MovieChat Forums > High Plains Drifter (1973) Discussion > The women in this movie

The women in this movie

posted 9 years ago by marmac2768
20 replies | jump to latest

The female leads in this movie are very interesting. Callie is just plain crazy and Sarah is about the only one in this movie that has any redemptive qualities.

Then, both of them wind up having sex with The Stranger. The crazy one, Callie, is just a slut, pure and simple. She obviously sets her eyes on seducing him when she intentionally runs into him while he was going to the livery stable. Then, when he bites and takes her to have his way with her, first she resists and then she appears to have a good time after all. She then screams rape (I've always heard "you can't rape the willing") and tries to kill him in his bath. Truly an insane woman!!

Sarah on the other hand, appears to be the closest thing to a "lady" in this town. How she got hooked up with a scumsucker as Belding is beyond me. It appears like The Stranger is going to rape her as well, but she obviously enjoys her time with him as well.

Old Clint must be one hell of a lover that's for sure!!

[–] terrien-scott 9 years ago

Well there was no - no on her lips, but yes, yes in her eyes. In any case she needed it, she wanted it. Over and over again. Clint seemed a very quick draw with her. She must have had a very tight personally.

[–] drjukebox 8 years ago

Dein mund sagt nein doch deine augen sagen ja

[–] oprlvr33 9 years ago

Both Verna Bloom and Marianna Hill (Swartzkoff) were brilliant in this movie. Hill literally threw herself into her Callie role, after being cast. She was delighted to play opposite her Western movie hero. And her performance satisfied.

Bloom is a remarkable actress whom I've always admired and adored. She costarred with Clint in at least 3 other films later on, including his HBO special release Honky Tonk Man (1982)

The very last I saw of her, at least on the small screen, was the Dr. Quinn; Medicine Woman pilot (1993)

Peanutlee33

[–] fastfivelitre 9 years ago

Problem with women is that they use denial as a tool. Atleast guys back then didn't have to put up with as much *beep* as we do today

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sfmar 8 years ago

And only one poster in this thread is a judgmental man-hater.

[–] I_Luv_Apple 8 years ago

How do you know if she hates men? Maybe, she just hates men who rape women and think it's okay to do so.

[–] sfmar 8 years ago

You can't question what I do or don't know because you yourself don't know anything. You sound like a 9 year old who just got their first computer.

Go to bed so the adults can talk.

[–] I_Luv_Apple 8 years ago

I know more than you do. I'm not someone you can push around.

[–] Broformist 8 years ago

You sound pretty knowledgeable. Please tell us more.

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 8 years ago

Hates rapists = man hater

Lol, are you saying all men are rapists?

Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

[–] sfmar 8 years ago

That's not what I was implying or saying. However, a person who posts that anyone with a viewpoint differing from their own posts a statement like:

Every poster but one in this thread has a rapist mentality. I hope you end up in jail or dead before you get to touch a woman. The world is better without scum like you.

...is someone I indeed consider a man-hater.

Clear enough?

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 8 years ago

No. You're no different from her on making sweeping statements. My father would've had a huge problem with the same scene in reference. He is a man and I doubt the OP thinks he has a rapist mentality. You're saying every man likes such a scene when that's not true at all. The op has a problem with the scene and everyone defending it, including women I imagine. Yet from that, you generalize that they hate all men.

You're no different from the 'feminazis' you obviously hate, 2 sides of the same coin Imo.

Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

[–] sfmar 8 years ago

You're saying every man likes such a scene......

I never said any such thing. If you maintain that I did, please reference where I posted such an atrocious statement.

If anything, I see you and the OP as "2 sides of the same coin".

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 8 years ago

The poster you replied to, said this:

Every poster but one in this thread has a rapist mentality. I hope you end up in jail or dead before you get to touch a woman. The world is better without scum like you.

Meaning everyone defending the scene has a rapist mentality, not all men, just people defending it.

But you replied with this:

And only one poster in this thread is a judgmental man-hater.

So apparently to you, the poster hates all men because all men have either a rapist mentality or liked that scene.

What else were you implying but the above I mentioned?

You're trying to wiggle your way out of what you said but you said it and you implied it heavily. Don't deny it now. If the OP is a feminazi then you're a nazi on your side of the coin.

Same people, opposite sides.

Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

[–] sfmar 8 years ago

The initial posting on this topic discussed the women in the movie and impressions on their characters and behaviors and the results of those behaviors. I saw nothing in that posting that justified the stranger's treatment of either one of them, so posting

Every poster but one in this thread has a rapist mentality. I hope you end up in jail or dead before you get to touch a woman. The world is better without scum like you.

was both judgemental and uncalled for in my opinion, so I replied with

And only one poster in this thread is a judgmental man-hater.

and FYI, a man-hater can be a person of either gender.

You're trying to wiggle your way out of what you said

No, I am not.

but you said it

No, I did not.

and you implied it heavily.

If you believe I implied it, that's your priviledge - but that makes it a statement of your opinion, it does not make it a fact.

[–] Kompressor_Fan 8 years ago

I would just ignore the "agenda crowd" on this page. They are not only idiots, they have utterly no understanding of this story, and the motivations of the characters.

[–] kenny-164 8 years ago

bottle,

While it is of course true what you say about the poster Fast, I think you are being a bit unfair to the OP. I am familiar with feminist complaints about the barn encounter between Callie and the Stranger. But I always thought part of that, the most important part, was that the way the encounter was shown was too ambiguous, specifically that Callie in effect should not have been shown to have enjoyed the sex at all.

I assume you would agree that is what is shown, and I thought that was what the OP was referring to. To be sure he probably should not have been so dismissive whether the pleasure she showed overcame the earlier objections, and I would agree it is too much (MUCH too much, to be clear) to say that this clearly was no a rape.

The main point of the OP stands, though, which is that Callie and Sarah were such polar opposites.

Callie was in part portrayed as part of the overall corruption of the people of Lago. Sarah was with the somewhat exception of Mordecai the only virtuous and moral person in town. (Not to digress I do think Mordecai was generally virtuous, and certainly to the extent there was any question he is shown to redeem himself in helping the Stranger near the end, but the ending also implies he stays in Lago after the ending, while Sarah, quite rightly, leaves.)

While this film is one of my favorites, I would concede it was not particularly subtle how Callie was shown to fit in with the rest of the immoral townspeople. On one hand playing her hand in an unscrupulous manner, but not prevailing and getting no respect from really anyone. Stacey Bridges for one sees right through her, as really does Mort and all the rest.

Sarah on the other hand is respected, but given who is involved is hated for it, at least as shown in the way her relationship with her husband proceeds. Very interesting.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Broformist 8 years ago

a_bottle_of_rum, Thanks for sharing your wisdom. You clearly have higher morals and are more loving and tolerant person than us and I hope you keep inspiring us rapists worldwide.