Clint Eastwood Made the Same Western Twice With Very Different Results
High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider may venture into the supernatural, but they are more spiritual than anything else.
In two of his most outstanding Western flicks, Clint Eastwood manages to not only traverse the supernatural but also colorfully illustrate his growth as both a star and a filmmaker. In High Plains Drifter, he is a vengeful spirit looking to unleash the fires of hell itself. In Pale Rider, he is the embodiment of light, an angel of sorts sent by God himself to quell man's insatiable greed. Structurally similar with subtle little differences, the two pictures are more than just the representation of the dichotomy between good and evil. It is two different chapters of the Eastwood history book, imbued with the spirit of an artist who chose to do things his way, while still trying to accentuate his quirks and idiosyncrasies.
