MONTE WALSH
Okay, I will admit it: I am usually NOT an emotional person and I usually do not watch Westerns with great frequency. However, there are a few Westerns that I actually did enjoy watching. The most notable is Rio Lobo with John Wayne and Cheyenne Autumn and was the last western movie to by directed by the legendary John Ford. The one 2003 western movie that I did enjoy was Monte Walsh. First, a little brief history.
Monte Walsh was actually a 1963 western novel written by Jack Schaefer. The book became the basis for the 1970 movie in which Lee Marvin played the main character. There was actually a 2003 remake in which Tom Selleck played the title role. (The remake is actually the subject of this entry.)
The book, movie, and remake were about an aging cowboy named Monte Walsh during the final years of the 19th century and on to 1900. Cars, telephones, barbed wire and eventually the aero plane would render the old west and the cowboy way of life obsolete. For Walsh himself, this was unbearable and it shows in his eyes.
I actually saw this movie and although it is a work of fiction, I could not help but to actually feel for the character. I believe that it was the intent of this 2003 movie -to make you get immersed into the story. I did get to see the original 1970 movie starring Lee Marvin but it could not hold a candle to the 2003 remake. Both movies never did depict the final resolution to the ending. (The actual may actually be found in the novel, which I will hopefully get to read in the near future.)
The movie score for the 1970 movie was composed and conducted by John Barry, which is somewhat ironic being that he’s British. I actually liked the movie score for the 2003 remake because it adds to feeling and mood of the old west fading away at the dawn of the 20th century. (The soundtrack is available on CD by LaLaLand Records.)
I do recommend this 2003 movie, even if you are not into westerns. I still hope that I get the book and find out how the story really ends.
Note: This movie is available on DVD. But for the benefit of those visiting this entry, I will include movie clips of this movie. Bear in mind that this is temporary, so enjoy it while you can. The soundtrack is available on CD by LaLaLand Records.
The 2003 movie:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=monte+walsh%2C+simon+wincer+film&search_type=&aq=f
The soundtrack:
http://www.lalalandrecords.com/montewalsh.html
