The Rambam Mesivta Classic Film Club screened the 1952 classic, High Noon, starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly the other night. After feasting on Carlos and Gabby’s, the club watched the film that is famous for taking place mostly in real time. High Noon is ranked number 27 on the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Top 100 Films of All-Time List and was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture.
Following the film, Associate Principal Mr. Hillel Goldman led the filmgoers in a discussion about High Noon’s history and impact. He noted that the film, while standing on its own merits as a classic Western about one man’s courage to stand up for greater good, is also an allegory for McCarthyism and the Red Scare. He played a video, “Judgment Day Is Coming: Where Have All the Men Gone?” that explored the significance of honor as it relates to the film.
The students greatly enjoyed the film and the talk. They concluded the evening by checking off High Noon on their AFI Top 100 Films of All-Time List that they were given at the start of the night.
For the seniors, this was their last Classic Film Club event. Over the last four years, they were introduced to such classics as Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Truman Show, Rear Window, Rope, The Sixth Sense, and more. The Classic Film Club strives to view films both as products of their time and as products that have withstood the test of time. The notion of “Classic” is something the members of the club explore, debate, and seek to define as they watch the films that remain with you long after the final credits scroll down.