Robert Altman’s anti-western, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, is nothing short of a masterpiece. The ethereal cinematography and the Leonard Cohen score sets an the tone from the opening scene, which is pointedly described by Salon.com’s Charles Taylor when he remarked “it looks like old photographs lit from within, as though the subjects had created a sort of afterlife by finding a way to project their essence onto the film.” This “afterlife” then takes on an almost timeless quality, as it does not bare a particular resemblance to the historical time period it purports to depict. Furthermore, its feminist and ironic critique of capitalist oppression is both effective and humorous. However, for me, it is the purity and honesty of the dialogue that take the cake; it as if every character, except of course the agents from the Harrison Shaughnessy, are speaking in candid and lucid way. Indeed, it is almost as if every sentence that comes character’s mouth is a double-entendre of sorts. These lines, often delivered with rare aplomb by Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, reveal the innermost essence of the characters on screen in way that gives them a rare and profound authenticity.
    As is often the case with a masterpiece, it is hard to fully analyze and react to this film. All I will say is bravo! Bravo!