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'''''Pale Rider''''' is a [[1985 in film|1985]] [[Western (genre)|Western]] [[Technicolor]] film produced and directed by, and starring [[Clint Eastwood]]. This movie has plot similarities to the classic Western ''[[Shane (film)|Shane]]'' ([[1953 in film|1953]]), including a final scene that is very similar to the famous final scene of the earlier movie. There are also similarities to Eastwood's previous [[Man with No Name]] character, and his [[1973 in film|1973]] western ''[[High Plains Drifter]]''. The title is a reference to the [[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]], as the rider of a pale horse is [[Death]].
'''''Pale Rider''''' is a [[1985 in film|1985]] [[Western (genre)|Western]] [[Technicolor]] film produced and directed by, and starring [[Clint Eastwood]]. This movie has plot similarities to the classic Western ''[[Shane (film)|Shane]]'' ([[1953 in film|1953]]), including a final scene that shares similarities to the famous ending of ''Shane''. The film also bears similarities to Eastwood's previous [[Man with No Name]] character, and his [[1973 in film|1973]] western ''[[High Plains Drifter]]''. The title is a reference to the [[Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]], as the rider of a pale horse is [[Death]].


''Pale Rider'' was primarily filmed in the Boulder Mountains and the [[Sawtooth National Recreation Area|SNRA]] in central [[Idaho]], just north of [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]] in late [[1984]]. The opening credits scene featured the jagged [[Sawtooth Range (Idaho)|Sawtooth Mountains]] south of [[Stanley, Idaho|Stanley]]. Train-station scenes were filmed in Tuolumne County, California, near Jamestown. Scenes of a more established Gold Rush town (in which Eastwood's character picks up his pistol at a Wells Fargo office) were filmed in the real Gold Rush town of Columbia, also in Tuolumne County, California. The film also featured [[Michael Moriarty]], [[Carrie Snodgress]], [[Chris Penn|Christopher Penn]], [[Richard Dysart]], [[Sydney Penny]], [[Richard Kiel]], Doug McGrath and [[John Russell_(actor)|John Russell]].
''Pale Rider'' was primarily filmed in the Boulder Mountains and the [[Sawtooth National Recreation Area|SNRA]] in central [[Idaho]], just north of [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]] in late [[1984]]. The opening credits scene featured the jagged [[Sawtooth Range (Idaho)|Sawtooth Mountains]] south of [[Stanley, Idaho|Stanley]]. Train-station scenes were filmed in Tuolumne County, California, near Jamestown. Scenes of a more established Gold Rush town (in which Eastwood's character picks up his pistol at a Wells Fargo office) were filmed in the real Gold Rush town of Columbia, also in Tuolumne County, California. The film also featured [[Michael Moriarty]], [[Carrie Snodgress]], [[Chris Penn|Christopher Penn]], [[Richard Dysart]], [[Sydney Penny]], [[Richard Kiel]], Doug McGrath and [[John Russell_(actor)|John Russell]].

Revision as of 01:50, 28 November 2009

Pale Rider
Pale Rider movie poster
Directed byClint Eastwood
Written byMichael Butler
Dennis Shryack
Produced byClint Eastwood
StarringClint Eastwood
Michael Moriarty
Carrie Snodgress
CinematographyBruce Surtees
Edited byJoel Cox
Music byLennie Niehaus
Production
company
Release date
28 June 1985
Running time
116 minutes
CountryTemplate:FilmUS
LanguageEnglish

Pale Rider is a 1985 Western Technicolor film produced and directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood. This movie has plot similarities to the classic Western Shane (1953), including a final scene that shares similarities to the famous ending of Shane. The film also bears similarities to Eastwood's previous Man with No Name character, and his 1973 western High Plains Drifter. The title is a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the rider of a pale horse is Death.

Pale Rider was primarily filmed in the Boulder Mountains and the SNRA in central Idaho, just north of Sun Valley in late 1984. The opening credits scene featured the jagged Sawtooth Mountains south of Stanley. Train-station scenes were filmed in Tuolumne County, California, near Jamestown. Scenes of a more established Gold Rush town (in which Eastwood's character picks up his pistol at a Wells Fargo office) were filmed in the real Gold Rush town of Columbia, also in Tuolumne County, California. The film also featured Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Christopher Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, Richard Kiel, Doug McGrath and John Russell.

Pale Rider is the only Eastwood film to have clear religious overtones throughout - though several of his other films such as High Plains Drifter also make heavy use of spiritual and supernatural ideas and imagery.

Plot

The plot centers on the conflict between a group of simple, poor, panning miners and the most powerful man in the nearby town, Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart), the boss of a successful hydraulic mining outfit, that wants to take over their land. The film opens with the ruffians of LaHood riding into the panner's camp, shooting things up and pulling down tents and cabins. Soon after, one of the panners heads into town for supplies, and is set upon by the same ruffians. A drifter (Clint Eastwood) rides in and defends the miner with unexpected skill wielding a hickory axe handle. Upon returning to the placers camp, the drifter compounds this surprise by revealing a minister's collar when invited to dinner, thus acquiring the name "Preacher".[1]

A classic western story line develops, leading to a final showdown in town between a corrupt U.S. Marshal named Stockburn and his "deputies" and Preacher.

Cast

Clint Eastwood as "Preacher"

Religious overtones

In an audio interview, Clint Eastwood revealed that his character Preacher "is an out-and-out ghost".[2]

Comparison to the movie Shane

The movie is nearly a step-by-step Shane homage.[3][4] A stranger (Shane/The Preacher) arrives in a town and is hosted by a local (Joe Starrett/Hull Barret), his wife (Marian/Sarah) and their child (Joey/Megan). The stranger and the local bond when they take on an "impossible task" together (undermining a root/cracking a boulder). But the local's land and his friends' is in peril by a greedy businessman (Ryker/LaHood). The stranger fends off an initial advance and gains one of the businessman's henchmen (Chris/Club). The local's child falls for the stranger, but is rejected at first. The local's woman has an unspoken but strong regard for him. The stranger is made to relive his past when the businessman calls for an assassin (Wilson/Stockburn) and one of the local's friends is killed. The stranger handles the assassin on his own in a final duel where both assassin and businessman are killed. He then leaves, and the child runs after him and cries out tearfully "I love you".

Reception

The film was entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival.[5]

Pale Rider received highly positive reviews and currently holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film a four out of four stars.

References

  1. ^ "Clint Eastwood.net Filmography / Pale Rider". Retrieved 2008-02-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Clint Eastwood.net Filmography / Pale Rider". Retrieved 2008-02-12. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ "Movie Reviews by Peter Reiher". Retrieved 2009-06-02. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ^ "Couch Cowboy". Retrieved 2009-06-02. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Pale Rider". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-06-28.


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