High Noon The Movie Essay

“Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone- Suzy Kassem” is a phrase that was often posted in my classrooms when I was in grade schools. Usually the teacher’s explanation involved telling the class to stand up for people getting bullied or to not cheat on an assignment even if everyone else is cheating. In the movie High Noon, the Marshall, Will Kane, is faced with the reality that he may have to stand alone to protect a town against a killer, Frank Miller, and the killer’s gang.

Giving some context to Kane’s predicament, Kane had put Frank Miller in jail, but the lawmakers up North had set him free. Frank Miller is coming back for vengeance and even though Kane was newlywed that day and is technically no longer Marshall,

Helen Ramirez tells her that if she does not know why Kane is staying, then it cannot be explained to her. What Ms. Ramirez could not explain to Amy is Kane’s sense of duty and his understanding that standing alone to make a difference is still the right thing to do, even if he is alone. Although, since he was alone, he had a poor chance at making a difference and a high chance of being murdered. His chances for making a difference would have increased, had other members of the community been willing to contribute to this battle. This is a major issue with standing alone: the odds can be against you. In a pivotal moment in the movie, we see Kane debating whether he should actually leave the town. When you are standing alone, you may reassess your priorities. Issues that seemed black and white, like “you should fight against killers,” become clouded with doubt due to no one else thinking it is actually an issue. Kane decides to proceed in fighting miller, realizing it will most likely lead to his death. However, Kane comes out victorious, after taking down Miller and his gang. At the end of the movie, rather frustratingly, the townspeople all appear once Frank and his gang are killed. This irritating feature of the movie speaks to society wanting to reap the benefits of people who are willing to forerunners of social justice, but they themselves do not want to get their hands dirty and invest in social justice