Eastwood’s first return to the Western which made him, is a classic. It is well made, has an enjoyable story, and a good cast, and makes for a great western, and then there are the possible subtexts. In this film Eastwood is a preacher, who appears just as a little girl asks God for help. And we see he has been shot many times, and takes down his enemy with very similar shots, some have said this could mean he is supernatural, but I never thought so. I saw him as a man who had been bad, who had come to become a preacher, but still had his old skills and was willing to use to them when necessary to protect good people. A very enjoyable film, and it has never looked better than it does on Blu-ray. Eastwood is a such a good director, and he does not disappoint here one bit.

A small village of panning miners lives out in the wilderness, but they are being bullied by the strong men of Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart) who runs a hydraulic mining outfit with his son Josh (Christopher Penn). We partially follow one family, or almost family, which is led by Hull Barret (Michael Moriarty) who is in love with and has taken in Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgress) and her super cute daughter Megan (Sydney Penny) after the father died. The men come and try and wreck the village and drive the miners off, killing livestock, and even Megan’s little dog. Megan buries the dog in the woods, and prays to god for help to come, and just then we see the Preacher (Clint Eastwood). When Hull goes to town to get supplies, even though he has been warned not to, he is beaten up, but saved by the Preacher who just happens into town, and goes back to the camp with Hul. Sarah doesn’t want him there, but when she finds that he is a preacher, she changes her tune. And many of the miners who were going to leave, decide to stick it out for a bit, since they know the Preacher is there.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

When LaHood hears of it, he sends his son and Club (Richard Kiel who played JAWS in the Bond films) to drive the preacher out, but instead it helps the miners find gold, and the Preacher honorable sends the wounded Club packing.

Both Megan and Sarah fall for the preacher, and both want him.

When the town decides to fight, the Preacher takes off, much to the town’s dismay, and Megan goes looking for him, and ends up running into Josh at the hydraulic mining camp, who wants her.

Luckily the preacher was just going to get his guns, and he comes back and saves the girl, and brings her back to the camp.

LaHood brings in some hired guns to take out the Preacher, bringing in Marshall Stockburn (John Russell) and his 5 deputies.

Hull wants to go with the Preacher, but the Preacher takes his horse, and heads into town. He takes on the deputies and wins, and finally takes out Stockburn, who he knew, and who probably gave him all of his bullet wounds.

LaHood is going to take out the preacher, but Hull has walked to town and kills him.

The Preacher rides off as Megan runs into town trying to catch him and tell him how much she loves him.

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A classic western, and it has never looked better.