Jeanne Moreau more beautiful than ever! Beautiful, talented and glamorous. But it will make you sad because... you'll see why... Lee Marvin and Jack Palance, two super-sacred monsters! Even doing nothing, by their mere presence in any movie, they filled the screen, in the best sense of the word, enlivening any production. They were unique! Jim Davis, Jock Ewing from "Dallas" is their boss. Nice melancholic music by John Barry. Great cinematography by David M. Walsh. There are not too many guns, rifles and shots, it's another kind of western, a realistic one, a slice of life.

Whether Monte Walsh is one of the all-time greats of the Western genre I'm not sure. But it is certainly a personal favourite, and has a big emotional impact in a way that few other Westerns have, with the exception of perhaps The Shootist.It's beautifully photographed with an appealing graininess reminiscent of something like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Some shots are also almost painterly and the costumes are sets are equally handsome and evocative, maybe lacking the grandeur of Monument Valley for example but no less striking. William Fraker may have felt he was more comfortable as a cinematographer and he is perhaps more well-known for that, but his directing(his first and best) in Monte Walsh is most credible and does reiterate that he should have directed more films. John Barry, one of the greatest film composers who rarely put a foot wrong, couldn't have been a more ideal choice for composer, and his score here is wonderful, sweeping and elegiac. The film's song The Happy Times are Coming is a hauntingly beautiful song with a touch of irony and Momma Cass Elliot's singing of it is deeply felt and affecting.Also great about Monte Walsh is how well-written it is, with none of it feeling too wordy or meandering. The very poetic in tone script is both light-hearted and heart-wrenching and some of the metaphors really makes one contemplate afterwards. It also develops the characters remarkably, the characters could have been just stereotypes but here they just felt so real and easy to identify with, and I completely believed in the agreeable chemistry between Monte and Chet and the subtly touching one between Monte and Martine. The story, which is easy to follow and beautifully told, has a warm-hearted, poetic touch at first but becomes very elegiac that is both haunting and poignant, not in a manipulative or cloying way but in a genuine way and it does not feel like two different films. The acting is great, Lee Marvin commanding, noble and cool with a touch of steel, while Jack Palance has never been more restrained or moving with Chet being the most likable character of his career. Jeanne Moreau is very touching, her eyes conveying a devastating effect.Overall, a wonderful film and you'd be hard pressed to find a Western with as much emotional punch(to me only The Shootist comes close). 10/10 Bethany Cox

The Mama Cass tune over the opening credits seems to herald a new era as she sings 'The Good Times Are Comin', but as the picture progresses, it becomes apparent that the good times are about to fade forever for Monte Walsh. Lee Marvin portrays the title character, Jack Palance is his loyal friend and partner Chet Rollins. The entire film pays tribute to a dying breed, the passing of the cowboy way of life, taking it's toll on those free and independent spirits who never had the time or inclination to just settle down. Some can't take it, like Fightin' Joe Hooker (John McLiam) who goes out in his own blaze of glory by charging his horse over a cliff. Others, like Palance's character, succumb to the banality of becoming a hardware husband, replete with shop apron and shelves full of merchant goods. There's worse things than winding up a Texas Jack Butler in a Wild West Roundup Show, but it's tough to keep your integrity intact when the rest of the life you've known is falling away in a steady slide toward oblivion. It's that prevailing melancholy that pervades "Monte Walsh", the character and the movie, that makes it so difficult yet wonderful to watch. An ode to the Old West that confirms that nobody gets to be a cowboy forever.

When "Monte Walsh" appeared in 1970, I avoided it like the plague. "Who wants to see a movie about the end of an era?" I asked myself, conveniently forgetting how much I loved "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance." So, nearly 30 years later, Turner Classic Movies gave me the opportunity to correct what might have been a mistake. Had I erred in 1970? Well, yes and no. Yes, because "Monte Walsh" now joins my list of one of the five best westerns ever made; and, no, because at the tender age of 21, I would not have appreciated this masterpiece; which, in these especially troubled times, seems more relevant than ever.According to TCM host, Robert Osborne, William Fraker directed only 4 films during his distinguished career, preferring his role as director of photography. If "Monte Walsh" is any example, then director Fraker missed his calling; as, "Monte Walsh" boasts outstanding ensemble acting, unusual unless the director is especially gifted. Many in this cast give the best performances of his or her career, particularly Jim Davis and Mitchell Ryan. "Monte Walsh" should be the role for which Marvin is remembered, as "Chet" should be the role to remember Jack Palance. It's a joy and a privilege to watch Marvin and Palance interact, even more enjoyable than Marvin and John Wayne in their frequent pairings. The first two thirds of "Monte Walsh" is largely upbeat, even in the hard times portrayed, while the final third left me both numb and aching."I won't p**s on 30 years of my life," is one of the many profound quotations in "Monte Walsh." It defines Monte's code of honor; a decent, loving and honorable man unwilling to compromise who he is. I give "Monte Walsh" a "10".