Preacher rides up on his pale horse. The number of bullet wounds on his back is the same as the number of Stockburn's deputies. And Stockburn knows that the Preacher could not be HIM, because he saw HIM die. This mysterious and somewhat supernatural part of the story is never explained, and the film is all the better for it - we really don't need to know the nuts and bolts of the Preacher's previous existence.I'd put this one on a par with High Plains Drifter - they both have a quasi-supernatural thing going on alongside a traditional western story. This is great fun.

Pale Rider (1985): Dir: Clint Eastwood / Cast: Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Sydney Penny, Richard Dysart: Western filled with disgusting images of excessive violence. I am not sure what the title is implying. Perhaps the rider lacks colour. Perhaps a trip to the spa will fix that problem. Clint Eastwood directs and portrays a character he has played countless times in a film recycled from other westerns. He is a mysterious man called Preacher who arrives in a California gold rush where a mining syndicate feuds against independent prospectors. He encourages these idiots to grow a pair and fight back with his help. Eastwood eventually shoots up the entire town. Flawed with its view of violence as a problem solver. Familiar plot with bang bang throughout. Eastwood is a skilled director but this character is hardly new to him. Flat supporting stereotypes played by Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, and Sydney Penny. They all sit there with their hands together hoping Eastwood will solve their problem. There is a big difference between how Gary Cooper deals with a similar issue in High Noon, and how Eastwood tackles the problem here. Richard Dysart plays the idiot villain threat whose personality is no different than any other Western town villain. There is nothing featured here that hasn't been done before. The result is a pointless graphic mess that should be used for target practice. Score: 2 / 10