#827: ALTMAN, Robert: McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

ALTMAN, Robert (United States)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller [1971]
Spine #827
Blu-ray

This unorthodox dream western by Robert Altman may be the most radically beautiful film to come out of the New American Cinema. It stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie as two newcomers to the raw Pacific Northwest mining town of Presbyterian Church, who join forces to provide the miners with a superior kind of whorehouse experience. The appearance of representatives of a powerful mining company with interests of its own, however, threatens to be the undoing of their plans. With its fascinating flawed characters, evocative cinematography by the great Vilmos Zsigmond, innovative overlapping dialogue, and haunting use of Leonard Cohen songs, McCabe & Mrs. Miller brilliantly deglamorized and revitalized the most American of genres.

121 minutes

Color
Monaural
2:40:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2016

Director/Writer

Based on the novel McCabe by Edmund Laughton.

Screenplay by Brian McKay and Robert Altman.

Altman was 46 when he directed McCabe & Mrs. Miller. 

Altman had a long and storied career. After scoring big with MASH (1970), this film, and of course Nashville (1975), he got himself into the kind of trouble which seems unique to Hollywood filmmaking — he directed a flop: Popeye (1980), Robin Williams’s first film.

Late successes included The Player (1992) and Gosford Park (2001).

Other Altman films in the Collection:

#683: Nashville (1975)

#230: 3 Women (1977)

#257: Secret Honor (1984)

#258: Tanner ‘88 (1988)

#812: The Player (1992)

#265: Short Cuts (1993)

The Film

Altman used Laughton’s novel as a basic blueprint for a story about life in a brand new town in the American Northwest circa 1902.

It is decidedly not a Western; nor is it an anti-Western, or a revisionist Western (Criterion calls it a “dream Western”). It is a unique slice-of-life cinematic snapshot of the time and probably could not have been made by any other filmmaker. Altman had a vision, and he plowed through all problems and roadblocks to make a wonderful film.

Warren Beatty (John McCabe) and Julie Christie (Constance Miller) are the stars, but Altman still manages to make the whole thing an ensemble drama. The amazing set (built up during the film, with the crew in period clothing) and the weather make significant contributions, as do the fantastic character actors (René Auberjonois, William Devane, John Schuck, Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall and Michael Murphy).

Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, who was ineligible for an Academy Award because he hadn’t yet joined the union, works with Altman to make gorgeous compositions — like the zooms (which Zsigmond was unsure of), often accompanied by a dolly, softening the impact of the effect.

McCabe is brilliantly portrayed by Beatty, as is Miller by Christie. Apparently, Beatty didn’t like the finished film because of Altman’s use of overlapping dialogue.

The film had very little music until — after it wrapped — Altman heard a Leonard Cohen record. He knew then he had found his soundtrack. The film was then edited to properly fit the Cohen songs into the mix.

Film Rating (0-60):

55

The Extras

This release is packed with excellent extras ...

The Booklet

Twelve-page wraparound featuring an essay by novelist and critic Nathaniel Rich.

Commentary

from 2002 featuring director Altman and producer David Foster

Foster makes his contributions, but this is a wonderful Altman commentary. For example, he and Zsigmond flashed the negative to achieve the gauzy, soft-focus that makes this film so beautiful. Altman was afraid that if he tried to do it in postproduction, the studio would have interfered (make it sharper!) ...

In fact, the startling, snow-covered ending is filmed without any flashing, and looks very sharp. Without the contrast, it could have been very blah.

Documentary

Making-of documentary, featuring members of the cast and crew.

Great interviews, especially Auberjonois.

Conversation

about the film and Altman's career between film historians Cari Beauchamp and Rick Jewell. 

Featurette

from the film's 1970 production.

Q&A

Art Directors Guild Film Society Q&A from 1999 with production designer Leon Ericksen.

Ericksen’s a character. His work here was crucial to the film’s look.

Archival interviews

Excerpts with cinematographer Zsigmond.

Stills gallery

from the set by photographer Steve Schapiro.

The Dick Cavett Show

Excerpts from two 1971 episodes featuring Altman and film critic Pauline Kael.

Any Cavett is great Cavett. Kael is brilliant.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

36

55 + 36 =

91

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