High Noon (1952)

A hero? Well, it can be defined in many ways, from someone running around in his or her underwear, to the person who makes you smile when you need it most. Recently, AFI continued their "100 years . . ." Series and published 50 All-Time Heroes (in addition to the villains, but they never really counted). Number five on the list is Will Kane, the protagonist from this week's film, High Noon.

This classic black and white western tells the story of our number five hero, and the trials he faces in his home town of Hadleyville. Marshal Kane (Gary Cooper) has just retired for the sake of his new Quaker wife, Amy (Grace Kelly). In agreement of marriage, Kane must give up violence, thus, his job. On the way out of town, Kane learns that his old time rival, Frank Miller (Ian MacDonald), has returned to give revenge for the town that sentenced him, and the Marshal that caught him.

AFI did well to award Will Kane as a hero. One quality of a hero is to have the ability to stand up and take action for your beliefs, especially when no one shares the same view. Will Kane definitely qualifies as a hero, as he is able to stand up to Frank Miller alone. Kane has the determination to save the town, as he has done before, when "no decent woman could walk down the street alone." That determination is what keeps him fighting, mostly when he stops and ponders if he should run away. Another quality Kane has that can define him as a hero is his ability to never run away, as the tagline for this film states. However, this can be debated if it is strength or weakness, for Amy leaves Kane for this same reason. It is in this moment, when Will must decide on the future of his town, or the future of his marriage, when his true hero emerges. Heroes must sometimes "give up the thing we want the most" in order to save innocent lives, as said by May Parker in Spider-Man. In-fact, many modern day heroes show similar qualities to this "old school" hero. Spider-Man, as stated above, gives up his most inner desires in order to save the city from destruction. Even heroes from children stories such as Hershel in "Hershel and the Hannukkah Goblins" (Corny idea, but a wonderful story) share similar ideals with Kane, as Hershel refuses to leave when he is left alone to defeat all 8 Hanukkah Goblins (One for each night).

The only other hero in the film worth mentioning is not a hero at all, but a heroine (no, not the drug). When Will gets injured, and it seems like he will loose the fight, Amy runs to the rescue to save him. The real reason she is a heroine, is because she sacrifices her belief to save her true love. Remember: Amy is a Quaker, and as such she must not participate in any violence at all. Seeing as both the hero and heroine of the film appear when there is danger, it could be assumed that heroes appear when they are needed. With the ever reliant Marshal Kane on the job, no additional heroes were ever needed. When Kane was in need of help, the heroine rises to the job to save him. This proves that there is a hero in all of us, lying dormant until it is lured out by the intrusion of danger into the safety of others.