The Clint himself directs this classic western plot, largely in the spaghetti western style, but with a more introvert feel. The nameless avenger is a character that nobody can portray better that Clint himself and despite the undercurrent of religion and mysticism in this case, I cannot but be attracted to it.

http://i.imgur.com/gzhwDJ6.jpg

After a community of goldpanning, prospector families are attacked by a larger, competing gold digging corporation run by a LaHood in the neighborhood, a young girl in one of the attacked families begs for a miracle to come by and save them. Then the nameless, pale rider (Clint Eastwood) comes to town and helps her father defeat a gang of thugs also associated and is invited to stay at their their humble lodgings.

http://i.imgur.com/zqK5Gel.jpg

At first they fear him for his ability to wield violence, though in the defense of their defenseless master of the house Hull (Michael Moriarty), but when he flashes a preacher collar and fine manners at the dinner table, their attitude quickly changes to awe and for the females, also a certain sexual attraction. 

http://i.imgur.com/ypQraZ4.jpg

Hull is working on a big boulder blocking the nearby stream and when the preacher helps him working on it it soon makes the whole community come together in a reinvigorated form, because of the preachers confidence and stout ethics. 

http://i.imgur.com/Oc6yoKE.jpg

While the daughter gets more and more attracted to the preacher, the conflict escalates between the community and the LaHood group. Rumours tell that he has sent for a "sherif" of ill repute, who have a gang of deputies, that will be willing to reinstate "law and order" in the canyon. But the preacher has managed to raise the community´s heroic feelings and made them reject LaHoods offer to buy them out of their lots.

http://i.imgur.com/XnSDP4G.jpg

As the conflict comes towards a showdown, the preacher disappears and their previous heroic stance takes a bit of a blow. What they are not aware of is that, the preacher has gone to town to retrieve his gun. As have been previously indicated, he has a past as a hired gun of some kind and he now changes his personality once again to this form to meet the approaching gang of deputies, headed by a man called Stockburn.

http://i.imgur.com/8RrdcHz.jpg

He manages to rescue the daughter from being raped by the LaHood gang and his son, and dragging Hull along for the showdown, just popping down to blow up the whole mining rig of their competition, before heading into town. Stockburn have already showed his psychopatic side, when he protects LaHood from a drunk and angry goldpanner, who struck on a huge nugget of gold and wants to laugh at LaHood, by shooting him full of holes.

http://i.imgur.com/Df02BeY.jpg

The Preacher takes out the deputies one at a time and at the final showdown Stockburn realizes who he is facing when he yells "Youuuuu ...!!" indicating they have a history "together" of some kind. When all the bad guys are wiped from the town, he rides of into the horizon and is never seen again.

http://i.imgur.com/geWzBLc.jpg

The religious and slightly mystic undertones are not that strong and I can easily forgive them. It is clearly a film made when Eastwood did not have the skill and experience as a director that would later result in Oscar winners. The opening sequence with the approaching and attacking LaHood gang is not impressive and feels very amateurish. But at least it is the only part that really stinks. The rest does hang fairly well together all though I would personally have loved some more character development and a bit more information about the nameless man and what he came from

http://i.imgur.com/zeuAEOF.jpg

The cinematography is generally ok, although not impressive. Only at a few instances it feels bold and daring but mostly it just tells the story and plot as it is supposed to. The scene where the deputies stand on the stairs and the prospector stands alone, with only his trembling legs in view is great. Some scenes feel a bit to dark and a few scenes feels unrehearsed and rushed. But the overall theme of revenge is quite clear and the whole frame is carved out in a simple and, in a good way, a predictable shape. 

http://i.imgur.com/YDBkzZR.jpg

I like a simple and straightforward plot in a western and the stoneface nameless rider is always cool and likable. it appeals to the masculine bravery of taking your own destiny into your own hands and doing the right thing for yourself, your family and your community. It is not as much about praying for someone to come rescue you, which you might think. That is also a fantasy in any case.

Rating: 7/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyjrUAimzZg

http://i.imgur.com/1H7PHNX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ByHVKRQ.png