Wednesday, March 18, 2009

McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)


McCabe is shy, introverted, and inarticulate. He has a fondness for liquid courage. Mrs. Miller is direct, ambitious, and smart. She's quite fond of opium. Both fall in love with each other in this tale of American ambition set in the Northwest.


Wonderfully shot with a beautiful brown hue, it's totally nontraditional and surreal. I love the idea of the built-up town, wherein the church lies completely unused, save for a stockpile of junk. The idea that people's reputation often precede them is subverted and shown as quite often wrong. Moments of vulnerability are often shown alone. Warren Beatty's best scene is of him getting dressed, pouring his heart out to Christie.


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