Review of McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) by Jeremy S — 31 Aug 2007

I've seen and loved a lot of westerns in the last few years, but nothing that has challenged me quite like McCabe. First impression was that I was a little disappointed, and more specifically, had difficulty reconciling the Altman style with the western aesthetic.

But like the absolute best movies to be found and particularly the best Altman films, McCabe is a bit of a time-bomb. I love it much more today than yesterday (when I saw it) and I expect that after I see it again (inevitable), the 4-star rating will grow to 4 1/2 or 5.

That's just the way a movie like this works on me. Nevertheless, first impression was that this was as cold and sad and empty as a movie can be; the shoot-out on the bridge and particularly the last 15 minutes were chilling.