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Title: Ignore the purported allegory
Review: I've long heard the claim that this film was intended as an allegory regarding the then ongoing search for communists and "fellow travelers" in the American film industry. Be that as it may, the film stands apart from that context as a simple and powerful story of one man's refusal to ignore his duty despite his fear and the potential consequences. As such, the film's purported message - that a town full of cowards and shirkers represented America at large during the McCarthy years - is left far behind. High Noon remains a great film because it so clearly surpassed the intentions of its creators.
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