I love,love,love this movie, and I'm not a huge pre-Eastwood western fan. However, the clever use of clocks and real time, the utter cowardice of the town, the gripping sense of suspense (Eastwood's High Plains Drifter copped a lot of this), and Cooper's fantastic performance all make this a classic. The ending, when he throws down the badge in disgust, had me cheering. I hated that town after all he went through for them, including his wife and ex-girlfriend. You see things like that so much in the world - High Noon really hit home for me. It left you questioning if the world is really worth saving - not the normal ending for a 50s flick!