Synopsis
Set in the rainy Pacific Northwest at the turn of the century, Robert Altman's revisionist Western follows small-time gambler John McCabe and opium-addicted brothel madam Constance Miller as they reluctantly partner to build a prosperous frontier town. When a powerful mining company moves to buy them out, McCabe's stubborn pride leads to a fateful confrontation, while Leonard Cohen's haunting folk score underscores the film's elegiac meditation on the American Dream.
Did You Know?
- Robert Altman used overlapping dialogue to create a realistic frontier atmosphere.
- Leonard Cohen's melancholic folk songs define the film's haunting soundtrack.
- Warren Beatty reportedly improvised much of his rambling McCabe dialogue.
- The entire frontier town of Presbyterian Church was built from scratch.
- Julie Christie received an Academy Award nomination for her role.
Iconic Quotes
- If a man is fool enough to get into business with a partner, he deserves what he gets.
- I got poetry in me! I do! I got poetry in me, but I ain't gonna put it down on paper.
- You think small because you're afraid to think big.
- Every time I talk to you I get aggravated.
- A coward's the easiest thing in the world to kill. He runs toward you, belly first.
