McCabe And Mrs Miller
1971
A haunting, poetic anti-Western based on the 1959 novel by Edmund Naughton, Robert Altman's MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER is a deeply moving motion picture concerning love and the pursuit of wealth in early America. John McCabe (Warren Beatty), a determined businessman with a mysterious past, settles in Presbyterian Church, a small .. Read more
| Starring | Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois, Keith Carradine |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Altman |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
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McCabe And Mrs Miller
A haunting, poetic anti-Western based on the 1959 novel by Edmund Naughton, Robert Altman's MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER is a deeply moving motion picture concerning love and the pursuit of wealth in early America. John McCabe (Warren Beatty), a determined businessman with a mysterious past, settles in Presbyterian Church, a small Northwestern town, and opens up a saloon and a brothel. Soon after, the English head madame, Constance Miller (Julie Christie) arrives and forms a partnership with McCabe in order to manage the brothel's business affairs. McCabe soon has trouble expressing his true feelings to Mrs. Miller, with whom he has fallen in love; she, in turn, relies on opium to distract her from her own personal sorrows. After a powerful company arrives and offers to buy out McCabe's property, his stubborn refusal ends up jeopardising his life, resulting in a showdown with three hired killers in the middle of a freak blizzard. Vilmos Zsigmond's faded imagery--purposely manipulated by "flashing" the film stock before shooting--along with production designer Leon Ericksen's authentic town, brings to life a past world that is tainted with an underlying sadness. Beatty, as the lovesick McCabe, and Christie, who was nominated for an Oscar as the hard-nosed Mrs. Miller, deliver earnest performances that add an even greater despondency to the story, which is heightened by Leonard Cohen's melancholy soundtrack.
| Starring | Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois, Keith Carradine, William Devane, Bert Remsen, John Schuck, Corey Fischer |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Altman |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 56 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Wild Westerns |
| Genres | Action/Adventure |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Aug 2003 Production year: 1971 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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Before he fell from favour after making movies such as Popeye and Beyond Therapy, Robert Altman won critical acclaim for Nashville, MASH and this other early effort. Warren Beatty stars as McCabe, a gambler who sets up his girlfriend (Julie Christie) as a whorehouse madam, in a bleak western set against the backdrop of a developing town in the American North West. It's an interesting tale with all the classic elements of the genre, and the affair is given added weight by the solid performances of Beatty and Christie. When you see this, you'll be reminded just how good the Short Cuts director can be when he's on form.
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Obscurely scripted, muddy-coloured and harshly recorded Western melodrama whose squalid 'realism' comes as close to fantasy as does The Wizard of Oz.
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Most helpful member's review
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9 out of 16 people found this review helpful
Wooden - lots of it!
I was expecting big things from this film but have to say it was very disappointing.
There were a few basic filmmaking flaws from the off, disregarding the story line or acting.
The sound is awful – muffled dialogue throughout, and the lighting wasn’t up to scratch either. All very well creating a gloomy atmosphere but this didn’t even do that – it was just terrible quality.
Not sure what went wrong, but to get these basics wrong is unacceptable.
As for the film, the first hour is boring – there is no storyline and the characters do not take you anywhere and the general feeling is – lots of wood panelling inside murky rooms where you can’t hear anyone talk.
When the film takes you outside of the wood panelling, the film improves and did grip me a litlle towards the end, but it's far too little too late.
All in all, a poor film. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
An interesting spin on the western genre.
Robert altman's engaging drama sees John McCabe (Warren Beatty) and Constance Miller (Julie Christie) set up a brothel in the late 1800's. It's a never less than engaging story with fine performances from the two leads. This clever and often amusing look at a developing frontier town benefits from Altman's subtle direction, make this one of the director's most satisfying films.
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News and features
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Away From Her
- 08 Feb 2008
After 40 years of marriage, Fiona (Julie Christie) decides it is time to move on. This is no reflection on her husband, Grant (Gordon Pinsent), but an acknowledgment that her mind is already drifting out the door. As the Alzheimer's worsens she will require round-the-clock attention. Grant agrees in principle, but he's distraught when the nursing home bars him for the first 30 days, and then bereft to find that his wife has transferred her affections to another patient, Aubrey (Michael Murphy). Read more
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A haunting, poetic anti-Western based on the 1959 novel by Edmund Naughton, Robert Altman's MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER is a deeply moving motion picture concerning love and the pursuit of wealth in early ... -