McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
This is a western that doesn’t feel like a western and Altman did call his film an anti-western. This makes it somewhat of a challenge for me as a big western fan, but I do like exploring the fringes and alternatives of the genre. The basic is pretty familiar, with a successful business owner getting into a conflict with scrupulous people who want’s his property for their own business plans, and doesn’t take no for an answer. Everything else feels very different. First and foremost, it is very - for lack of a better term - 70s. It reminded me of Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon with the wardrobes and cozy candle-light settings. The frequent use of Leonard Cohen songs also gives the whole thing a very different vibe than regular westerns. I liked the snowy setting, Julie Christie as the intelligent brothel manager and the finale was impressive. But it was also a bit too weird for my taste.
Rating: 3