Movie : Monte Walsh

Times are changing and Monte Walsh is bucking the trend.  He doesn’t know anything but cowboying and can’t imagine doing anything else.  A lot of his peers feel the same way but are being forced into changing just because there is not enough ranch work anymore.  This set of cowboys are down to the last bit of work, working for a cattle manager.  Monte’s best friend Chet sees it coming and makes the change.  Monte starts to waver and confides in his prostitute girlfriend that maybe he should try something new.  Things play out influencing Monte’s choice.  Change is hard for someone who has only known one thing his whole life.

CB got caught up in this story.  It’s told with a sense of humor with some dark moments on the side.  It’s a simple story told in an easy manner. William A. Fraker does a good job taking us into the mindset of the characters.  Just how hard it is to handle so much change coming so fast.  He also has David M. Walsh capture it all beautifully on camera.  The supporting cast are authentic looking and fit the roles.  One particular scene had CB laughing out loud for a while.  The cook at the ranch is a dirty stinky old shit but “he sure can cook”.  Just the way the boys react to the stinky old bastard is worth watching the movie.  They finally grab him and give em a bath.

The three leads Lee Marvin, Jack Palance and Jean Moreau work well together.  Jack and Lee are believable as life long buddies.  Both give good performances.  Marvin hams it up a bit but that’s ok. I like the guy.  CB is a big Marvin and Palance fan.

So if you’re looking for a quiet little slice of film that doesn’t take itself too seriously check out Monte Walsh.  It is light with some serious turns and has a good look at the old west moving into the future.

And like the movie says “Nobody gets to be a cowboy forever”.