Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site mhuxl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxl!amc From: amc@mhuxl.UUCP (COHILL) Newsgroups: net.movies Subject: Review of Pale Rider Message-ID: <272@mhuxl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 08:20:17 EDT Article-I.D.: mhuxl.272 Posted: Mon Jul 1 08:20:17 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 2-Jul-85 05:20:10 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 35 *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** I went to see Clint Eastwood's new movie "Pale Rider" the other night. It is a must for Clint Eastwood fans, naturally, but it is also one of the best westerns that I can remember seeing in a long time. Eastwood directed, and he plays the the same character he always has, with a little twist I won't reveal for those that don't want it spoiled. The story is stolen almost verbatim from 'Shane', although it is big miners against little miners, rather than cattle ranchers against farmers. Although the story is predictable, Eastwood has given all the characters very interesting personalities, something you never saw in the old Leone films he made. There was also a lot of attention given to costume and setting, that reminded me of "Heaven's Gate." You really had the feeling that this is how things must have looked. The most interesting thing I noticed was that all of the interior scenes were shot in natural light (or a minimum of artificial light). It was startling at first, but after you think about it you realize that this was the *real* thing--it was always dark inside then. Eastwood has the characters move toward and away from the windows frequently to bring them in and out of the light. The whole movie, though, is dark and somber. Eastwood has tried for some allegory here (there is a clumsy Biblical reference to the "pale rider" at the beginning) and on the whole, I thought he succeeded. The one gunman character has a mystical quality that I liked. Eastwood also injects some moments of real humour in the film, something else that was always missing from his earlier "spaghetti" days. Finally, there is no wanton bloodshed in the movie. There is some killing, but it is strictly part of the plot, and none of the Peckinpah blood all over the place scenes. This is a very elegant Western. Andy Cohill {allegra,ihnp4}mhuxl!amc