In two of his most outstanding western flicks, Clint Eastwood manages to not only traverse the supernatural, but also colorfully illustrates his growth as both a star and a filmmaker.
In High Plains Drifter, he is a vengeful spirit looking to unleash the fires of hell itself. In Pale Rider, he is the embodiment of light, an angel of sorts sent by God himself to quell man’s insatiable greed.
Structurally similar with subtle little differences, the two pictures are more than just the representation of the dichotomy between good and evil.
It is two different chapters of the Eastwood history book, imbued with the spirit of an artist who chose to do things his way, while still trying to accentuate his own quirks and idiosyncrasies.
‘High Plains Drifter’ & ‘Pale Rider’ Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
High Plains Drifter has Clint Eastwood as a wanderer riding with all the bravado in the world into the town of Lago. The townsfolk are helpless, and since he is a skilled marksman with no fear in his eyes, they ask the stranger to protect them from the impending return of three prisoners they have banished before. One by one, they accede to his ludicrous wishes while displaying the unforgiving indignation of a man who has lost everything.
As it turns out, his moves are justified as he is assumed to be the reincarnated spirit of Jim Duncan, the marshall that was mercilessly murdered by the returning crooks while the entire town watched in indifference. Like the personification of death himself, the stranger eliminates the criminals in brutal fashion, and burns the entire town down, avenging himself in the process.
In a similar vein, Pale Rider has the icon appear as a miracle, borne out of a wish from one of the townsfolk terrorized by a mining company. There is gold hidden beneath the rocks of Carbon Valley, and Coy LaHood, the town’s mineral magnate is hell-bent on evicting the independent miners working day and night to reap its gifts. When the harassment gets out of hand, the mysterious preacher arrives and becomes their saving grace.
Urging the miners to come together, he begins to put an end to their suffering by gunning down LaHood’s hired guns, restoring the peace. Both pictures end with Eastwood riding into the sunset under opposite circumstances.