I'm perfectly willing to allow Clint Eastwood his pronouncement of ambiguity regarding the character of 'The Stranger', and have read with interest the many opinions offered in the reviews and threads on this site. I've seen the movie at least a half dozen times over the years, but today it was with the express intent of crystallizing my opinion. As I've felt all along, the character of The Stranger is indeed a mortal man, the brother of the slain town marshal Jim Duncan, and I'll get into that in a minute.
Let's keep in mind that Eastwood himself has had quite some time to reflect on his direction and portrayal in the film, and the subject of a ghostly apparition had time to take hold of viewer consciousness. The film itself has added to the controversy, at least twice via statements made by hotel owner Lewis Belding (Ted Hartley). The first time occurs right after he supervises the evacuation of his hotel, remarking disparagingly to the Preacher (Robert Donner) - "...they're emptyin' my whole hotel, throwing out paying guests right into the street just to make room for our new guardian angel". Later, when addressing Lago's citizens at a town meeting right after the dinner scene with The Stranger and Callie - "...couldn't be worse if the devil himself had ridden right into Lago". So right there you have the seeds planted for both an avenging angel and a demon bent on revenge.
There IS a real mystery to the film, but it's not the identity of 'The Stranger'. To fully understand, it's important to view the movie in it's unedited form via tape or DVD. Watching "High Plains Drifter" on TV, even a cable channel leaves too much out, particularly in the way of dialog, and especially regarding the character of Callie (Marianna Hill) and her relationship to the people in the town.
The movie offers two flashback scenes, the first by 'The Stranger' only about twenty minutes into the story, the second by Mordecai (Billy Curtis), again shortly after the evacuation of the hotel guests. In both flashbacks, one is able to recognize every citizen of Lago that we already know by name, EXCEPT ONE. About midway in each scene, a character is shown entering from, and then retreating back into the shadows, with half of a bearded face visible. It's the face of The Stranger. The reason Eastwood's character can recall with clarity what occurred on the night Marshal Duncan was killed is because he was there. The mystery then becomes why he was powerless at the time to intervene on his brother's behalf. Presumably he wasn't a citizen of Lago, or he would be recognized, so there must have been another reason for him to be there. Visiting his brother, certainly, but for reasons unknown and unexplored, 'The Stranger' did not become involved at the time of his brother's death.
The one person who had an inkling to The Strangers' identity I feel, was Sarah Belding, making reference to the dead marshal in an unmarked grave. But The Stranger wasn't biting, he intended to remain anonymous, a position he affirmed when he first checked into Belding's hotel and didn't register. Sure he could have used a phony name, but then some of the mystique he was attempting to establish would have been compromised.
I'm quite intrigued reading some of the threads maintaining certainty regarding The Stranger being a 'spirit' citing reactions the character has, as if one could actually know how a spirit would go about his business. But since we're playing that game, I'd offer two reasons why he couldn't be a spirit or a demon. On the ride into town, The Stranger's reflection is shown on one of the store front windows as he goes past. Then in the first bar scene, The Stranger's arm casts a shadow on the wall as he takes his beer. Granted, most of my spirit and demon lore has come from other movies and popular literature, but I believe that both of those occurrences aren't possible with beings from the other side. What REALLY intrigues me now is if Eastwood was clever enough to consciously plant those things in the film to keep everyone and his brother (no pun there) guessing. Oh, and one last thing - if The Stranger really WAS a ghost, then who's ghost was the horse he rode in on?
When I first entered a rating for this film on IMDb, I gave it a strong '8' as one of the upper echelon film Westerns, right up there with "High Noon", "Shane", and Eastwood's own "Unforgiven". However now, after having so much fun watching and re-watching the movie, and reading some of the great discussion on this site, that has to warrant at least two bonus points, I'm re-establishing my rating as a '10'.
One last thing - if you're interested in hearing Clint Eastwood himself describe who/what the character of The Stranger represents, head over to his website at http://www.clinteastwood.net/welcome2.html
Follow the links to the movie, and then click on the audio icon for "High Plains Drifter".
Let's keep in mind that Eastwood himself has had quite some time to reflect on his direction and portrayal in the film, and the subject of a ghostly apparition had time to take hold of viewer consciousness. The film itself has added to the controversy, at least twice via statements made by hotel owner Lewis Belding (Ted Hartley). The first time occurs right after he supervises the evacuation of his hotel, remarking disparagingly to the Preacher (Robert Donner) - "...they're emptyin' my whole hotel, throwing out paying guests right into the street just to make room for our new guardian angel". Later, when addressing Lago's citizens at a town meeting right after the dinner scene with The Stranger and Callie - "...couldn't be worse if the devil himself had ridden right into Lago". So right there you have the seeds planted for both an avenging angel and a demon bent on revenge.
There IS a real mystery to the film, but it's not the identity of 'The Stranger'. To fully understand, it's important to view the movie in it's unedited form via tape or DVD. Watching "High Plains Drifter" on TV, even a cable channel leaves too much out, particularly in the way of dialog, and especially regarding the character of Callie (Marianna Hill) and her relationship to the people in the town.
The movie offers two flashback scenes, the first by 'The Stranger' only about twenty minutes into the story, the second by Mordecai (Billy Curtis), again shortly after the evacuation of the hotel guests. In both flashbacks, one is able to recognize every citizen of Lago that we already know by name, EXCEPT ONE. About midway in each scene, a character is shown entering from, and then retreating back into the shadows, with half of a bearded face visible. It's the face of The Stranger. The reason Eastwood's character can recall with clarity what occurred on the night Marshal Duncan was killed is because he was there. The mystery then becomes why he was powerless at the time to intervene on his brother's behalf. Presumably he wasn't a citizen of Lago, or he would be recognized, so there must have been another reason for him to be there. Visiting his brother, certainly, but for reasons unknown and unexplored, 'The Stranger' did not become involved at the time of his brother's death.
The one person who had an inkling to The Strangers' identity I feel, was Sarah Belding, making reference to the dead marshal in an unmarked grave. But The Stranger wasn't biting, he intended to remain anonymous, a position he affirmed when he first checked into Belding's hotel and didn't register. Sure he could have used a phony name, but then some of the mystique he was attempting to establish would have been compromised.
I'm quite intrigued reading some of the threads maintaining certainty regarding The Stranger being a 'spirit' citing reactions the character has, as if one could actually know how a spirit would go about his business. But since we're playing that game, I'd offer two reasons why he couldn't be a spirit or a demon. On the ride into town, The Stranger's reflection is shown on one of the store front windows as he goes past. Then in the first bar scene, The Stranger's arm casts a shadow on the wall as he takes his beer. Granted, most of my spirit and demon lore has come from other movies and popular literature, but I believe that both of those occurrences aren't possible with beings from the other side. What REALLY intrigues me now is if Eastwood was clever enough to consciously plant those things in the film to keep everyone and his brother (no pun there) guessing. Oh, and one last thing - if The Stranger really WAS a ghost, then who's ghost was the horse he rode in on?
When I first entered a rating for this film on IMDb, I gave it a strong '8' as one of the upper echelon film Westerns, right up there with "High Noon", "Shane", and Eastwood's own "Unforgiven". However now, after having so much fun watching and re-watching the movie, and reading some of the great discussion on this site, that has to warrant at least two bonus points, I'm re-establishing my rating as a '10'.
One last thing - if you're interested in hearing Clint Eastwood himself describe who/what the character of The Stranger represents, head over to his website at http://www.clinteastwood.net/welcome2.html
Follow the links to the movie, and then click on the audio icon for "High Plains Drifter".