Quote from: Cindy on February 13, 2017, 01:14:51 AM
Some nasty scenes as I realised how movies (and I have changed) the gratuitous rape in HPD and the ignorance of what it meant was disturbing, but I may have missed the point, it is a hard film to decipher at times.
I always figured he had "returned" (not sure if supernaturally or what) to punish the town and everyone in it for what they did. Definitely not a good guy but there to make the entire town uneasy before going all out on it. Weird film in that respect, as you are not sure who the hell to root for.
The rape at the start makes sure you know right away Eastwood isn't the hero or a gentleman. The tension in the film comes mostly from the oppressive atmosphere and wondering what will happen, so I kinda like it (first watching not knowing being the best). It's not nice but it is 'different' and the fact it's open for interpretation meant it's one that stuck in my head down the years.
Only love for The Good The Bad and the Ugly though. A true Western Epic. I'm not even big on the genre but that film is a masterpiece.