HIGH NOON MOC UHD Standard edition

One of the most influential and iconic Westerns ever made, High Noon is a powerful film about the individual drive to do good in the face of a society that would rather turn a blind eye to evil. Directed by Fred Zinnemann (From Here to Eternity) and produced by Stanley Kramer (The Defiant Ones), it remains just as riveting, nail-bitingly tense and fiercely political as it was in the 1950s.

 

In an Oscar-winning performance, Gary Cooper (Man of the West) stars as small-town Marshal Will Kane, who is preparing to retire and ride off into the sunset with his bride Amy (Grace Kelly, Rear Window). However, his plans are derailed when he is informed that an outlaw he once sent to jail, Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald, Johnny Guitar), is soon to arrive with his brutal gang in tow. High Noon then follows Kane in real time as he tries to assemble a posse – but the townspeople are reluctant to help him and Amy, a pacifist who abhors violence, wants him to simply walk away. But as high noon approaches, Kane realises he must do the right thing… with or without help.

 

While High Noon is now an acknowledged American masterpiece, its release was controversial. Both John Wayne (who turned down its central role) and Howard Hawks (who made Rio Bravo in response) hated the film for its thinly veiled critical commentary on McCarthyism and the persecution of those accused of having “communist” beliefs. The film has lost none of its political power – or its irrefutable entertainment value. Having brought the film to Blu-ray in 2019, the Masters of Cinema series is now proud to present its UK debut on 4K Ultra-HD.

 

ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

 

 

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation from a 4K digital restoration, presented in Dolby Vision HDR (HDR 10 compatible) 
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Audio commentary by historian Glenn Frankel, author of High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic
• Audio commentary by western authority Stephen Prince
• Women of the West: A Feminist Approach to High Noon – new video essay by Western scholar J. E. Smyth
• Interview with film historian Neil Sinyard, author of Fred Zinnemann: Films of Character and Conscience
• A 1969 audio interview with writer Carl Foreman from the National Film Theatre in London
• The Making of High Noon – a documentary on the making of the film
• Inside High Noon and Behind High Noon – two video pieces on the making and context of the film
• Theatrical trailer

 

PRESS

 

“nearly perfect.” – Washington Post

 

“Deserving of its label as a true classic, and essential viewing ★★★★★” - Empire

 

“a western to challenge 'Stagecoach' for the all-time championship.” – The New York Times

 

“a classic example of what had come to be known in the late 1940s as an 'adult' or 'psychological' western” – Philip French, The Observer