{"id":7881,"date":"2009-07-03T15:15:22","date_gmt":"2009-07-03T22:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=7881"},"modified":"2023-09-25T13:42:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T20:42:10","slug":"mccabe-and-mrs-miller-1971","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=7881","title":{"rendered":"McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;That man never killed anyone in his life.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Poster-236x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"236\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-66609\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Poster-236x300.jpg 236w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Poster-101x128.jpg 101w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Poster-213x270.jpg 213w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Poster.jpg 420w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA cocky businessman (Warren Beatty) and an opium-addicted madam (Julie Christie) open a whorehouse in a northwestern mining town, but find their lives at stake when local mobsters try to force them to sell their holdings.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Corruption<\/li>\n<li>Julie Christie Films<\/li>\n<li>Keith Carradine Films<\/li>\n<li>Michael Murphy Films<\/li>\n<li>Prostitutes and Gigolos<\/li>\n<li>Robert Altman Films<\/li>\n<li>Shelley Duvall Films<\/li>\n<li>Warren Beatty Films<\/li>\n<li>Westerns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary refers to this &#8220;revisionist western&#8221; by Robert Altman as &#8220;one of the best films of the early seventies&#8221;, citing its &#8220;great visual beauty&#8221; and &#8220;uniquely romantic feel &#8212; until the bad guys intrude&#8221;. In his <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/AlternateOscars.html\"><em>Alternate Oscars<\/em><\/a> book (where he votes it Best Film of the Year), he calls it &#8220;a bawdy bad joke about &#8216;free&#8217; enterprise, big business, and the growth of America&#8221;, noting that while it has a &#8220;humorous tone&#8221;, it&#8217;s &#8220;full of casual violence that is extremely brutal&#8221; and possesses an ending that is bitterly &#8220;ironic&#8221; (indeed, it&#8217;s a real downer). He points out that the story (based on Edward Naughton&#8217;s novel <em>McCabe<\/em>) &#8220;throws viewers completely off balance&#8221;, given that &#8220;nothing is what it seems, nobody is who you think he is, [and] everything that happens is unexpected&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>Indeed, <em>McCabe<\/em> is often cited as the ultimate &#8220;anti-western&#8221;, as it foils the norms of this venerable cinematic genre in every way possible: McCabe is a foolish <em>anti<\/em>-hero; the town&#8217;s buildings (painstakingly hand-constructed in British Columbia by production designer Leon Ericksen and his crew) appear realistic rather than set-like; dirt and grime cover every possible surface; the three prostitutes McCabe &#8220;purchases&#8221; near the beginning of the film are, to put it mildly, decidedly uncomely; Chinese workers co-exist in a ghetto (and their vile exploitation as &#8220;cheap&#8221;, &#8220;renewable&#8221; manpower is duly noted); Mrs. Miller is a drug addict; and while McCabe and Mrs. Miller do become lovers (as expected), their relationship remains mercenary rather than romantic. It&#8217;s not until the film&#8217;s shoot-out ending that some of the genre&#8217;s conventions finally come into play. <\/p>\n<p>In addition to its stunning appearance (both Ericksen&#8217;s sets and Vilmos Zsigmond&#8217;s luminous cinematography are justifiably lauded), <em>McCabe and Mrs. Miller<\/em> features, as usual in Altman&#8217;s films, a host of fine lead and supporting actors. Christie &#8212; boasting a broad Cockney accent and frizzy hair &#8212; &#8220;has never been lovelier&#8221; (she deserved her Oscar nomination), and Beatty is convincing as her shaggy-haired partner, who gets by on a combination of gumption and pure dumb luck (it&#8217;s Miller who notably possesses the brains of the enterprise). Keith Carradine gives one of his best non-leading performances as a luckless young visitor traveling through town, while William Devane as a lawyer and newcomer Hugh Millais as a heavy rise to the top as well in each of their tiny but memorable roles. Peary reviles Leonard Cohen&#8217;s score (he notes that Cohen&#8217;s singing &#8220;will get on your nerves&#8221;), but I think its folksy quality works; and as Peary writes, &#8220;at least Altman was trying to be different by using his songs&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>P.S.<\/strong> <em>McCabe and Mrs. Miller<\/em> is a film which sits even better after you&#8217;ve had some time to absorb it, and read a few critiques (see below for a handful of links, each of which reveals new and provocative insights) &#8212; but keep in mind that nearly every review gives away major spoilers. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Julie Christie as Mrs. Miller (Peary &#8212; like the Academy itself &#8212; nominates her as Best Actress of the Year)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"846\" height=\"365\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2.png 846w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Christie2-604x261.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Warren Beatty as McCabe<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"367\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty.png 845w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Beatty-604x262.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine supporting performances<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"838\" height=\"366\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66616\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais.png 838w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais-768x335.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Millais-604x264.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"370\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine.png 848w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine-768x335.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Carradine-604x264.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"368\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66613\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane.png 845w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane-768x334.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Devane-604x263.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 845px) 100vw, 845px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Vilmos Zsigmond\u2019s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"843\" height=\"363\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography.png 843w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography-604x260.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 843px) 100vw, 843px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"838\" height=\"363\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66611\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2.png 838w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2-768x333.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Cinematography2-604x262.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many memorable &#8220;throwaway&#8221; moments &#8212; i.e., a drunk villager attempting to dance on ice<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"848\" height=\"365\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice.png 848w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice-768x331.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Ice-604x260.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Ilse Richter&#8217;s authentic costume designs<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"846\" height=\"371\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66612\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes.png 846w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes-768x337.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Costumes-604x265.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 846px) 100vw, 846px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent period sets (watch the short 10-minute &#8220;making of&#8221; documentary on the DVD to see some fascinating footage of the town being built from scratch)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"849\" height=\"365\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66617\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets.png 849w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets-768x330.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/07\/McCabe-Miller-Sets-604x260.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a (now) undisputed modern classic by a famed director (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-mccabe-and-mrs-miller-1971\">Roger Ebert<\/a> calls it Altman&#8217;s one &#8220;perfect&#8221; film among a lifetime of masterpieces). <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0067411\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1971\/07\/25\/archives\/mccabe-mrs-miller-a-sneakygreat-movie-mccabe-is-sneakygreat.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s516mccabe.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-mccabe-and-mrs-miller-1971\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s &#8220;Great Movies&#8221; Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jigsawlounge.co.uk\/film\/mccabe2.html\">Jigsaw Lounge Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/mccabe-mrs-miller\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;That man never killed anyone in his life.&#8221; Synopsis: A cocky businessman (Warren Beatty) and an opium-addicted madam (Julie Christie) open a whorehouse in a northwestern mining town, but find their lives at stake when local mobsters try to force them to sell their holdings. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Corruption Julie Christie Films Keith Carradine Films Michael Murphy Films Prostitutes and Gigolos Robert Altman Films Shelley Duvall Films Warren Beatty Films Westerns Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: Peary refers to&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=7881\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7881"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92084,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7881\/revisions\/92084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}