This movie begins with a cowboy (played by Clint Eastwood) riding out of the desert heat into a small town called "Lago". He then goes into the only saloon in town where he encounters a problem with three cowboys but rather than get into it with them he decides to go to the barbershop for a shave. The three cowboys follow and upon provoking him they get shot for their efforts. Minutes later a woman named ""Callie Travers" (Marianna Hill) deliberately bumps into him on the street and then starts and berating him for no particular reason. One thing leads to another and eventually he drags her into a barn and proceeds to rape her. After that he heads to the local hotel to get a room where he immediately falls asleep on the bed and has a nightmare of being whipped to death in this same town while all of the townspeople look on. The next day "Sheriff Sam Shaw" (Walter Barnes) comes to see him and with the blessing of the town council offers him anything he wants if he will protect the town from three outlaws who are due to be released from prison and plan to ride into town in the next couple of days. But what the sheriff and the townspeople don't realize is that this particular cowboy has his own way of doing things and doesn't particularly care whether they like his methods or not. Not only that but he has a secret agenda of his own. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a very good-albeit highly unusual-type of Western with definite paranormal overtures. Again, this film is not a typical Western but I found it to be quite entertaining and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
Review of High Plains Drifter
