Hang 'em High

After many years of continental countries out-doing the Americans in the Spaghetti Western department, Hollywood produced this satisfying revenge story to reclaim something more traditionally American than apple pie.

The story of this film is truly gripping, and the power and the excitement of the first scenes carry film through to its natural - slightly obvious yet still thrilling - climax. It begins with Clint Eastwood - in the character he does best: a big, violent man who doesn't speak much - being a victim of a a lynch mob. He is well and truly strung up, and left to die, but fortuitously rescued by the local marshall. ("We'll give you a fair trial, then maybe hang you all over again".) ObviousIy, from that moment on, Clint is set on getting his own back on the nine lynchers.

This is obviously not a Dances With Wolves or Unforgiven - there's no message, no allegory; Clint has no conscience: he just wants to KILL. There's something much more fulfilling about this. The supporting cast do well - particularly craggy old Ed Begley - but Swedish beauty Inger Stevens refuses to take it seriously.

The direction is surprisingly snappy, and if you switch off your morals and ignore the plot defects, it's very enjoyable.

Review by Martin Hunt
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94