McCabe & Mrs. Miller

A film that divided the critics upon its initial release in 1971 (which most Altman movies do), this offbeat western, based on the novel by Edmund Naughton, offers an intriguing debunking of the myth of the western hero. Warren Beatty plays John McCabe, as sorry an excuse for a hero as ever existed, who invades the dot-on-the-map town of Presbyterian Church, takes most of its inhabitants' winnings in a card game, and sets up prostitute Constance Miller (Julie Christie) as a brothel madam. When business booms, and the town begins to expand, a mining company makes him an offer he shouldn't refuse--but does. While Mrs. Miller coldly rakes in the cash and dabbles in drugs, McCabe tries to foolishly defend his one-person empire. Clever camera angles, a Leonard Cohen soundtrack, and the trademark mumbling of the characters, all lend a distinctively Altmanesque air to the proceedings. Unfortunately, especially given Altman's penchant for overlapping dialogue, the Dolby Digital mono soundtrack is muddy…and so is the DVD transfer: disappointingly fuzzy, dark, and grainy in many places. On the plus side, the disc includes a 10-minute "making of" that looks at the set building of the fictitious town, and an in-depth commentary track from Altman and co-producer David Foster. Recommended, with reservations. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—Nov. 1, 2016—Criterion, 121 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1971's McCabe & Mrs. Miller features an excellent transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition. Extras include a 2002 audio commentary by director Robert Altman and producer David Foster, the new “making-of” featurette “Way Out on a Limb” (55 min.), a 1999 Q&A with production designer Leon Ericksen (38 min.), a new conversation with film historians Cari Beauchamp and Rick Jewell (37 min.), excerpts from two 1971 episodes of The Dick Cavett Show featuring Altman and critic Pauline Kael (23 min.), an archival interview with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (12 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (10 min.), a photo gallery, trailers, and an essay by novelist and critic Nathaniel Rich. Bottom line: a classic Altman film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]