We gots Eastwood’s first Western directorial effort here, being his 2nd directed movie under his belt. He takes the man-with-no-name approach to ease his way into the scene. It’s not bad. Not really breaking too much new ground except for maybe some red paint. That’s a nice touch.
A man that totally has a name but just doesn’t like to share it rides out of the shimmering desert-scrub heat. A small mining town on the edge of a desert lake, some nice new constructions goings on. All the townsfolk seem overly wary as he rides through town. Justifiably so, because turns out they’re all a bunch of great big pussies, and there are consequences for that. They give this drifter gunslinger carte blanche over the town in return for protection as they fear the imminent return of 3 violent scuzzbags they had locked away a year prior. But the Stranger isn’t going to make it easy for the townsfolk, they all seem kinda shady. Except the dwarf, he cool, and seems to have an unlimited supply of cigars always on hand.
This is competently done. Townsfolk characters may be a bit...shallow. But at least Eastwood realizes to work in a few lighter moments and a dwarf from time to time. And those bathtub dramas? Bitches be Crazy! But with so much foreshadowing and not-flashbacks that give it an almost vengeful ghost kinda vibe, it’s not exceptionally suspenseful. It is a decent enough first go-round for a non-spaghetti Western shot in California from Eastwood, and interesting enough to watch the deceptions play out.
