MONTE WALSH

USA - 1970 - Color - 106’

Dir.: William A. Fraker | Scr.: David Zelag Goodman, Lukas Heller (based on the novel by Jack Schaefer) | Cin.: David M. Walsh | Ed.: Richard K. Brockway, Ray Daniels, Gene Fowler, Jr., Robert L. Wolfe | Mus.: John Barry | Cast: Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau, Jack Palance, Mitchell Ryan | Prod.: Hal Landers, Bobby Roberts

Monte Walsh is an elegiac western starring Lee Marvin as an aging cowboy struggling with the end of his way of life while the West is modernized. Thanks to production’s authenticity, the naturalistic cinematography, and the evocative score by John Barry, the film is a contemplative yet moving exploration of the changing conditions of survival, friendship, and loss. Lee Marvin gives us a subtle, nuanced performance opposite the dynamic characters of Jack Palance and Jeanne Moreau, vividly depicting the bittersweet memories of a time that is fading. The film is characterized by a contemplative, slower pace, and a tender more introspective tone than action westerns, focusing on the daily lives and camaraderie of cowboys.