The film McCabe and Mrs. Miller proves that the revisionist Western changes our perception of how the West is viewed in contrast to a film like Shane. The hero or anti-hero, the community/society, and the roles of women create a divide between past Westerns and more recent ones. As a result, the revisionist Western is a departure from the tamer, traditional Western.
A dark tone is set when McCabe and Mrs. Miller opens in a wooded area as it is raining. This scene serves a departure from past Westerns where the only thing seen is the desert and perhaps some mountains in the distance. While the exterior is rugged and harsh in appearance, there is something innately mysterious about the landscape in McCabe and Mrs. Miller. As if it is an entirely new landscape still being cultivated or even discovered by curious explorers. McCabe is one such curious man who arrives in Bear Paw covered in animal fur to protect against the unforgiving weather. He has an aura of certainty and confidence, but there is something much more sinister at play, perhaps it is all a ruse. He is not the figure to appear shrouded in light; he comes in with the rain and darkness, alluding to the turmoil to follow.
In comparison to Shane’s entrance there is a clear distinction between the men, as one appears light, in a literal sense, while the other a bit darker. The men can be further distinguished by their body language and mannerisms upon their arrival. Shane is the hardworking and respectful, past gunslinger, representing the very backbone of American ideals; whereas, McCabe is the conniving and manipulative Con Man, representing the American dream gone awry.
The ideals of the time are also clearly defined with the opening shot of each film. Shane deals with the looming threat of Communism and a more traditional audience, however McCabe and Mrs. Miller is representative of a more diverse America with hints of the Vietnam War. There is no longer a strong unifying force in American ideals and ideologies. The Vietnam War is not overtly mentioned, but the time period echoes the dissenting views of the time. Rather than providing an escape from reality this film immerses viewers in another chaotic time period. The historical background of each film is incredibly important when understanding the revisionist Western compared to earlier Westerns.
Compared to Shane, who is known only by his first name, McCabe also had a less opulent moniker. A name like Pudgy undermines the classic, male hero, making him seem more human and susceptible to societal pleasures. One such pleasure comes in the form of alcohol as McCabe is seen drunk on a few occasions, a state that Shane or other classic Western “heroes” would never be seen in. Yet, this is where McCabe becomes a real man, one who has made poor decisions in the past and continues to do so throughout the film. He bumbles through the town playing a game of cat-and-mouse with those trying to kill him. He also elicits advice from a former prostitute whom he cares for. McCabe soon becomes more complex as the film continues; while he is not a traditional hero, he is the closest representation of a man who lived during the late 1800s in a rough Northwestern territory. Living under such harsh conditions with the threat of having land taken away at any time was a very serious reality for many. This film highlights that a Western is not always about the hero rescuing those who “deserve” to be rescued, and changing along the way.
In contrast, Shane rescues the Starrett family from potential catastrophe as ranchers impose on their idyllic life of farming. However, this perception that issues can be resolved by a clean and constructed shoot-out proves to be a common western misconception. When looking at the true West, McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a more honest depiction of the cruelties that life has to offer. Sometimes a man, such as McCabe, has to play a game in which life and death are on the line, a game where the “hero” does not always make it out alive. This proves that the West was not always the righteous place it was thought to be. People did not always keep their word, women could be mistreated, and men shot other men because they could.
It is understandable to think that men could commit so many atrocious acts given the isolation of Bear Paw. There are not many open pastures to travel and see the land for miles and miles. The territory in Washington, as seen in the context of the film, is unforgiving, cold, and covered by foliage; enough to make someone, especially members of the community, go a bit insane. When thinking of the West the typical image that one pictures is open land and a harsh sun, not typically a rainy forest that is perpetually in winter or a brisk spring.
This weather plays into why so many of the secondary characters and townspeople appear to be in a perpetual drunken stupor. As McCabe and Mrs. Miller try to build somewhat of a new settlement/ business, there is not much to do except drink and find companionship. The isolation and cruel weather are enough to make the community look for other ways of occupying time.
That being said, there is an interesting skirmish between an irate man and another man after one of them demoralizes the other’s wife. While the irate man attempts to defend her honor, his drunken state is his downfall as he ends up dying, leaving his wife to fend for herself. At the funeral Mrs. Miller looks to the newly made widow and the two seem to know the fate that this woman must accept. With few options this widow finds that becoming a prostitute is far better than starving on the street. A difficult predicament without an easy solution, yet it is realistic to think that many women had to make very similar choices.
The arrival of Mrs. Miller is poignant as she is an oddity to McCabe because of her, at times, vulgar behavior as well as her strong business sense. More so than other women in revisionist Westerns, Mrs. Miller demythologizes the roles of women in film. While she is an attractive woman with spirit, she is also a prostitute turned Madame with an addiction to opium. She is an extremely dynamic character as she contradicts past western stereotypes and makes an impact on the film without being saved by a male character.
A woman such as Mrs. Miller is the antithesis of what society dictates a woman to be. She shovels food into her mouth with fierce intention, not caring what anyone else around her thinks. This can relate back to the society that is created throughout the film. Just as past Westerns look to preserve some semblance of order in a rather chaotic situation, this film reworks that with a vague notion of justice. The prostitutes seem to be the ones who benefit the least despite earning money. Before Mrs. Miller arrives, the prostitutes live in squalor as the surrounding men gawk at them. However, by the time Mrs. Miller arrives she teaches them proper hygiene and how to live in such an unforgiving place. Her survivor’s mentality is one of the strongest undercurrents of newly found female power throughout the film. Despite all odds Mrs. Miller still maintains an equal standing to McCabe, something that is often undermined in past Westerns.
In contrast to Marian Starrett, the major female figure in Shane, Mrs. Miller, is a woman of lesser status. Her keen eye for business and brash mannerisms are a bit odd in the beginning, but her true colors show as the film continues. While Marian must be “strong” for her family, Mrs. Miller has to be strong to survive on her own. Mrs. Miller further undermines past female characters in film as she reworks what it means to be a woman in the West. She could have been the quintessential love interest for McCabe, as the woman who stands by him despite all odds, yet she is seen in an opium den while he dies in the snow. Her dreams for a more stable life with a steadier income are shattered, perhaps tragic, but also more fitting. Mrs. Miller could not be the woman who was tied to McCabe because while the two worked well together, they were still different people. What allowed them to work well together had to do with their need for companionship as well as similar goals. The goals had to do with attaining money as well as becoming the master of one’s destiny.
Destiny is an interesting concept especially when looked at in the context of western films. One could say that, traditionally, the hero is destined to end up saving whatever he is meant to save; as a result, changing those around him. Yet an ending to such a myth is too contrived and expected. The revisionist Western undermines what one is destined to do. Dramatizing the cruel landscape and hardened characters McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a realistic glimpse at life in the Northwestern territory.
References
McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Dir. Robert Altman. 1971.
Shane. Paramount Pictures. Dir. George Stevens. 1953. Film.
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