Pale Rider Hero

American Film Hero in The Pale Rider

The film is one of the major channels for communication social issues and matters regarding numerous aspects of living. Subjectively, directors pick up pertinent matters such as spirituality, war, relationship and others, create scripts and transform them into motion pictures, which the audience can watch and learn about the issues in an entertaining way. Clint Eastwood is one of the well know directors in Hollywood, whose films have turned to be classical productions that reflect different aspects of humanity and life. In his classic film “The Pale Rider,” Eastwood picked a biblical story about an equestrian, which is told in the books of Revelations. Using the protagonist, Eastwood fused the story into

This is the kind of life that an uprightly religious and divine man would lead, were it not for the circumstances that he faced. However, unlike other American productions, the Pale Rider presents a complex and nuanced relationship between the men of God and God himself. The main element of this complexity is the presence and use of violence to protect the innocent. The redemptive violence in the film shows that indeed the American outlaw prophet may be a man of God sent to rescue the people, albeit using unorthodox means. Moreover, The Preacher, despite his seemingly unavoidable stance on evil, does defend the actions of people while protecting their property and themselves. Inspired by his divine principles, he tells the people “A man alone is easy prey, but by uniting you will defeat LaHoods of the world” (Eastwood 1985). This is what inspires love from the villagers, including from Megan, who declares her love for The Preacher when he leaves the town. This, therefore, shows that The Preacher is a perfect example of the American outlaw prophet, who despite having a strong religious background, does not represent what believers expect of a man of

However, what is not clear is his stance on sin and holiness. While he strongly bases his thinking and actions on the teaching of Christianity, some of his actions warrant the questioning of his divinity. Despite being an answered prayer, he commits adultery and kills. However, he manages to inspire hope by saving the people from their oppressors and making their lives better. This is an excellent characterization of the American outlaw prophet, who comes in with faith and leaves everything much better, despite the questioning of his