Revisionist westerns were a prominent genre in the '70s, as Hollywood tried to break away from the John Wayne mold. The notable ones were "Little Big Man" and "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" (and for comic relief, there was of course "Blazing Saddles"). Since Jane Fonda was a major figure in the protest movement - and came out in support of the American Indian Movement - it's no surprise that she starred in one of the new kinds of westerns. Alan J. Pakula's "Comes a Horseman" follows a plot similar to "Shane", but in this case a woman is the central focus, and the story takes place in the 1940s.
Jason Robards plays a slimy rancher in cahoots with an oilman hoping to buy up all the land. Jane Fonda and James Caan play a pair of ranchers who team up to try and resist the encroachment. The war between the sides leads to some intense scenes.
The landscape plays as much a role in the movie as the actors do. Representing the wild country still holding up despite human development, it reflects the efforts of Fonda's and Caan's characters to resist the corporate titans. Another fine performance comes from Richard Farnsworth in an Academy Award-nominated turn as a ranch hand (the movie also features Mark Harmon of "NCIS" in an early role).
All in all, it's not a masterpiece, but I recommend it. Pakula also directed "Klute", "The Parallax View", "All the President's Men", "Sophie's Choice" and "The Devil's Own". He was killed in a car accident in 1998.
Jason Robards plays a slimy rancher in cahoots with an oilman hoping to buy up all the land. Jane Fonda and James Caan play a pair of ranchers who team up to try and resist the encroachment. The war between the sides leads to some intense scenes.
The landscape plays as much a role in the movie as the actors do. Representing the wild country still holding up despite human development, it reflects the efforts of Fonda's and Caan's characters to resist the corporate titans. Another fine performance comes from Richard Farnsworth in an Academy Award-nominated turn as a ranch hand (the movie also features Mark Harmon of "NCIS" in an early role).
All in all, it's not a masterpiece, but I recommend it. Pakula also directed "Klute", "The Parallax View", "All the President's Men", "Sophie's Choice" and "The Devil's Own". He was killed in a car accident in 1998.