Instant Favorite.

Crappy film

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

It takes an acquired taste to appreciate this film. The novelty of a western taking place in the northwest during an oncoming blizzard was a welcome sight, compared to the usual 'out west' westerns. Among my beefs was the dialogue 'chewed' up by Beatty, with the usual cigareen. or whatever you called it, in his mouth. I barely could make out what he was saying. As for the so called romance between him and Christie, had about as much depth to it as him gulping down his 'egg nog' drinks, and for the little time she had on the screen compared to the town, she was nominated for an academy award?The scene with the oversexed cowboy and the wannabee gunslinger was too predictable. Now, if that cowboy had beat the guy to the draw, that would have liven the movie for me..but no, we had to show compassion to the innocent young man, that meant no harm. As for the fire in the church...did anyone ever go into it? Yet, that scene was made bigger than it deserved. It look like it was completely deserted with a lot of rubbish.

Right from the first shot of 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller', Robert Altman leaves no stone unturned to subvert, toy with and deconstruct every trope of the conventional Western. Warren Beatty's Mccabe turns up in a town as the mysterious stranger. He has the reputation of being a gunslinger. But unlike, the badass characters of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood of past Westerns, Mccabe is revealed to the viewer to be a bit of an insecure schmuck. Altman shakes up the gender politics by making Julie Christie's character of Mrs. Miller(Constance) a strong, independent woman who is clearly intellectually superior to Mccabe. She is the main reason why Mccabe achieved success as a businessman in the town of Presbyterian Church. The relationship between Mccabe and Constance throughout the film remains professional. Even though there are moments where the viewer can sense a bit of affection simmering beneath the surface in the way they behave with each other and talk to each other, but they never allow the professional wall standing between them to get breached(especially Constance) which mirrors the cutthroat nature of the surroundings and time. The film is also a commentary on capitalism and a deconstruction of the individualism which is exhibited by the lead characters of the classic Western. It offers a fatalistic attitude on the inevitable future that awaits anyone who refuses to sell out or assert his/her independence in a cutthroat economy. However the ending also offers a socialist and hopeful attitude to the strength and power of a community when everyone collectively put their forces together to achieve something. The entire ending can again be seen as a subversion of the ending to 'High Noon'.What enriches the film is the way Altman and his cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond capture the Pacific Northwest and simulate the feel, the visual essence and atmosphere of the Old West. The flashing technique used on the print gives the visuals a very hazy, murky look which is so perfect to underline the gritty, dirty nature of the surroundings. This is a town where civilisation in its conventional form is still nothing but a distant echo. The dynamics between the church, the small time capitalists, the general public and the oncoming industrial progress(the steam engine is used as an overt symbol of progress) is really fascinating. Altman uses his characteristic technique of overlapping dialogue to create the Renoir-esque inclusive style to simulate and properly conjure up the feel of a community. All the supporting characters of the town look, sound and feel authentic. The interior scenes of the renovated brothel stand out from the rest of the film due to the beautiful reddish hue/glow that can be found ornamenting the scenes. Leonard Cohen's beautiful songs lend an air of appropriate melancholy to the Altman's atmosphere.Warren Beatty is brilliant. He is not playing the quintessential hard man in a Western. He beautifully sells the insecurity, the vulnerability and tentativeness of Mccabe. On the other hand, Julie Christie plays the character of Constance Miller with a sense of gravitas and steely conviction. The dynamics between these two characters plays out brilliantly.Highly Recommended.

Don't expect a typical western in McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Shootings are limited, no unprotected town needs to be liberated from their villains. Welcome to the real Wild West.The film makes a lot of efforts to make the background to the story as credible as possible. The firetruck is impressive, bars are real, tents are as you expect them, and we haven't talked yet about the costumes.The setting is even more impressive as one can see the town expanding. The different seasons portrayed suggests it has been a tremendous effort to make it as realistic as possible.The story in itself is multi-layered. Not everything is revealed, which increases the interest in the characters. Many scenes are suggestive, leaving room for interpretation. There are not so many twists in the story, but those that are present will keep you watching.The camera work, with many close-ups, fits the story and almost forgets the excellent background. Leonard Cohen's music adds to the drama.Some scenes may have inspired 'Once Upon a Time in America' from Scorcese, and for those who loved the movie I'd highly recommend the series 'Deadwood', which has the same sense of real as this movie.A very good movie. Especially for history-lovers and those who enjoy non-Hollywood drama.

Let me start out by saying that I am a fan of director Robert Altmam and have enjoyed many of his films. "MASH," "Nashville," and "The Player" are absolutely brilliant pictures and there is much to enjoy in many of his other films, including "The Prairie Home Companion," "The Company" and "Cookie's Fortune." However, he has also made his share of turkeys. Among these I would include "Short Cuts," "Popeye" and "Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." His two worst efforts, however, are probably his two Western films, "Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson" (quite possibly the worst Western ever made) and this incredibly overrated film."McCabe" does have some good points, which include terrific attention to detail in art direction-set decoration and Julie Christie's excellent performance, but these are not enough to overcome poorly lit photography, the annoyingly unclear overlapped dialogue, Beatty's poor acting and Leonard Cohen's insipid musical score. The downbeat story, depressing mood and the slow pace of the film really made it a chore for me to sit through as well.It's mind-boggling how anyone could place this on their list of favorite Westerns (unless you really don't like them to begin with), let alone place it on their list of favorite films, period ("Citizen Kane" or "Casablanca" or "Lawrence of Arabia" anyone!).