THE MAN CALLED NOON

UK, 1973, 98 minutes, Colour.
Richard Crenna, Stephen Boyd, Rossana Schiaffino, Farley Granger.
Directed by Peter Collinson.

A Man Called Noon capitalises on the popularity of spaghetti westerns and was produced by a British company. The American star is Richard Crenna – a bit too old and serious for this kind of action role. By this stage, Stephen Boyd was getting older and died not long after this. Farley Granger, the Hitchcock star of Rope and Strangers on a Train, was also ageing.

The film is full of action and violence. It was directed by Peter Collinson who directed a number of very interesting films including The Long Day’s Dying and The Italian Job and a number of violent action films including Open Season.

1. The impact of this western, its quality and style, emphasis on mystery, violence?

2. The fact that it was a British made western, filmed in Spain with an international cast? Did it capture the flavour of the American west, have a different angle on the conventions of the western, the issues of the west?

3. The use Spanish landscapes and atmosphere, colour, the house, mountain scenery, El Paso and the Spanish style architecture? Audience involvement and interest via the structure: the initial incident, the shock and Noon’s loss of memory, the help of Rimes, retracing the steps, the gradual pattern, the self-understanding, the resolution?

5. The dramatic impact of the opening, the shooting and Noon's fall? The hearing of names, Noon's escape on the train, the presence of Rimes?

6. How well drawn was the character of Noon? Law to himself, the various steps that he took to reconstruct his personality and character, the ugly side, pictured, the reassuring side? Feelings, understanding? The dilemma of the man who does not know whether he to a good or evil character?

7. The importance of Rimes, the nature of his character, his presence at the shooting, his associating with Noon, leading him to the ranch, helping him with the clues? Helping with the shoot out at the fort? The importance of his changing sides because of money? What finally made him help Noon? The irony of his helping the shoot out, the tongue-in-cheek irony of his taking the gold? The amoral observer of the behaviour of the west?

8. Audience interest in the story of the ranch? Fan and her place there, her future? The character of Hennaker, his warnings, the pathos of his death for Fan? The brutality of the west and the greed?

9. The importance of the mine, the gold, contracts, the status of law, murders and greed?

10. The presentation of Peg, the background of her brother’s death and her mourning, her suddenly turning on Noon? Her evil character, her vengeance? Her link with the judge? The violence of her death? An ugly woman of the West?

11. The character of the judge and his villainy? his betrayal and greed? His death?

12. The portrayal of the villains as typical greedy and violent men of the west? The merits of their death, so much shooting?

13. The violent sequences and the style in which they were filmed, the shootouts, the siege, the siege of the ranch at the end and Noon's tricks, the falling boulder? The collage of violence?

14. The nature of the audience response to violence, purging or attractive?

15. The placidity of the resolution and the irony of Rimes killing the colonel? The explanation of Noon’s background and the burial of his past?

16. Was this a special western or an ordinary one?