Here's how I know I'm getting older: I'm starting to love these formulaic westerns.
By the '80s, Pale Rider wouldn't have been anything new. It's basically just Clint Eastwood's take on Shane, with some spaghetti style and grounded realism sprinkled in. And yet, because the movie's about a quiet and mysterious (and possibly supernatural?) outsider who comes to town to save some poor villagers and take on a handful of evil capitalists, I was naturally riveted. Even with the slow burn storytelling and lack of action, the compelling drama and foreboding atmosphere was enough to keep me invested.
It also helps that Eastwood's direction is as rock-solid as it is. The storytelling is extremely fluid (to the point where even the cornier subplots work for me), the many landscape shots are breathtaking, and the score is so tense that it sounds like something out of a horror movie. Plus, the climax is absolutely worth the wait, with its wonderful suspense, brilliant use of blocking and staging, and well-earned action.
I feel like this one's long been overshadowed by Unforgiven, but it really wouldn't surprise me if, a few years and a handful of rewatches down the line, I consider them to be equals - or perhaps even give it the edge.
Grade: A