Greatest movie of all time? - McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) Discussion

[–] cengelm 19 years ago

The weakness of this film is the constant downbeat mood. Noone seems to be ever happy and that's not exactly the way the west was won.

I like the film and have the DVD but it's imho not the best.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] cengelm 19 years ago

It's shot in B.C. near Vancouver and most of the rain was artificial. The snow was real, naturally. MCC & MM should be part of a Top 20 Western Collection, particularily if you want a *spectrum* of Westerns.

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[–] UnholyBlackMetal 19 years ago

Downbeat does not a bad movie make.

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[–] satiricarl 18 years ago

"Noone seems to be ever happy and that's not exactly the way the west was won." -cengelm

how the west was won?????? What are you like the lamest Ebert clone on earth, looking for a slick line to diss the movie???? So tell us, HOW WAS THE WEST WON??? THROUGH POSSITIVE THINKING AND HAPPINESS?????????

Jackass....

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[–] cengelm 18 years ago

THROUGH POSITIVE THINKING AND HAPPINESS?

More likely.

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[–] satiricarl 18 years ago

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THROUGH POSITIVE THINKING AND HAPPINESS?
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More likely.
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you. are. such. an. idiot.

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[–] rdoyle29 16 years ago

Now now children ... Daddy thinks you're both idiots.

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[–] cengelm 16 years ago

Fortunately there are people like you

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[–] franzkabuki 16 years ago

The main attributes of conquering west were deceit and murder. Not much joy in that. Just come to terms with it.

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[–] FranklinsTower 18 years ago

I think there were several happy people:
- the excitement at the first poker game
- the women bathing after their trip from Seattle
- the cowboy who purchased time with every "madam"
- the couples dancing to the accordion(?) roll
- the "peeping toms"

It's just that "reality" kept coming back to wake people up.
McCabe is a portrait of an individual who is unwilling to come to terms
with his own limitations. Rather than seek help, he tries to bluff his
way through challenges. Often times, he gets lucky. When his luck runs
out, reality is there to collect.

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[–] Stacy451 19 years ago

It's my personal favorite, and has been ever since the second time I watched it(a couple of years ago). Not so much that I think it's the best when I try to consider it objectively, but it skillfully incorporates a great many things that I personally find appealing.

More than anything else I identify with the main character and his struggle for personal freedom(in more ways than one) in spite of the threats to that freedom. Constance Miller is somewhat symmetrical in that respect, and so adds a lot to the film. The cinematography creates a mood that assists very well in telling this kind of story. I don't know if it's the best film ever made, but I like it better than any other.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Rushmore_Elite 18 years ago

It's certainly up there in my top ten.

And I don't even like films from the ol' wild west! Maybe I like it because it's neither wild nor west?

Warren Beatty, man, he's a good actor!

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[–] UltraRandom 18 years ago

I'm stacy451 above(I forgot my password & email).

That's an interesting notion mm326. I've always though Mccabe and Mrs. Miller was seriously underated as well. I haven't seen Nashville yet, and I'll put that on my list. Anyone have other recommendations for what would be good to watch if you really liked McCabe?

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[–] dep1353 18 years ago

......Jacques Tourneur's "Canyon Passage" with Dana Andrews & Susan Hayward
is worth checking out. The source novelist also wrote "Stagecoach" ("Stage to Lordsburg")
____________________________________________________________________

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] cengelm 18 years ago

Anyone have other recommendations for what would be good to watch if you really liked McCabe?

DEADWOOD(TV)?

You can compare Al Swearengen with John McCabe

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[–] jpichiban 18 years ago

You can, but Swearengen is calculating, smart, and tough. McCabe is stupid, cowardly, and bumbling.

That said, this and Deadwood are probably much closer to how life actually was in the West.

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[–] cengelm 18 years ago

That's what I guess, too. Al Swearengen is a real life person, John McCabe not. McCabe could have existed with a different Mrs. Miller. Mrs. Miller should have been a strong and decided women and taking over McCabe, naturally marrying him. In Altman's film she is a drug addict, almost weaker than McCabe.

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[–] satiricarl 18 years ago

I disagree, McCabe is more like Charlie Utter than Al Swearengen.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] allacentury 18 years ago

it's definetly up there. certainly one of the most melancholic.

"Simone Choule does not disappoint!"

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[–] Chezo 18 years ago

I don't know if its THE BEST film of all time, but it's certainly my favorite movie of all time. I can't quite describe what I love about it, maybe it's the hidden tenderness of McCabe's character, the melancholy or the sadness of it or maybe it's the theme of the little entrepeneur against the system, is a movie that even 35 years from its release feels absolutely contemporary, also a quality that the best work from Altman still has, probably it all comes down to the sheer beauty of the film, which is beautiful beyond words

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[–] ShellOilJunior 18 years ago

Best film of all time? Far from it.

If you think this is the greatest film of all time I suggest watching more films...

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[–] smartelek 18 years ago

Thanks for the great advice rianadroj, i`ve seen thousands of films.
Would still put this movie in my top 10 however.
Thanks again.

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[–] maineblackbear 18 years ago

of course, this is not the greatest movie of all time, nor even the best Altman movie (maybe even not top three if you include Gosford Park, the Player, Nashville, Mash (though flawed).

First time I watched this film, I thought "boring", "silly performance by Beatty" and I have never really liked Julie Christie.

Anyway, now that I have watched it for the third time in two days I am willing to conclude that this is one of the best films I have seen. Beatty gives great performance (his best) and Julie Christie is very good-- the side characters are all awesome...

Every scene is beautifully put together.

The writing is excellent and there are so many great lines-- each scene seems to have a capper that encapsulates the moment....

This was originally a much longer letter, but too many examples violate the missive.

This is a four star film, and despite its flaws (a denoument that takes forever once the 'reality' of tyhe inevitable becomes clear) is a must-see film.

I would recommend this movie on the highest level. But, remember, this is not a movie where there is some big payoff that validates your experience. This is a great movie where the payoffs are in the individual scenes, acting, writing, cinematography-- it is a movie where the sum of its parts exceed its whole.

"That man never killed anyone in his life"-- is still the best line in the movie.

tonyp

tonyp

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[–] shepardjessica-1 17 years ago

It's my #21 all-time.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] shepardjessica-1 16 years ago

Greatest film of 1971 and Altman's best

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Readerman 16 years ago

Apparently the OP hasn't seen many movies. It's a very good Western but not in my top ten of that genre. Of course I respect the opinion of those who love it that much. I do love the atmosphere and scenery and the ending is especially good because it's unusual. Perhaps Altman's best. However, as for the best movie of any kind, IMO it's not in the competition.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] buby1987 16 years ago

I would put it in my Top 5 of all time. Maybe around No. 3, right behind Mean Streets and Taxi Driver.

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[–] smilingbag 16 years ago

McCabe is a great movie because in every aspect it is excellent: images, sound, characters etc. It is definitely in my Top 10 movies. And I would also like to know what movies you would recommend, if you like this? Even though they're not the same, right now my two favorite movies are this one and Dead Man. If anyone could recommend another Western "mood piece", it'd be great.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] tomloft2000 15 years ago

no,not the greatest movie of all time,but it was made in the '70's,the greatest decade of film.

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[–] 15 years ago

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