Mr. Thompson's Two Cents:

By this point in the year, you've hopefully noticed a trend in the movies that I select for us to watch. Specifically, I like showing you movies that defy expectations. A horror movie where you hardly see the monster? 'Jaws.' A heart-pounding thriller that takes place in one room? 'Rear Window.' This week's movie is similar. It's genius is found, in part, in its limitations.

'High Noon' is considered by many to be a classic western, but when it was made it was anything but. At a time when westerns ruled the cinema because of their vibrant colors, breathtaking vistas, and super heroic protagonists, 'High Noon' came along looking more like a documentary: black and white with a lean story and a hero who spends most of the movie asking others for help. At the time, it was an extremely controversial film (as you'll see in this week's guide). On the surface, it won't appear so. But when we apply the Kuleshov Effect and consider the symbolism in the movie, it will start to make sense.

'High Noon' was nominated for Academy Awards in Screenwriting, Directing, and even for Best Picture, but it won for Editing. However, as you watch, the editing probably won't stand out to you. That's because one of the hallmarks of good editing is that it is usually invisible. An editor moves you through space and time and you don't even really notice, cutting at the moments that just "feel" right. For that reason, this case study will be challenging, so we'll take a few breaks while watching to examine a few moments of exceptional editing

Another sneaky reason I like to show this film is for actress Katy Jurado. At a time when Hollywood was male-dominated and extremely white-washed, here's a Mexican actress who plays arguably the film's most memorable character -- a strong woman, a smart woman, a vulnerable woman, a passionate woman -- all while embracing her Mexican heritage. It's a powerful "what if" when you consider the great Hollywood classics and wonder what could have been if it hadn't taken the industry so long to write and cast for more diversity. As for Katy Jurado, I've found that her performance is one of the primary things that makes this movie better and better every time I watch it.

Enjoy Fred Zinneman's controversial 1952 tour de force, 'High Noon.'