Pale Rider (1985)

The critic praises the film as a classical take on the familiar western tale of an enigmatic stranger aiding poor townsfolk against corrupt forces before riding away. Eastwood's restrained style, ghostly preacher character, and attention to landscape are singled out positively.

The film lifts outlines from Shane and specifics from Leone but feels like an overly self-conscious art Western with a spectral hero. The critic finds the attempt at folkloric hero lacking in the usual Eastwood tension and calls the climactic gunfight a bust.

Eastwood's direction and screen presence make Pale Rider a classic Western of style and excitement, with a mysterious, resonant performance that dominates the film. The critic praises the visual approach and mythic elements while noting some self-conscious mythmaking.

Pale Rider is an entertaining, mystical new Western that plays straight but with dry sophistication and wit. Canby praises Eastwood's minimalism as director and actor, the supporting cast, and photography that evokes a fabled time and place.

Eastwood serves up a familiar story with authority, fine craftsmanship and a sense of fun, graced by excellent visuals, confident storytelling and strong performances led by his own. It borrows from Shane but updates the conflict with ecological themes.

The critic sees Pale Rider as Eastwood returning to mythic Western archetypes with overt Christian symbolism to examine justified violence that leaves the hero isolated. It singles out the film's nuanced evolution of Eastwood's view of violence compared to The Outlaw Josey Wales.

The critic finds Pale Rider to be one of Eastwood's weaker Westerns, lacking a cohesive center and subtlety in its religious themes, with jarring slapstick elements. However, it is enjoyable overall, with strong acting performances, particularly from Sydney Penny, and striking cinematography in the final shootout.