The Nuanced Western

Comes A Horseman (1978) – Two small ranchers in mid-1940s Montana fight to keep their land against a man who wants to control their entire valley. Forced into a partnership neither wants, they must find a way to resist all the forces their opponent can bring to bear.

Directed by Alan J. Pakula

Starring Jane Fonda, James Caan, Jason Robards, Jr., Richard Farnsworth, Mark Harmon

Why I Liked It – A western with more nuance than you often find in the genre.

I rarely read other reviews of the movies I’m watching. The goal is to avoid any bias or preconceptions, so that you are getting my opinion and my opinion alone. I will sometimes read them AFTER I’ve made up my own mind, if I see ideas that surprise me. There were two things that jumped out at me from my quick scan of other reviews. Lots of people felt the movie was slow, and a small percentage insisted that the acting was terrible in this movie.

Let’s deal with the second item first. There is some serious acting talent in this cast. They put that skill on display here. Richard Farnsworth, in the first major onscreen role of this legendary stunt man’s career, was nominated for an Oscar for his work. And he is stunning here. Fonda plays her role with a brittle defensiveness that slowly wears away. I thought Caan was fine as the soldier home from the war who doesn’t quite know what to do in “the world”. Robards, as noted below, was incredible. So, I reject that the acting was bad. It wasn’t. That brings us to the other point.

Westerns are melodramas traditionally. It’s big action set against the big scenery of the western parts of the United States. The emotions are big, the moral questions are starkly black and white. Most movies in this genre are set in the mythology that grew up around the cowboys of the late 1800s. They are all about shootouts, stampedes and solitary men on racing horses. City folk are bad, all a man needs is his horse and six-shooter. There’s very little that is subtle or nuanced. Black hats versus white hats, and a pretty gal waiting for the winner. Which is always the white hat.

In the 1950s and ‘60s, a “modern” western emerged. Much less black and white, far grayer. The traditionalists hated it, but some very interesting movies emerged. In movies like “High Noon” and “3:10 to Yuma” we get westerns that dig a little deeper. I would put “Comes A Horseman” in that category. It’s not as good as either of them, but there’s a lot going on here that’s really good.

Ella Connors (Fonda) inherited a ranch from her father that was hanging by a thread. She is faced with her father’s primary opponent in J.W. Ewing. Unsure of how to survive one more year, she teams up with her neighbor, who purchased land from her to start his own ranch. Frank Athearn (Caan) was discharged from the Army as World War II wound down. He’s being pressured by Ewing as well. Along with Ella’s long-time ranch hand Dodger (Farnsworth) they must try and face down a man who shows he is willing to do anything to win.

Fonda and Caan’s characters are people of few words, and director Pakula allows those characters to have their space. There’s plenty of communication that takes place with a look, or a small action. Robards as the bad guy hides behind a cool, calm exterior. As you watch what he does and admits to having done by his goons, you see just how deep the evil extends. What follows is a bit of a spoiler, but I need it to show just how awful Ewing is. He stalks, then uses Ella while she’s still a teen. That’s bad enough, but the reason why is worse. Ewing did what he did (and Ella’s hatred for him burns at a white heat), in order to humiliate Ella’s father. And he does it in front of Ella. There’s no melodrama villain here. Ewing looks banal (a mistake several people make in the movie to their regret), but under that surface is one of the nastiest movie villains I’ve seen in a while.

There are flaws here. The story wanders a bit at times, and the ending, while sticking to the movie’s overall subtle style, doesn’t bring quite the closure that even I wished for. It’s clear what is happening, but there’s a bit too much of the “Well, you know the rest”.

You can stream “Comes A Horseman” on Pluto, Tubi, and the Roku Channel for free (with a few ads), or on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube TV, Sling, Philo or MGM+

Rating – ***Worth A Look