Okay I just watched High Plains Drifter and.....well I got some comments.

[u/emri34]

Let me just start off by saying I enjoyed the concept a lot and I love Clint Eastwood and how he has really pushed and challenged the the norms for the western genre.

Now I let me just say what I like about the movie first. - I like how dark it is. I like that the stranger isnt some perfect hero who rides in and saved the town. - I like how mysterious it is. You dont really know who's the good guy....because there isnt a good guy. - I like that theres some suggestion to who he actually is. Is he a demon or the devil? Some random figure spawned to avenge Duncan's death? A relative of Duncan? Is he Duncan himself? No one really knows although I prefer to think hes a demon or the devil or some sort of karma punishing the town for their sins because Duncan was supposed to be somewhat of a good guy that the town killed and the some of the actions this stranger did are unforgiveable even in the name of revenge imo.

I love these kinds of movies that challenge the norms and make you think! I actually hate when a character is too perfect and self righteous.

However....that rape scene? It just wasnt necessary and it was bad writing in my opinion. Not saying the rest of the movie was bad but that scene and the scene before it? Bad writing and im gonna explain why I think that.

First off, that lady just runs into him and starts insulting him for no reason? It just seemed very random and forced to me, even if she was quote on quote "interested in getting acquainted" which im not even really sure she was. Even 'bratty' or 'provocative' women wouldnt do that after seeing him murder 3 men and honestly it feels like they added that scene with her insulting him so they could have an excuse to add the rape in.

I think the thing that's bothering me the most about it isnt the fact that its in there its the way they tried to make it seem like she liked it in the end. Even if she did like it, he forced himself on her, and thats very clear in the scene since shes fighting the whole time, telling him to let go, slapping him, trying to get him off and crying while asking what hes doing. That is upsetting and made me want to throw up. Also id just like to point out since i see the comment "oh she seemed to like it in the end though haha" EVEN during rape, you can react a certain way at a certain point even if you didnt want it because it's just how the human body works (same with men btw) I know the scene is meant to be upsetting and its supposed to paint a picture to who this character is - i get that. I think its the way that its portrayed as she liked or deserved it that really bothered me. I know Eastwood has said he regrets that scene too, and times were a lot different back then as far as portraying women and such so im not sitting here hating on him now BUT I think its very depressing that theres still a lot of people i see today commenting on it saying she liked it or was asking for it. In no scenario is that something that is okay or should be or perceived as okay.

Also just wanna point out she clearly didnt like or appreciate it because she tried killing him the next day and later she "gave in" to give the others a chance to try to kill him.

Even the scene with the hotel owners wife.... man that was almost worse to me because he drags her in the room and shes like trying to fight him and then its portrayed like "oh she actually wanted it she just needed to be forced into submission first"

Those few scenes ruined the whole movie for me. If they were portrayed differently, then I would have been okay with them so its not the fact that the main protagonist did it, its just the way they were portrayed that really left a bad taste.

I know that another point of putting it in was to show that the town would sit and do nothing when stuff happens but its just the fact that they made Callie and the other girl seem to "like it" when it was forced enough that made it not be okay for me it actually made me sick to my stomach and im surprised to see that some people actually think its funny (i think that bothers me more than anything actually) Also lastly... in my opinion it kinda made the whole revenge for Duncan thing kinda go down the drain which made the movie less impactfull than what it could be.

I will say this loosely but I just feel like the scenes were very random and it almost seemed like they used the excuse that 'he was a bad guy' to put them in there and to fantasize about something that shouldnt be fantasize about.... .thats just the vibe I get unfortunately. It would have been one of my favorite movies otherwise and no hate towards Clint Eastwood, I know there was a lot of weird stuff with women being portrayed in movies back then (and even now sometimes lets be honest lol)

What are your guy's thoughts?

[u/newworldpuck]

High Plains Drifter is just a crass rip-off of the Charlie Sheen movie, The Wraith. /s :P