Long viewed as a psychological thriller dressed in boots and a string tie, High Noon also capture Gary Cooper's wide range of emotional reactions to being deserted by his townfolk until he is forced to face the bad guys alone on a dusty street.

While I was watching it on cable today, a couple of things struck me that I'd never seen before — first, how old Cooper looked in the film, he was about 50 during filming and I wonder if the bags under his eyes and his worn features were left that way in order to heighten the sense of weariness his character is living with.

A quick check of some web sites point out that Cooper's acting skills were never highly regarded, that he was considered a handsome stick figure for populist fare.

His performance in High Noon betrays that assessment, however.

While he's going through the machinations of finding people to help him face the four gunmen who aim to kill him, his face is vulnerable, his hands shaky and his movements unstable, as if he can't believe the way the superstructure of his life is crumbling as the townspeople chicken out.

He conveys a real sense of dread that his moral code is forcing him to face the challenge, even though his new bride [Grace Kelly], also deserts him because she is a confirmed pacifist.

But when the time for action comes, Cooper is transformed into a killer with a badge, with most of the previous fear dissolved into the background.

Next time you watch it, enjoy the suspense and the stark black and white cinematography — but watch Cooper's performance for the real insight into how people make hard choices because it's the right thing to do.