Pale Rider is a 1985 Western Technicolor film produced and directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood. This movie has plot similarities to the classic Western Shane (1953), including a final scene that shares similarities to the famous ending of Shane. The film also bears similarities to Eastwood's previous Man with No Name character, and his 1973 western High Plains Drifter. The title is a reference to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as the rider of a pale horse is Death.

Pale Rider was primarily filmed in the Boulder Mountains and the SNRA in central Idaho, just north of Sun Valley in late 1984. The opening credits scene featured the jagged Sawtooth Mountains south of Stanley. Train-station scenes were filmed in Tuolumne County, California, near Jamestown. Scenes of a more established Gold Rush town (in which Eastwood's character picks up his pistol at a Wells Fargo office) were filmed in the real Gold Rush town of Columbia, also in Tuolumne County, California. The film also featured Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Christopher Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, Richard Kiel, Doug McGrath and John Russell.

Pale Rider is the only Eastwood film to have clear religious overtones throughout - though several of his other films such as High Plains Drifter also make heavy use of spiritual and supernatural ideas and imagery.

Plot

The plot centers on the conflict between a group of simple, poor, panning miner and the most powerful man in the nearby town, Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart), the boss of a successful hydraulic mining outfit, that wants to take over their land. The film opens with the ruffians of LaHood riding into the panner's camp, shooting things up and pulling down tents and cabins. Soon after, one of the panners heads into town for supplies, and is set upon by the same ruffians. A drifter (Clint Eastwood) rides in and defends the miner with unexpected skill wielding a hickory axe handle. Upon returning to the placers camp, the drifter compounds this surprise by revealing a minister's collar when invited to dinner, thus acquiring the name "Preacher".

A classic western story line develops, leading to a final showdown in town between a corrupt U.S. Marshal named Stockburn and his "deputies" and Preacher.

Cast

• Clint Eastwood as "Preacher"
• Michael Moriarty as Hull Barret
• Carrie Snodgress as Sarah Wheeler
• Richard Dysart as Coy LaHood
• Christopher Penn as Josh LaHood
• Sydney Penny as Megan Wheeler
• Richard Kiel as Club
• Doug McGrath as Spider Conway
• John Russell as Stockburn
• Charles Hallahan as McGill
• Marvin J. McIntyre as Jagou
• Fran Ryan as Ma Blankenship
• Richard Hamilton as Jed Blankenship
• Graham Paul as Ev Gossage
• Chuck Lafont as Eddie Conway
• Jeffrey Weissman as Teddy Conway
• Allen Keller as Tyson
• Tom Oglesby as Elam
• Herman Poppe as Ulrik Lindquist
• Kathleen Wygle as Bess Gossage
• Terrence Evans as Jake Henderson
• Jim Hitson as Biggs
• Loren Adkins as Bossy
• Tom Friedkin as Miner Tom
• S.A. Griffin as Deputy Folke
• Jack Radosta as Deputy Grissom
• Robert Winley as Deputy Kobold
• Billy Drago as Deputy Mather
• Jeffrey Josephson as Deputy Sedge
• John Dennis Johnston as Deputy Tucker
• Mike Adams as Horseman
• Clay Lilley as Horseman
• Gene Hartline as Horseman
• R.L. Tolbert as Horseman
• Cliff Happy as Horseman
• Ross Loney as Horseman
• Larry Randles as Horseman
• Mike McGaughy as Horseman
• Jerry Gatlin as Horseman
• Lloyd Nelson as Bank Teller
• Jay K. Fishburn as Telegrapher
• George Orrison as Stationmaster Whitey
• Milton Murrill as Porter
• Mike Munsey as Dentist/Barber
• Keith Dillan as Blacksmith
• Buddy Van Horn as Stage Driver
• Fritz Manes as Stage Rider
• Glenn Wright as Stage Rider

Supernatural overtones

In an audio interview, Clint Eastwood revealed that his character Preacher "is an out-and-out ghost".

Reception

The film was entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival.

Pale Rider received highly positive reviews and currently holds a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film a four out of four stars.

References

External links