![High Plains Drifter [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ep+wQiPRL._AC_UL140_SR140,140_.jpg)
You have to admit the price for this Clint Eastwood Western Icon collection is hard to beat, but what you get is a bare-bones product. Three movies, two discs, and only the theatrical trailers as extras. Oh, you get them in another language if you want. I looked to see what other languages were offered on Two Mules For Sister Sara and was surprised to find that French rather than Spanish is the viewer's only alternative to English. There are no liner notes to speak of except for the rather simplistic one-sentence summaries of the movies on both the clamshell cover and it's protective box.
High Plains Drifter is one of the best Eastwood-acted and Eastwood-directed westerns. That he learned well from mentor Sergio Leone is quite apparent throughout. Though the setting is hardly in the high plains (looks like Mono Lake in the eastern Sierras to me), it is an ideal setting, both high and lonesome, for the saga that unfolds. If you watch and listen closely, you will notice that Eastwood's character is the incarnation of the spirit of a murdered marshal the townsfolk had heartlessly buried in an unmarked grave after arranging his being whipped to death in order to protect the interests of local businessmen. The marshal's spirit has a plan and the calculated way he takes his revenge is a delight to see! There are a few anachronisms in the film, see if you can pick them out.
Joe Kidd is on the same disc with High Plains Drifter. I'd never seen nor heard of it before but found it to be a powerful film. The story pits Anglo land-grabbers who have "the law" on their side against indigenous and Mexican residents of New Mexico who hold Spanish and Mexican land grants that pre-dated the Mexican war of 1848. The greediest of the Anglos will stop at nothing, even mass murder, to enforce their claims while dispossessed native land owners take up arms in desperate opposition since the territorial courts refuse to acknowledge their prior ownership. Though Eastwood was hired by the wealthy Anglos as a guide into the country where rebel leader Luis Chama and his band are holed up, his usual keen sense of justice has him turn on his employers when mass murder of unarmed peasants appears imminent. And that's where the fun begins. As with the preceding films, Joe Kidd contains a number of anachronisms. See if you can spot them.
Two Mules For Sister Sara takes us south of the border into the middle of the Juarista battle against the French interlopers who conquered Mexico in the mid-19th century. The action begins when Eastwood rescues a putative nun from a band of greasy would-be rapists and then learns she is on the run from the French as a Juarista spy. As it turns out, Eastwood has a deal with a Juarista colonel in which he stands to make a lot of money if he comes through. Eastwood's single-minded pursuit of money juxtaposed with the more other-worldly concerns of the "nun" make for a lot of comedy and a lot of action. The ending is a thriller! Those who appreciate the inventive sound-tracks of the early Clint Eastwood westerns should especially appreciate Ennio Morricone's unusually bleak, sun-baked compositions for this film.
It is important to remember that these films go far beyond mere shoot 'em up thrillers. For those who can look beyond the frissons of delight generated by the vengeful but judicious violence, there are a lot of issues raised that stimulate the intellect. Try to understand the lessons that Eastwood imparts while roaring with delight as each bad guy receives his condign punishment.
Since I liked all three movies a lot, I would give this set five stars were it not for the cheap production. Despite its drawbacks as a box set, I still recommend it highly for any who like Eastwood's style.
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