Director Clint Eastwood draws on his experience to put together a western with winning components: the bad guys are corporate jerks out for a profit at the expense of Mother Nature, the good guys are poor but independent gold miners threatened by the corporation, the hero Preacher (Eastwood) is there to set things right, and he is beyond any of that romance stuff. Preacher's shady past is implied when he first comes into town and keeps his anonymity intact. He is sheltered by an unmarried duo, Hull and Sarah (Michael Moriarty and Carrie Snodgress), and soon pays them back by saving Hull from a few murderous thugs. Caught in the middle of the growing conflict, Preacher rallies the miners into a combative group and then goes on to final showdown in true "high noon" style.