Monte Walsh (1970) User Reviews

Realistic Western developed in an unhurried style...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 1 June 2005]

William A. Fraker's "Monte Walsh" is another bit of autumn… Here commemorated is the end of the cattle demand, and its key personality… Nothing in terms of Westerns can be deplorable than that…

Blessed with the best of beginnings, a novel by Jack Schaefer, who gave a similar sound basis for "Shane," this depressed, impressive picture is a requiem for the cowboy... The cowboy superfluous and looking for a shop-keeping job; big business moving in from the East to rationalize; a cow town with an air of an early stage ghost town… Any cowhand worth his coffee and beans could be forgiven for providing the thought: far better to go out in gun-blaze like the "Wild Bunch."

There are violent happenings in "Monte Walsh," which had Arizona locations, but not violent-spectacular… Controlled melancholy covers them as it does everything else…

Two grizzled characters, Lee Marvin and Jack Palance, who have both known better cow-punching times, ride into Harmony, another distant relative of the town portrayed in "Shane," and think themselves lucky to get jobs on an old ranch… Among the new ranch hands is Mitch Ryan, who is determined to break a wild gray stallion… The rheumy eye of Marvin still takes expert note…

Relaxation for the two aging cowboys consists of a saloon-gal for Marvin (Jeanne Moreau, making both her U.S. and Western debut) and a widow (Allyn Ann Mclerie) with a hardware store for Palance, who ultimately makes a choice for marrying the store owner…

The film is a realistic Western developed in an unhurried style with the emphasis on character and on the real drudgery of frontier life

magnificent meloncholia

[jamie-120 · 8/10 · 14 September 2002]

I heartily agree with the other enthusiastic reviews of this movie, so instead of repeating their comments I'll just add a couple of notes which I didn't see in anyone else's remarks.

One thing that really drew me into this movie was how, over and over, I would be watching a scene play out and there would be a _very_ few words exchanged, with minimal "dramatizing music" or other "play-ups" adding dramatic weight, and I'd just ache for more words to be said. So much was happening _to_ the characters (mostly internal, as the film focuses more on people than events) and they went through it with such a minimum of dialogue. That made a strong impression on me as it left me wanting more; wishing somehow they could make it alright by just saying more of what was obviously on their hearts.

Another thing I loved about this movie was the distinctiveness of the characters. One had false teeth; one rarely (if ever) bathed; one was called "Shorty"; and, of course, the unforgettable mugs of Palance and Marvin -- and the distinctiveness of these wasn't all simply in their appearances. Before long they started to feel like my own friends. My heart broke watching their whole world pass them by.

An Under-appreciated Classic

[amazeika · 8/10 · 27 September 2005]

A Modern classic spearheaded by an intelligent script, excellent performances, beautiful photography and an outstanding score. Lee Marvin is at his rugged best in the title role with typical solid support from Jack Palance, who is excellent here cast against type. That this great western was finally released on DVD LONG after the REMAKE is just wrong. And I do not mean that as a slam against the Tom Selleck/TNT version which was a well done rehash that I also enjoyed. MONTE WALSH stands beside WILL PENNY as 2 pillars of the "vanishing cowboy" genre. It seamlessly morphs from action to pathos, poignant to laugh-out-loud funny. One of Lee Marvin's best roles.

A stunning tribute to a way of life as it fades in America

[noseyq · 7 November 2001]

Of all the Western movies I've seen over the years - and it's been quite a few - this is one of the most outstanding. It's really about the honorable way of earning a living by working with and breaking horses and being a cowboy. As that way of lifestyle and profession reach their final stages and start to fade away in America, Palance and his cronies face losing their livelihood, their dignity and their ruggedly-independent way of life. An entire culture stands on the brink of oblivion and the viewer can only be touched by the deeply sensitive way that is handled in this movie and by the incredible performance Palance give as a stoic but caring man who is facing having his whole world shaken and shattered. Palance knows in his heart of hearts that he would rather die than give up his threatened lifestyle. It's hard and it's tough and it's certainly a man's world but it's an honorable and once-honored means of earning a crust or two, and one can't help but share Palance's pain when one of his closest friends goes off the rails and turns to crime when he loses his job as a cowboy. And you feel for him too when he cannot commit to a softer way of life settling down with Jean Moreau, choosing instead to head off "into the sunset" in the vague and obviously vain hope of everything turning around and turning out all right in the end. That's what makes the unbelievably catchy song The Good Times Are Coming so heart-achingly sad. You just know that those good times aren't really coming - they're behind him. No Hollywood glamor here, just a wonderful portrayal of an unambitious but totally honest man who wants to keep on enjoying his times with the boys, riding herds and busting broncos, and refusing to recognize that those days are gone forever. A five-star Western if ever I saw one.

Sad , melancholic and dusty-looking Western with a phenomenal protagonist duo though the pace is too slow

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 13 March 2013]

Sensitive Western with satisfying and impressive directorial by William A Fraker , in his film debut for this award-winning cinematographer , being based on Jack Schaefer's novel , author of ¨Shane¨ . The film starts at the ending XIX century when appears railway , big companies buy ranches and new technologies put difficult things for traditional cowboys who lost their jobs . Monty Walsh (Lee Marvin) a veteran cowboy sees declining the ending days of Wild West era and the transition to a new century where horses are left . As railway and barbed wire hardly eliminate the need for the cowboys who are yearning the freedom of the open prairie . The aging cowboy realizes that the West he knew and loved will soon be no more and that there will be no room for him, either . In spite of penury , shortage and obstacles he faithfully carry out his thoughts and wishes and he goes on being a good cowboy . Monty along with his best friend (Jack Palance , this is one of only a few occasions where Jack is not cast as a villain and giving a touching acting) transport a herd of horses across the countries . Their lives are divided between months on the range and the occasional trip into town . They find themselves like dinosaurs in an old West that's dying out . Monty has a long-term relationship with a prostitute named Martine Bernard , while Chet has fallen under the spell of the widow who owns the hardware store. Monte Walsh and his partners are left with few options for survive , tough new jobs opportunities are available. Round-up , go riding and relationship with the other cowboys fill their days, until one of the hands , Shorty Austin (Mitch Ryan) , loses his job and gets involved in rustling and killing . Aging cowboy Monty is a good and professional man and embarks on mission to avenge his colleague .

Moving and sensitive Western where the cowboys must say goodbye to the lives they know and some of them attempt to make a new upright start and others way to crime . This melancholic picture is acclaimed like one of the best twilight Western and has a nice nostalgic feeling . It's an excellent Western with thrills , emotion , a love story , shootouts , breathtaking scenarios ; but also melancholy , competition , unlovable camaraderie and emotionalism . Moving Western , elegiac , subdued and worthwhile for genre lovers , including great Lee Marvin and Jack Palance in an unusual good guy character . However, the narration is too slow-moving to keep a fine grip on the interest . The movie was shot on location , including marvelous outdoors in Mescal, Arizona, Old Tucson, Arizona , being splendidly photographed by David M Walsh . Sensitive and stirring Western where cowboys must say goodbye to the lives they know and undergo an extraordinary and dangerous travel . Great acting for all casting with magnificent main roles from Marvin as Monty who only lives his work and is enamored for a prostitute named Countess Martine and Jack Palance as his loyal friend . Ample support cast with several familiar faces such as Mitch Ryan , Matt Clak , G.D. Spradlin , Bo Hopkins , Jim Davis , film debut of Eric Christmas and final film of veteran villain Roy Barcroft, who died before its release. Special mention to Jeanne Moreau as an aging whore who falls in love . Gorgeous landscapes , reflecting wonderfully the wide open spaces, they are splendidly photographed . Gorgeous outdoors are well photographed by cameraman David Walsh. Emotive as well evocative musical score by the great John Barry in his ordinary and brilliant style , including some wonderful songs . Sensational directorial by notorious cameraman William A Fraker . Usual and top-notch cameraman William A Fraker proves himself a proficient filmmaker in this , his first venture , though he subsequently directed another Western , a failure ¨Lone Ranger¨ . It's followed by a remake starred by Tom Selleck titled ¨Monte Walsh¨ TV (2003) by Simon Wincer with Isabella Rossellini, in Jeanne Moreau's role , Keith Carradine in Jack Palance role , George Eads, William Sanderson, Rex Linn and William Devane, role of Jim Davis . Rating : Better than average for the proficient film-making . It's a magnificent movie , and an unforgettable , unchallenged classic western.

Elegiac Western.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 18 March 2011]

It begins as a comedy about committed cow punchers then turns dramatic as the old way of life begins to dry up and the cowboys have to adapt to changing circumstances. Nothing much new there. But in fact it has its innovative moments despite its overall derivative tone.

It owes a lot to the success of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," an enormous success released the year before. "Butch" was about the end of the Old West's outlaw culture, while this is about cattle drives. "Butch" had a silly pop tune, "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." This one has Mama Cass singing, "The good times are coming. They're coming real soon. And I'm not just pitching pennies at the moon." You will be forgiven for noting a family resemblance.

Lee Marvin is decked out in the semi-army campaign hat he and his directors seemed to favor at the time -- "The Professionals", for instance. And Marvin gets one weird arrangement of facial hair after another, each making him look more, well, monumental than the one before. That notion may have come from the director, William Fraker, who was Director of Photography on Marvin's earlier "Paint Your Wagon," where he also sported highly sculpted mutton chops.

Fraker's photography was usually quite good, as it was, for instance, in "Bullet." His direction isn't bad either. Having Marvin as the star helps enormously. He was at the top of his game in 1970. He seemed to be sober throughout. Ten years earlier, in a Western episode of "The Twilight Zone," he showed up drunk, crashed his horse backwards through a store window and fell off. (He apologized later.) He crashes a bucking horse through a store window here too, but this time it's the horse's idea. And what a bucking horse it is. He takes Marvin on a roller coaster tour of a Western town at night and demolishes half of it. In fact, there is some splendid horseback riding on evidence throughout the film -- and I say this from a position of complete ignorance about what constitutes splendid horseback riding.

As I said, it becomes dramatic after the scenes of drunkenness and diarrhea. Marvin's girl friend, Jeanne Moreau, passes away. One of his friends drops out of cowboyhood and becomes the proprietor of the despised hardware store. Another goes bad, begins robbing banks, and must be killed reluctantly in a final shoot out. The conflict takes place in a cattle yard but the two adversaries don't run around shooting wildly at one another. If a bullet plunks into the planks an inch from Marvin's head, he doesn't even duck. He keeps walking slowly along. And his adversary doesn't challenge him long before putting up his pistol and allowing himself to be shot by Marvin, as a kind of penance. Heavy duty penance. There's a brief shot of Marvin returning to a town where he's had some raucous good times with old friends. He opens the door to the saloon. The large hall is as empty of people as it is of pity. After a long pause, Marvin slowly closes the door and walks away. I wonder if it requires a certain age, a certain accumulation of experience, to appreciate the melancholy of this scene. Anybody familiar with Edward Arlington Robinson's poem, "Mr. Flood's Party"?

The point of view -- the fading of the traditional cowboy way of life -- combines sociology and character analysis. Things are changing. Superorganic things over which no individual has control. You can't stop economic evolution anymore than you can stop the stifle the syrinxes of all those who are Tweeting and Chirping and Cawing. Yet adaptation takes different forms. Jack Palance can quit and manage a store. Mitch Ryan quits and robs banks. Lee Marvin winds up wandering alone and half-mad through the mesquite, telling long, rambling tales to a horse that seems to have heard them all before.

"There was not much that was ahead of him, And there was nothing in the town below -- Where strangers would have shut the many doors That many friends had opened long ago."

nice story of friends in the old West

[Calios · 7/10 · 8 February 2003]

This is a nice film to watch on a rainy evening. Lee Marvin and Jack

Palance did as good a job of acting that I have ever seen them do.

The supporting cast is full of wonderful career action character

actors who you would recognize if you watched a lot of films and

TV in the '70's.

I borrowed the tape from a relative after seeing the remake by TNT

and though I think the remake was better, this was for it's time

pretty good. The way movie progresses noticed a lot of scenes

seemed choppy and there must have been a lot left on the cutting

room floor.

Lee Marvin looked like he was playing his typical Marvin character,

but Jack Palance was likeable and I believe did a better job and

even portrayed his character better than Carradine did in the

remake and Carradine did a great job.

Though it's a "tear-jerker" it's one that tells a story that's not unique

to just the "Cowboys" of the 19th and early 20th century. There are

periods in history when due to evolution of civilization, lifestyles are

phased out or altered due to change of professions needed to

exist.

My appreciation of Mama Cass' singing increased when I heard

her sing the title song. She really had a fine voice, it was a plus

that she sung the lead-in rather someone like Joplin. In fact

before I saw her credits in the lead-in I thought the singer was one

of the great singers who had sung a James Bond movie title song.

Bittersweet Celebration of the American Cowboy

[Bob-45 · 10/10 · 6 October 2008]

When "Monte Walsh" appeared in 1970, I avoided it like the plague. "Who wants to see a movie about the end of an era?" I asked myself, conveniently forgetting how much I loved "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." So, nearly 30 years later, Turner Classic Movies gave me the opportunity to correct what might have been a mistake. Had I erred in 1970? Well, yes and no. Yes, because "Monte Walsh" now joins my list of one of the five best westerns ever made; and, no, because at the tender age of 21, I would not have appreciated this masterpiece; which, in these especially troubled times, seems more relevant than ever.

According to TCM host, Robert Osborne, William Fraker directed only 4 films during his distinguished career, preferring his role as director of photography. If "Monte Walsh" is any example, then director Fraker missed his calling; as, "Monte Walsh" boasts outstanding ensemble acting, unusual unless the director is especially gifted. Many in this cast give the best performances of his or her career, particularly Jim Davis and Mitchell Ryan. "Monte Walsh" should be the role for which Marvin is remembered, as "Chet" should be the role to remember Jack Palance. It's a joy and a privilege to watch Marvin and Palance interact, even more enjoyable than Marvin and John Wayne in their frequent pairings. The first two thirds of "Monte Walsh" is largely upbeat, even in the hard times portrayed, while the final third left me both numb and aching.

"I won't p**s on 30 years of my life," is one of the many profound quotations in "Monte Walsh." It defines Monte's code of honor; a decent, loving and honorable man unwilling to compromise who he is. I give "Monte Walsh" a "10".

I ain't spitting on my whole life.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 18 May 2010]

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). Though 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" sung by Mama Cass. The cinematography is by David M. Walsh, where he nicely manages to make the Tuscon part of the shoot blend with the emotional state of our protagonists. And decent support comes from Mitch Ryan too. 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

An unusual western with a poetic touch

[JuguAbraham · 9/10 · 11 September 2001]

This is one of my favorite Westerns.

Yet, it cannot boast of a gunfight or excessive action that is a trademark of westerns.

There are several reasons why I love this film. It is a reflective sensitive film, with the main character trying to come to terms with change.

It deals with people and nature--fodder for good poetry. That gets a fillip when the director William Fraker, is an accomplished cinematographer.

Lee Marvin is great when he is brooding and therefore a superb choice. Jeanne Moreau is a delight to watch in any film but her performance in this film is one I will never forget. Yet when I asked Ms Moreau some 15 years after the film was made about this film, she didn't even appear to recall the name of William Fraker--but merely referred to him as another cinematographer-turned-director. I have always wondered at that reaction....Jack Palance is another wonderful actor who makes this movie great.. In retrospect the casting was superb.

A good western needs good music. This one has one of the finest songs I have heard "the good times are a'coming" by Mama Cass Elliot.

I recommend this film and "Will Penny" as great unusual westerns that touch you if you appreciate good filmmaking--and do not evaluate a western by the action sequences.

Half of a Great Movie

[jmillerdp · 6/10 · 17 March 2014]

(Thematic SPOILERS)

This is half of a great movie. The great half is the first, where we meet cowboys dealing with a time when their world is coming to an end. Corporations are taking over, and the work of the cowboy is needed less and less.

The second half is where things go awry. The movie goes into formula mode. The greatness of the first half, with its quiet moments of reflection, and views of life on the range, go away. In their place is murder, heartbreak and revenge. I was very disappointed in the way the film went.

Often-cinematographer William Fraker takes the Director's Chair here and does admirably. He is supported by David Walsh behind the camera. John Barry provides an excellent score. He would later earn an Oscar with "Dances with Wolves," and fans of that score can get more of Barry's work in the Western genre here. Barry strays into his James Bond score work occasionally here, which is distracting.

The issue in this film is with the origin material. Jack Shaefer, who wrote the novel, also wrote "Shane." Maybe he wasn't ready to go without overt drama to make his point. That's too bad.

****** (6 Out of 10 Stars)

Elegy to the west.

[cinecarl · 10/10 · 30 September 2004]

Here's a case of Palance putting in a great supporting role like he has done so often, a truly selfless actor with a great humility.

Seldom does an actor allow himself to look as pathetic as Palance does in his performances. This is a great film, primarily due to the metaphor near the end where Marvin tries to tame a horse, frustratingly attempting to control the nature of all things around him. The austere writing and stilted acting lend to the overall tone, creating an elegiac western greatly under-appreciated in its time. One of those small, offbeat movies awash in a decade of so many sparkling little films, each challenging the strictures of Hollywood. I loved it.

Monte Walsh

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 22 May 2020]

Lee Marvin and Jack Palance were known for playing villains in westerns.

Palance was the baddie in Shane. Marvin won an Oscar for his dual role as a grizzled drunk and the villain in Cat Balou. Palance would also win an Oscar later in life playing a grizzled cowboy in the modern City Slickers.

In Monte Walsh both play good guys in a changing landscape. The era of the cowpoke are coming to an end. Chet (Jack Palance) calls it a day, marries a widow and runs a general store. Monte (Lee Marvin) continues trying to find work on a ranch and even toys taking part in a rodeo show.

Danger arrives when Chet is confronted by Shorty, a cowboy wanted for rustling and later for shooting a lawman dead. It is up to Monte Walsh to look for revenge.

In the 1970s there were a slew of westerns looking at cowboys as a dying breed. An era coming to an end when less westerns were being made by Hollywood.

Monte Walsh is a melancholy contemplative western. Its big selling point are the actors. Palance is excellent and makes you think why he was not given such character parts more often. There is Jim Davis who would later become famous as Jock Ewing in Dallas.

What Might They Have Done....

[krocheav · 5/10 · 22 January 2015]

I waited a long time to see 'Monte Walsh', from having seen the trailer when it first came out & thinking it did not look all that good. Over the years I kept hearing tales about it's qualities and had to take a look.

The first half had the look and feel of a 70's John Wayne punch 'em up western without the Duke anywhere to be found. I almost gave up till it took an unexpected turn towards the profound. Perhaps if this film's screenplay writers had stuck a little closer to Jack (Shane) Schaefer's original writing, it might have told it's story of the last days of the American west more convincingly.

The marvelous French Jeanne Moreau tries hard to make her character's sorry life believable but I'm feeling she may have thought the role a little below her best interests. Her character, as Monte's long time 'girlfriend' (with a shady past time) actually gives this film it's most tragic moments - she brings this story to it's ultimate finale. Marvin as Monte, has some effective moments but the screenplay wavers too much between slapstick and tragedy, letting both he and the always reliable Jack Palance down.

A spectacular but overly grotesque horse breaking scene in the last half looks more like an attempt at lifting the films otherwise deliberate pace. Some good elements unfortunately don't add up to an entirely satisfying story about the dying lifestyle of the west. Ex director of photography William Fraker tries his hand at his first directorial effort and John Barry's score adds some class to an otherwise 'should have been better' movie.

A few reviewers tend to like this effort, and if you enjoy 70s American westerns this could entertain you. The available DVD is of good visual quality and that always helps.....KenR

Wanted To Like It, But . . .

[smasica-33426 · 8 June 2019]

I'm not a newcomer to Westerns and I'm pushing 72. I've had a life-long interest in the American West, studied its history, and even wrote a novel set in the 19th century. Somehow, I never got around to watching 'Monte Walsh' until recently, though I'd heard it was supposed to be a bit of a classic. While I wanted so much to like it given its cast and genre, it just did not hook me. This despite the fact that Lee Marvin is one of my favorite actors and in his prime. The film didn't hit many right notes for me. Something was off. None of the characters really grabbed me. Marvin was fantastic in 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance', 'The Professionals', and 'Cat Ballou'. Heck, he even did well in the atrocious 'Paint Your Wagon'. And those were just his westerns. He appeared to coast through this role. The usually dependable Jack Palance, to me, phoned in his role. A story of friends aging in the passing of the West was done so much better in 'Lonesome Dove' and 'The Wild Bunch'. Marvin and Palance were miles better in 'The Professionals'. I have no idea what the casting director had in mind when they cast Jeanne Moreau. She was completely unbelievable. It may be that the film just has not held up well in comparison to many others. I've watched most of John Wayne's films over years along with all the Spaghetti Westerns, all the TV shows, Tom Selleck and Sam Elliot's work, and everything in between. I know my subject matter and this film doesn't cut it for me. JMO.

A Different Western

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 24 October 2020]

Very little action or drama, more of a character study looking at the disappearing cowboy in a time of change.

Its a bit bleak in many places with the majority of characters feeling despondent and hopeless as things change.

This film does contain the most ridiculous horse related scene I have ever watched!

One thing this film does do is it gets better as it moves along.

Don't expect a great shootout movie and you may find this quite enjoyable :)

Different to the rest

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 30 June 2017]

MONTE WALSH is one of the many 'death of the Old West' westerns to have come out over the years, with the most notable examples of the genre being THE WILD BUNCH and UNFORGIVEN. This one's lower key, lower budgeted, and more gritty than those movies; it's not really an action film either, although it has a handful of the shoot-outs you'd expect.

The film belongs to a typically larger-than-life Lee Marvin, playing the grizzled old gunslinger who comes to realise that his way of life belongs in the distant past. He brings pathos and humour to the part, although I found the film's most valuable performer to be Jack Palance, cast against type as Marvin's buddy. Palance is a lot of fun in the role, and it's nice to see him as other than the sneering villain. The rest of the film is non-clichéd, a bit slow at times, but otherwise engrossing and unusual.

no shoot-em-up here, just good storytelling

[statsmitt · 7/10 · 25 November 1999]

This is a poignant western about the decline of the cowboy and his way of life which has been told in several other films, but not quite as affecting as this one. It was filmed lovingly by William Fraker, who is first and foremost a cinematographer. Lee Marvin and Jack Palance play off each other beautifully and one can feel the deep bond of friendship. There are some questionable editing choices and Fraker does overuse John Barry's score although it is quite beautiful to listen to. Some may find this film a bit boring since it contains few shootouts, no chases on horseback and is low volume on the blood and guts. What you will get is a moving story about friendship,life on the range and standing up against evolutionary change.

"Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever."

[longrifles · 10/10 · 31 August 2002]

So says Monte's friend as they sit on a front porch, wondering what they'll do now that their way of life is coming to a close. One of the most touching and poignant westerns ever made, "Monte Walsh" is a love poem written to a way of life that only lasted about 20 years, but defined much of American culture. The cowboy period only lasted from about 1865 to 1885, and this film shows several friends who have been cowboys for most of that time, deeply in love with their work, who see it all ending, and are powerless to stop it. Barbed wire fence and one really hard winter (which really did happen, and single handedly changed the western cattle industry, and eradicated the cowhand) do away with their blissful existence, forcing them to confront themselves. What do they do now? It isn't always pretty, and the decisions they make when the chips are down tell you most everything you need to know about human nature. The wonderful theme song by Mama Cass Elliot "The Good Times Are Coming" is just marvelous, and perfect for the film. All in all, one of the 5 best westerns ever made, and the absolute best one dealing with the working cowhand culture. Don't watch this movie if you are embarrassed about crying, because it will break your heart. Truly a work of art. The words "I rode down the gray" will haunt you for the rest of your life.

Evocative and elegiac western from 1970

[mark-rojinsky · 7/10 · 18 June 2021]

An evocative and elegiac western from that turning point year- 1970. Its narrative is about unemployment, aging and progress in the West. Some of the flair imagery recorded by David M Walsh's camera is amazing - dozens of wild palomino and white horses running at speed in a valley; the set-piece when Marvin's Monte Walsh character has to show conviction and boost his self-image by 'breaking in' a wild white stallion in a town centre setting - the silverhaired Marvin sports a blue-and-white striped shirt; elegant furnishings and decorations in the interior settings in saloons and bordellos including the golden amber nectar reflections in a brandy bottle or the chirping of caged yellow canary birds. The dramatic music composed by Yorkshireman, John Barry is marvellous as is the theme tune -'The Good Times are Coming' sung by '60s hippie US pop singer Mama Cass. Jeanne Moreau adds Gallic style as the aging prostitute Martine Bernard.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 3 March 2006]

My favorite Lee Marvin role is the title role of the film Monte Walsh. Lee and his friend Jack Palance are a couple of aging cowboys who are proud of the trade they have, but the demands for it are becoming fewer and fewer.

Monte Walsh debuted two years after another film with the same themes, Will Penny brought great critical acclaim to Charlton Heston. Heston and Marvin essayed the same kind of role, the aging cowboys who are finding less and less work for themselves as the years pass.

Both Walsh and Penny practice their trade in the Brokeback Mountain country and you can bet that Ennis Delmar and Jack Twist when they got into town and went to the movies, really identified with both of these guys. Ennis and Jack could easily be the descendants of both Heston and Marvin.

Unlike Will Penny whose greatest challenge was with a bunch of renegade rawhiders, Monte Walsh has to deal with the death of his best friend at the hands of another he considered a friend. Palance gets tired of the cowboy life and settles down and gets married to a widow who owns a hardware store and gets killed in a robbery. The code by which both Marvin and Palance live by would allow for not even the law to mete out justice here.

Lee Marvin was not known for playing the most admirable characters on the screen, but he's positively noble in this role. I've never admired him more on the screen than in Monte Walsh. He invests the title character with humanity, dignity, and pride. Of course that was in an era when one could be proud of your labor and way of life.

Fourteen years earlier Marvin supported Jack Palance in an excellent World War II film, Attack. Now things came full circle as Marvin got to be a star via an Oscar for Cat Ballou and Palance supports him and well. That's the movie business for you.

Western veterans like G.D. Spradlin and Jim Davis support Marvin well. French cinema star Jeanne Moreau is Marvin's consumptive girl friend and Mitchell Ryan is the treacherous Shorty. And this was the farewell performance of Roy Barcroft one of the best western villains that ever sat a saddle.

People who are not necessarily western fans will appreciate the care that went into making this fine film.

A near miss for me

[pmtelefon · 7/10 · 17 April 2020]

I am a big fan of westerns. I've read at least a dozen books of western films. Almost all of those books have high praise for "Monte Walsh". But for me, it always misses the mark. There are a few great moments in this movie. There are also a lot of strong performances, especially by Jack Palance. The movie looks great and the music fits the mood perfectly. The movie, however, is just too melancholy. "Monte Walsh" is just too much of a downer. When they throw in some humor, I laugh. But then something sad happens. I will never criticize anyone for liking "Monte Walsh". There is a lot to like but for me it's never quite as satisfying a movie as I would like.

Painful and Beautiful

[bill-461 · 10/10 · 15 June 2000]

This movie should be re-released. I can't help thinking that it came out at a time when we as a nation had our mind on other things. And that's a shame. I remember that I went to see it at one of the first multi-cinemas in Utah and What's up Tiger Lily was playing along side of it. My friend and I couldn't get in to the more risque movie (Utah---imagine that,) so we stepped into this one. And even an idiot in the ninth grade could be touched by this melancholy tale. I love Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. And Mama Cass did this movie a great service with her song The Good Days are Comin'. Do yourself a favor and see this one. Your heart will hurt a little at the end, but it's a good kind of pain.

The fun and challenges of the dwindling cowboy way-of-life

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 19 November 2022]

As the open-range West dies in the 1890s with corporations taking over the ranches, two aging cowhands try to survive in the new era of fenced-in land (Lee Marvin and Jack Palance). While they set their eyes on women and possible marriage (e.g. Jeanne Moreau), out-of-work cowboys become desperate (e.g. Mitchell Ryan).

"Monte Walsh" (1970) is similar to Charlton Heston's "Will Penny" from 2.5 years earlier, but it cost almost four times as much and yet "Penny" is arguably the better Western. They're at least on par, although "Penny" is hampered by its subplot of cartoony villains and an ending that leaves a sour taste.

This was remade in 2003 with Tom Selleck, Keith Carradine and Isabella Rossellini in the key roles, the difference being that this version was shot in Arizona whereas the newer one was filmed in Alberta. Each locale fits the story but they offer dissimilar milieus, which makes both worth checking out.

The story starts sorta dull as it shows the everyday mundane life of the cowhands mixed with the camaraderie and humor necessary for enduring such an existence. The second half, however, takes a heavy, dark turn and is more compelling with a highlight being the knock-down drag-out bronco busting scene that damages an entire town (back in the day when there was no CGI and so sequences like this were actually staged & shot).

I also liked the palpable love displayed between Monte and his woman, as well as the subplot of desperate men doing foolish things in desperate times. The story is nigh elegiac in tone as we witness the limited opportunities for tough Westerners as their way of life is stifled by progress.

The film runs 1 hour, 46 minutes.

GRADE: B.

Lacks focus.

[gridoon · 5/10 · 27 November 2001]

Noble intentions do not necessarily make a satisfying film. "Monte Walsh" has good acting, a good score and generally good sequences scattered about....BUT, it's just not terribly interesting. There's just not enough action here - physical OR emotional. The script lacks focus and most of the time it seems to meander around with no particular purpose. A no more than OK film. (**1/2)