High Noon

There's a theory among film historians that if it hadn't been for High Noon, the likes of Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns and various Clint Eastwood movies such as The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven might never have been made. The movie is known as the first so-called 'adult Western' thanks to its bleak outlook, and so it could be argued that it is the natural forerunner to the aforementioned films. Still regarded as a masterpiece over 50 years since it was first released, the plot focuses on Will Kane (Gary Cooper), a marshal whose wedding day is disrupted by the imminent arrival of a murderous criminal on the midday train. So why has it gained so many plaudits over the decades? Well, it's superbly directed by Fred Zinnemann, who arguably gained career-defining performances from Cooper and his co-stars Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges and Thomas Mitchell. A must-see movie for film fans everywhere