Rent McCabe & Mrs. Miller on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Written by: Edmund Naughton (novel "McCabe"), Robert Altman and Brian McKay (screenplay), Robert Towne, Joseph Calvelli
(screenplay, uncredited)
Directed by: Robert Altman
Starring: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois, Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine
Rated: R
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Plot
A gambler and a prostitute become business partners in a remote Old West mining town and their enterprise thrives until a large corporation arrives on the scene.
Verdict
A dismal story in the West featuring sad characters scraping to get by. It's a refreshing offering in the genre that all too often features sharp shooting and sardonic cowboys that can't be stopped. It's the bleakness that makes this so realistic. Instead of shooting his way through the movie, this protagonist hires a lawyer. It ends up being big business versus a couple of locals, but it's a great take on the genre.
Watch It.
Review
A mysterious man rides into a northwest town. Rumors abound. Is McCabe (Warren Beatty) a gunfighter? A politician? Everyone is curious about the newcomer in the small town.
He starts a brothel, and in this subdued town that's an exciting thing. Then Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie) rides in with her own girls. They both are business minded, though she's sharper than he. They join forces with her managing the brothel and McCabe taking over gambling. They're profitable.
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| Warren Beatty plays plays McCabe |
A big mining operation wants to buy McCabe's business. He negotiates hard but instead of getting a higher price, he may end up with a price on his head. The mining company doesn't take well to refusals. Miller educates him on what's likely to happen and where he made mistakes. McCabe thought he was smarter than he was. He didn't know with whom he was messing. Are they still going to negotiate? Due to his hard bargaining, the mining company has skipped buying him out and moved to running him out. They intimidate him but that may be the first step to removing him completely.
This eschews the sharp shooting gunslinger that rides in to save the town. It's simpler and feels more realistic. McCabe sees an opportunity to make a buck in this dirty, dark town. When he faces resistance, he doesn't break out his guns, he sees a lawyer.
There's a lot of depth to this, two imperfect people trying to make it in a tough town. McCabe coasted on intrigue, letting people think he was a famed gun fighter. After he screws up negotiations, he's pushed into a corner. He doesn't care about the town or the business, he just wants to make a dollar. Since he's not a gun fighter, he's got an uphill climb.
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