**** (out of ****)
The Western is said to be the most American of all the movie genres, with its themes of individualism and freedom. Back in the days of my grandparents - in the 1930s and 1940s - Westerns were a dime a dozen. My grandparents didn't call them "Westerns", they called them "Cowboys and Indians". They were generally crowd pleasers with their tales of heroism and morality. Then a funny thing happened, the Western went out of style. Some attributed it to shifting American values during the Vietnam war era.
It was around this time, in the mid-1960s, Clint Eastwood became a movie star, largely thanks to the Italian spaghetti Westerns directed by Sergio Leone. It signified the changing of the guard so to speak. John Wayne's brand of good guy heroism for Clint Eastwood's shades of grey anti-hero. But the genre never regained its place with movie goers as representing the American spirit. Westerns continued to be made during the 1970s however these films were revisionist, meaning (among other things) they challenged the mythology of the Old West - a pair of Robert Altman films "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" (1971) and "Buffalo Bill and the Indians" (1976), Sam Peckinpah's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973) and "The Shootist" (1976), featuring John Wayne's last film appearance.
It is within this environment Clint Eastwood directed and starred in "Pale Rider" (1985). The film was his first Western in nine years, coming after "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976). In the 1980s the Western was a "dead genre". Whatever efforts were made to bring it back were comedies - "Rustlers' Rhapsody" (1985) and "Three Amigos" (1986). A lot was hanging on the release of "Pale Rider" as some thought it could have the potential to revitalize the genre. In the Siskel and Ebert movie review program, At the Movies the two critics devoted an entire episode to the topic, in anticipation of the release of "Pale Rider".
Although "Pale Rider" was the highest grossing Western released in the 1980s, it didn't bring back the genre to what it used to be. If anything though it firmly solidified Eastwood's place as the premier Western filmmaker in America. These forty years later "Pale Rider" is still a remarkable achievement and a film I consider one of the best films released in 1985.
"Pale Rider" is a tale of morality, masculinity, and heroism. Depending upon your reading of the film, it could also be a ghost story with religious undertones. However this doesn't mean we see a "softer" and gentler Clint Eastwood. Eastwood is still our stand in for rugged masculinity, which in the case of this film is equated with brute force. It is the commentary on masculinity that I found most interesting watching "Pale Rider" and it's message on what exactly constitutes for being a "good man". If Eastwood's character, simply known as Preacher, is our definition of masculinity he is contrasted against Hull (Michael Moriarty).
This community would surely welcome a man like Preacher to stand up to LaHood and his men on their behalf. But Preacher isn't a for hire gunfighter. After he is invited by Hull for dinner, as a thank you, Preacher arrives at the table dressed as, well, a preacher. But who is this nameless man? What was he doing in town? How did a preacher learn to beat people up? Could he be the answer to Megan's prayer? She prayed someone would come to help them and the following day Preacher arrives. Is he a ghost or a spirit? What kind of spirit could he be? A vengeful one? A peaceful one? Is he Death? Hints are given to answer these questions but nothing is directly stated.
Given that Eastwood's character is dressed as a preacher, the film does present the character as Heaven sent in the way he is able to bring this community together and provide it with the spine it was lacking. But it is the reaction of the female characters that is most telling. Both Sarah and Megan are drawn to him. Megan at one point confesses to being in love with Preacher as Sarah admits to the feelings his presence has invoked in her. What is baffling is that Preacher doesn't do anything to warrant these feelings within the female characters. At no point does Preacher display a romantic interest in either of the female characters. The only conclusion we can arrive it is the women are attracted to his strength which implies his masculinity. Preacher is the opposite of Hull, whom Sarah, despite all the good Hull has done for her, can't commit to marrying.
Eastwood tries to bring this together in a scene involving the four of them riding into town. While Hull is in a general store, paying a debt, LaHood and his men want a word with Preacher. The two female characters are alone, sitting in their wagon, waiting anxiously. After Hull leaves the store the women tell him where Preacher is. They want him to help Preacher possibly fight off the men. Eastwood's camera picks up on Hull's hesitation. These would be the same men that beat him up. And he knows Preacher is capable of defending himself. But what kind of man would Hull be in the eyes of the women if he didn't attempt to help Preacher?
The other issue I have with this way of thinking is it purposely misinterprets the Preacher character. Eastwood's Preacher is a fair minded man/spirit/God who only resorts to violence when he has to, in order to protect others. His kneejerk reaction isn't to settle everything with fighting. Ultimately the biggest benefit Preacher provides to the community is an understanding that together they are at their strongest.
While community is important there is also the sense of individualism, and a man's ability to defend himself. I've used the term "cowardly Liberal" to describe a certain type of male character that either believes in the rule of law or is pacifist in nature but by the end of the film must display his manhood in one final outburst of physical violence - i.e. "Straw Dogs" (1971), "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1943) - Hull isn't exactly this kind of character but by the end of the film he must go through a transformation. There will be a scene by the end of the film where he must engage in an act of violence to prove his manly worth. It leaves the viewer with the impression a good man possess all traits in one - strong but sensitive, dominating but vulnerable, the strong silent type but willing to share and express his feelings. Whether this exist is another story for another review.
Just as the character Hull has a predetermined fate, so too does Preacher. There will be a moment in "Pale Rider" when we will have the final gunfight between the hero and the villain. The villain here is a man paid by LaHood to kill Preacher, a corrupt marshal named Stockburn (John Russell) who travels with six deputies. The film hints he and Preacher may have met before. It may answer the question of whether of not Preacher is a ghost. The gun fight can be interpreted as the usual good versus evil showdown but with Eastwood playing Preacher it could also be a case of evil versus evil. In which case the gun fight is a final act of retribution on the part of Preacher. An act that may finally give his soul rest, if Preacher is a ghost.
The spiritual element in "Pale Rider" and the mysticism surrounding the Preacher character is what separates it from other Westerns and is what drew Eastwood to this material. In an interview taken place during the Cannes Film Festival, where "Pale Rider" was shown, Eastwood states he likes allegorical films and screenwriters Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack wrote the film with him in mind. Eastwood also says in the interview it is his belief Preacher is a reincarnation of a Preacher that was shot and killed by Stockburn.
While the general public seemed to have an interest in "Pale Rider", the "critics" (sheep) were a bit divided on the film. New York Times critic Vincent Canby however paid Eastwood a tremendous compliment in his review when discussing the dual roles Eastwood played by director and actor writing Eastwood "handles both jobs with such intelligence and facility I'm just now beginning to realize that, though Mr. Eastwood may have been improving over the years, it's also taken all these years for most of us to recognize his very consistent grace and wit as a filmmaker." It is a sentiment that matches my own as the years have gone on. I now consider Eastwood one of my favorite filmmakers. Canby wasn't the only one to praise "Pale Rider". Roger Ebert at the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film four stars and declared it "a considerable achievement" and continued to cheer it as "a classic Western of style and excitement." Unfortunately, Ebert's colleague and television partner, Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel wasn't impressed with the film stating, "Pale Rider" in story terms is just formula western moviemaking." Siskel also felt the film had nothing new to say observing, "But sadly, the film never really breaks new ground, settling to walk through the same dramatic territory as "High Plains Drifter" (1973)". Many others also commented on the similarities between "Pale Rider" and "High Plains Drifter", which was also directed by Eastwood. Finally, as always, New Yorker critic Pauline Kael gave Eastwood and the film a good thrashing noting "Pale Rider has the kind of Western situations that were parodied years ago by Harvey Korman on The Carol Burnett Show."
With 40 years behind it however "Pale Rider" has stood the test of time as a classic western and an all around enjoyable piece of entertainment. I'm not completely sure if the film is remembered as fondly as it should be but a new 4K 40th anniversary blu-ray will be released in April. I haven't come across any retrospective reviews of the film, in honor of its anniversary, but those might come after the release of the blu-ray. Me being ahead of the trends is nothing new and why you read this blog.
There have been rumblings that Clint Eastwood, who turns 95 in May, may retire from filmmaking. His last film may have been last year's "Juror # 2" (2024), which sadly didn't received wide distribution (it is currently streaming on HBO Max). If that is the case it would mark the end of an incredible career. With films like "Pale Rider" Eastwood has been so instrumental in redefining heroism, masculinity and the mythology of the West. We can see the cultural influence Eastwood has had on films and our expectations of anti-hero tough guys. Some may want to do away with this kind of hero and masculinity but it will never go out of style. Hollywood has merely repackaged it and now given many of these character traits to female action heroes. Same ingredients, different brand.
"Pale Rider", along with Eastwood's "Unforgiven" (1992), may be one of the finest Westerns to come along in decades. A remarkable directorial effort by Eastwood that has the ability to provoke deeper discussions on good and evil and justice. It was one of the best films of 1985. It's a shame it didn't receive any award recognition in the U.S.
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