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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A huge and surprisingly expensive box-office flop in 1970 and largely forgotten ever since, cinematographer William A. Fraker's adaptation of Jack Schaeffer's Monte Walsh is a strikingly affecting elegy not just for the cowboy way of life but the Western itself, both endangered species nearing the end of their time. The Western genre had been in decline since TV oversaturated the market in the 50s and, after a brief glorious last stand in the late Sixties that sawThe Wild Bunch, True Grit, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Once Upon a Time in the West, was headed towards the last roundup as the herd would be continually thinned in the 70s, which is very much in tune with the Shane novelist's melancholy mood piece.
Monte Walsh and Chet Rollins (Lee Marvin and Jack Palance) are cowboys in a shrinking world where the range is closing, corporations are buying up all the ranches and shutting them down, once prosperous cattle towns are turning into ghost towns, jobs are scarce and nobody needs cowboys anymore. Some commit suicide, others turn to crime as hard times turn good men bad, things go wrong for no good reason and nothing is gained but another day. Chet settles down with a hardware store widow (Calamity Jane's Allyn Ann McLerie) but Monte, despite notions of settling down with Jeanne Moreau's past her prime whore, just tries to ignore the bad times and hold on to the belief that the good times will come back if he just waits long enough. He knows that's just not true but tries to avoid facing the facts for as long as he can with an almost heroic stubbornness born of pride in a way of life no-one values any more in a world where soon the only cowboys left will be pretend ones in show business.... Read more ›
Monte Walsh and Chet Rollins (Lee Marvin and Jack Palance) are cowboys in a shrinking world where the range is closing, corporations are buying up all the ranches and shutting them down, once prosperous cattle towns are turning into ghost towns, jobs are scarce and nobody needs cowboys anymore. Some commit suicide, others turn to crime as hard times turn good men bad, things go wrong for no good reason and nothing is gained but another day. Chet settles down with a hardware store widow (Calamity Jane's Allyn Ann McLerie) but Monte, despite notions of settling down with Jeanne Moreau's past her prime whore, just tries to ignore the bad times and hold on to the belief that the good times will come back if he just waits long enough. He knows that's just not true but tries to avoid facing the facts for as long as he can with an almost heroic stubbornness born of pride in a way of life no-one values any more in a world where soon the only cowboys left will be pretend ones in show business.... Read more ›
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase
It seems totally ridiculous that this magnificent elegaic Western is unavailable on any DVD format at this time. The film is based on the equally magnificent book by "Shane" author Jack Schaefer. The book deserved a fine film and in 1970 that is exactly what it got. It marks one of the finest directorial debuts by William A Fraker and stars those great Western stalwarts Lee Marvin, in the title role, and Jack Palance as two inarticulate but good humoured cowboys towards the end of the Western era.
To capture the atmosphere the opening credits play over the famous Western paintings of Charles B Russell. The film progresses at a leisurely pace concentrating on the friendship between Palance and Marvin. The bleak and tough existence of the cowboy is truthfully depicted. Tom Gries's "Will Penny" did a similar job three years earlier. We see many glimpses into the cowboy way of life. There is a lovely scene of Monte breaking a wild stallion. But the dynamics change when Palance marries and quits the cowboy life. Then there is a tragedy followed by revenge.
The film is beautiful to look at and is no doubt heavily influenced by painters like Russell and Frederick Remington. The independent spirit of the films characters is summed up by one, who is offered a job in a Wild West show to impersonate a famous character. He is much tempted at the prospect of regular work but replies "I ain't spitting on my whole life".
Wake up somebody out there. This is a superb film that deserves to be much better known. It was one of Marvin's finest roles. It deserves to be available on DVD, and I might add to have the full restoration package with extras. I hold out little hope.... Read more ›
To capture the atmosphere the opening credits play over the famous Western paintings of Charles B Russell. The film progresses at a leisurely pace concentrating on the friendship between Palance and Marvin. The bleak and tough existence of the cowboy is truthfully depicted. Tom Gries's "Will Penny" did a similar job three years earlier. We see many glimpses into the cowboy way of life. There is a lovely scene of Monte breaking a wild stallion. But the dynamics change when Palance marries and quits the cowboy life. Then there is a tragedy followed by revenge.
The film is beautiful to look at and is no doubt heavily influenced by painters like Russell and Frederick Remington. The independent spirit of the films characters is summed up by one, who is offered a job in a Wild West show to impersonate a famous character. He is much tempted at the prospect of regular work but replies "I ain't spitting on my whole life".
Wake up somebody out there. This is a superb film that deserves to be much better known. It was one of Marvin's finest roles. It deserves to be available on DVD, and I might add to have the full restoration package with extras. I hold out little hope.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By K. Murtagh
Format:VHS Tape
I fully agree with all of the reviews of the film monte walsh. this is one of the best westerns ever made, a classic, up there with SHANE, high noon,or any other. the sound tracks are unreal, from the opening song by mama cass. the cast is also strong, lee marvin, jack palance, jim davis [ jock ewing dallas] and the young mitchel ryan who plays the role of shorty austin.i am a big palance fan, and think he appeared in far too few westerns, ironicly he stared in the afore mentioned SHANE as the gunfighter jack wilson when he was known as walter jack palance. we will never see the likes of these legends again.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By JJL
Format:DVD
I read the book in the seventies, then came the movie by William A Fraker, and it stayed in my mind ever since,as something very fine and poetic.
Then much later,I bought the limited edition CD composed by John Barry and sung by Mama Cass, as a remembrance, but as fine and haunting as it was, it was just the music.Not the movie itself.
Then came the DVD with Lee Marvin. And the poetry and sadness and beauty were there again. Just as they were in the 70s.
Read the book by Jack Shaefer, listen to the CD with Mama Cass, and see , with this DVD, the Old West alive and true.
Lee Marvin, Jack Palance and Jeanne Moreau are there straight from this life. There is fun and there is sadness too.
Soundtracks another CD by John Barry.
Then much later,I bought the limited edition CD composed by John Barry and sung by Mama Cass, as a remembrance, but as fine and haunting as it was, it was just the music.Not the movie itself.
Then came the DVD with Lee Marvin. And the poetry and sadness and beauty were there again. Just as they were in the 70s.
Read the book by Jack Shaefer, listen to the CD with Mama Cass, and see , with this DVD, the Old West alive and true.
Lee Marvin, Jack Palance and Jeanne Moreau are there straight from this life. There is fun and there is sadness too.
Soundtracks another CD by John Barry.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Spike Owen
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
Monte Walsh is the debut feature of cameraman-turned-director William A.Fraker. It stars Lee Marvin (Monte Walsh) & Jack Palance (Chet Rollins) as two ageing cowboys who find that the era of the cowpoke is coming to an end; and that work for them is now very hard to come by. Adapted by David Zelag Goodman & Lukas Heller from Jack Schaefer's novel, Monte Walsh is a gentle, but astute, telling of men who have outlived their time {think Will Penny/Ride The High Country}. Tho very sedate in pacing, and almost elegiac in tone, the film constantly remains interesting because the characters are so well written. That they are given quality portrayals by Marvin & Palance, the latter of which is nicely cast against type, is possibly of no surprise to most genre fans. But both actors push themselves to really make the film work, even exuding believability in the process. Thus when the story takes its potent laced turns we are with them all the way, for better or worse.
John Barry provides the music and the film opens with a delightful and ironic tune called "The Good Times Are Comin" sang by Mama Cass. The cinematography is by David M. Walsh, where he nicely he manages to make the Tuscon part of the shoot blend with the emotional state of our protagonists. And decent support comes from Mitch Ryan. There's also much humour in the piece, such as a cooks revenge that is laugh out loud funny. While there's action moments like a taming a bronco sequence to ensure the story is not solely interested in playing out as a sad atmospheric tale. But it's really all about Marvin and the character he plays, with Fraker guiding him to emotional depth, Marvin makes Monte Walsh an essential viewing for fans and interested newcomers alike. 7/10
John Barry provides the music and the film opens with a delightful and ironic tune called "The Good Times Are Comin" sang by Mama Cass. The cinematography is by David M. Walsh, where he nicely he manages to make the Tuscon part of the shoot blend with the emotional state of our protagonists. And decent support comes from Mitch Ryan. There's also much humour in the piece, such as a cooks revenge that is laugh out loud funny. While there's action moments like a taming a bronco sequence to ensure the story is not solely interested in playing out as a sad atmospheric tale. But it's really all about Marvin and the character he plays, with Fraker guiding him to emotional depth, Marvin makes Monte Walsh an essential viewing for fans and interested newcomers alike. 7/10
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
"great". added to my collection as i did to all my stuff about harry potter, and everything else that is related the harry potter saga
Published 19 months ago by C H
5.0 out of 5 stars
The almost forgotten movie of the best Western story ever written
Jack Schaeffer wrote the book, as a collection of short stories, in 1963.
The life of an ordinary cowhand, from youth to death. Read more
The life of an ordinary cowhand, from youth to death. Read more
Published on 6 April 2011 by Appreciator-in-exile
5.0 out of 5 stars
When will the DVD be available in the UK!
I've been keeping an eye on this film for years hoping at some point they will bring this out in Region 2. Its one of my dads favourites. Sadly no luck yet :o(
Published on 25 Feb 2011 by Annis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, funny , sad.
This film has the Lee Marvin hallmarks of comedy in parts, it also has action and sadness. It,s about the old west coming to an end and how the cowboys are finding it hard to get... Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2003 by Mrs. S. Scholes
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