Definetly one of the most overlooked of the Eastwood Westerns, this film is one weird creepy experience. Indeed calling it a Western is probably wrong. Supernatural Chiller would be more apt.

Eastwood's lone rider arrives into the mining town of Lago a mysterious creature, and thats how he remains for almost the entire movie. But not before he kills a bunch of hired guns given the job of defending the town from returning killers linked with a dark secret kept hush hush by the inhabitants.

Hired Goons gone Eastwood is given the job and he sets about painting the town red (literally) as he waits for the criminals to return. Along the way you get a midget, a pretty brutal rape scene and a slow teasing out of what the secret is and who Eastwood's character might be.

This film seems to be highly dedicated to the task of creeping the viewer out. Its like watching a prototype version of Deadwood, every persons mud streaked face is framed large and the music thumps at you randomly and ominous. The scene dealing with Eastwood killing the Hired Guns benefits from brilliant build-up and violent unflinching execution and the eventual ending is beautifully cold and uncertain.

A film that doesn't get nearly enough love, its easily one of Eastwood's best.

A+

My review in the other thread.

Eastwood's directorial Western debut. I think this is much better than unforgiven and gives Westerns a much different look. Eastwood plays a character not too unlike The Man with No Name, but with a secret. He drifts into a town with a dark past that seems very cowardly, but at the same time creepy. Three criminals who killed their last Sheriff are getting out soon, and after seeing Clint in action, they hire him to basically run the town. However, Clint has an secret of his own that may connect him to the town. Theres not as much action as one may expect, but the film itself is beautiful from a cinematography standpoint and the story is very interestnig. Clint did a very good job in front and behind the camera. Very interesting when he makes the town paint every building red (Including the Church) and renames the town HELL. Amazing non traditional western that is most likely always overlooked.

A+ And the score gives me chills.

Supremely creepy and effective, though I had troubles with the rampant misogyny on display here. I guess you could make the argument that it's symptomatic of the genre as a whole, but it feels rather perverse and disgusting here. Nearly turned me off the whole thing.

What the film does best, I think, is reveal the true horror underpinning the entire genre; it is, after all, one based almost entirely in death. The imagery and thematics at play here are truly chilling; that iconic shot of Clint, complete with long coat and high hat, in front of the raging inferno, swinging his whip, is incredibly terrifying.

Western revisionism doesn't get any darker than this.

Is your class on a western binge Dan? Glad you saw this and liked it.

Yes, classes on the Western tend to be like that.