Why it should happen... Although readily available on DVD and Blu-Ray already, High Noon, one of the most imitated westerns of all time, has never gotten a home release befitting the movie's legendary status. It gave Gary Cooper arguably his most iconic role and the Western genre its most famous image. If you've ever watched a scene in which a lone gunslinger marches down an empty street to confront criminals under the midday sun, congratulations: you've witnessed High Noon's influence. The classic western themes of one good man standing up against evil would eventually come to be regarded as quaint and out of touch with the reality of the true west. However, they were actually just reaching maturation artistically in 1952, and High Noon was at the fore. ...but will it? High Noon was surpassed in the western genre by movies that took inspiration from it. Films like The Searchers (1954) and 3:10 to Yuma (1957) were inspired by the visuals and storytelling of High Noon, but added a level of character that evolved the genre further. The antiquated heroic perfection of Cooper's sheriff is p the reason the film doesn't click with modern audiences. These days, viewers prefer a more nuanced take on the genre, and High Noon doesn't seem the watershed film now that it did in '52. It is more valuable for historical significance than storytelling quality. Whether it could get an actual Criterion release can't really be predicted, as Criterion's western selections don't appear to follow any particular patterns. However, Stagecoach (1939), John Ford's epic western, and 3:10 to Yuma both have Criterion editions, which means it isn't out of the question.
