COMES A HORSEMAN

US, 1978, 118 minutes, Colour.
James Caan, Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, George Grizzard, Richard Farnsworth.
Directed by Alan J. Pakula.

Comes a Horseman is conventional western material - individuals with small cattle spreads stand up to old-fashioned violence. What makes it different is that the setting is 1945 and seeing the 19th. century styles in a World War II setting makes them more disturbing - especially when there is a 70s conservation attitude about oil exploration as well. what makes the film often superior are beautiful Colorado mountain scapes and the performances, principally that of Jane Fonda, both tough and tender as a loner rancher. James Caan is quietly strong and Jason Robards, calculatingly ruthless. The dramatics are forceful (if, finally, symbolic and a little too melodramatic), but the overall impact is that of an intelligent western.

1. An interesting and satisfying western? The use of the 20th century with the background of the 19th.? The western conventions of cattle, land barons, gun fights? The apocalyptic tone of the title (the original title was Comes a Horseman Wild and Free)? The apocalyptic tones and the final conflagration? The rider of the apocalypse? The use of the Gothic horror conventions and their incorporation into the atmosphere of the West?

2. The contribution of the colour photography, the beauty of the landscapes, the portrait of nature, the seasons and the weather, the outdoors, days, nights? The cattle and their movement? The horses? The ranches, the houses, the town? The atmosphere of work, life at home, the life in the small town? The contribution of the score?

3. The conventions of the 19th century West: the ranches, the cattle, the law enforcement, the henchmen, violent villainy, heroes, romance? As pictured in the 20th century and the World War II setting? The counter pointing comment of each century on the other? The American heritage of the West?

4. The establishing of the 20th. century atmosphere in the opening, the horseman, the funeral and the bugler, Frank and the return from the war, Ewing and his son's death, the talk of Berlin, the cattle prices, the cars? The audience getting used to the contemporary West?

5. The structure of the film with Ella as the focus? The individual and her resilience, toughness, survival, the clash with greed, resorting to the old traditions and old time violent methods, the individual against cattle barons and empire, the individual against oil exploration and exploitation? Oil development in the West as a 20th century comment on 19th century traditions? (The modern tone with the emphases on ecology and conservation?)

6. The conservation and exploitation themes? The individual and his rights? (Jane Fonda in the central role and her known political stances?)

7. Jane Fonda's interpretation of Ella? Her strength as a woman, a woman in the West brought up as a boy, tough and tender? Her lack of make-up, the true presentation of herself? Her presence at the funeral, the strong confrontation with Ewing especially in the scene as they stared at each other from the distance? Her skill in working her ranch and yet the difficulties, her attempt at survival, finance and the background to her need for money? Her reliance on Dodger and his old traditions in keeping the ranch going? Her suspicions of Frank, friendship after suspicions, love? Her decision to pool resources? Her happiness in looking after Frank? The background of her liaison with Ewing? The loner, the individual, the difficulty of expressing feelings, even gratitude?

8. The background of Roosevelt's new deal: the 30s into the 40s, cars and horses, work and success? Cattle and their place in the United States? The stampede? Financial arrangements? Frank going, becoming a partner, the importance of the name?

9. What happened to Ella in her experience with Frank? Learning to share, become less suspicious, mellowing? The reading at the meal, the work and the branding, the talk especially about the past, the effect of Dodger's death and his going into the hills, the stampede, her attending the dance and enjoying it, the lovemaking, the bargaining and the sale? Ella and Frank united in the violent ending? The need for rebuilding and the Possibility of their doing it? The final smile?

10. Ella's confrontation with Ewing and the memories of the past, his manoeuvring, the growing hatred? Ewing's hatred of Ella even to death?

11. Frank as a contrast to both Ewing and Ella? His experience in the war, the horseman, his being with his partner, work, the hope for the future? The funeral, the singing, the attack and the shots, the knife-killing? Frank's war background and his explanation of it, hopes, health? Working as a hand.. becoming a partner? Mellowing and changing with Ella? The friendship with Dodger and his advice? The bar fight? The confrontations with Ewing, letting him go but taking a stand? Frank's skill. bargaining, his presence at the dance, love for Ella? The experience of violence, the ending? A portrait of a 20th. century man of the West?

12. Ewing as villain? His family traditions., his home and the audience seeing him surrounded by the mansion, the furniture as if in a Boardroom? His grief at the funeral? His challenge to Ella and his confrontation of her just standing and watching? His visits and threats? His pleading with Ella and his expectation that he could win her over. buy her out? The clash with Frank? The friendship with Neal Atkinson and the questions of oil, his dislike of oil. his wanting to expand his cattle and empire? Neal's continual confrontation? The banker and his knowledge of the truth? The questions about trespassing, the manoeuvring of Nealls and the banker's death, the stampede? His philosophy and the bulls and the dog, his explanation of his beliefs? His growing hatred even to madness and Gothic violence? The murder of the banker, the imprisonment in the house, the setting fire to it? The violence and solemnity of his death?

13. Neal Atkinson as the 20th century businessman? His friendship with Ewing, the relying on past memories of financial deals, the pressure for oil exploration, the plans? The inevitability of his death as Ewing's madness grew? Audience sympathy for Atkinson or not?

14. The oil issues, the violence inherent in such exploration? Even to murder? The banker's death?

15. The importance of the character of Dodger, his speaking of the values of the old West? Loyalty, hard work, devotion? The irony of the manner of his death by the modern means? His going into the hills to die like an animal of the West? How important the contribution of his character, philosophy of life, audience feeling for him in understanding the West?

16. Ewing's henchmen and their brutality, villains of the West, their lack of scruple, the violence and murder?

17. The importance of the cattle sequences, their visual beauty, the sounds, giving an atmosphere of the way of life?

18. The environment - the homes: Ella's and her belonging to it, the importance of the doll's house as a model of her home? Her memories of the past, her father etc.? The cattle sheds? Ewing's mansion and the contrast with Ella's home?

19. The atmosphere of the dance and recreation and the way of life of the West?

20. The intimacy of Ella and Frank, at home, at the dance, learning to relax. relate, to touch?

21. The build-up of the Gothic horror ending? Realism, symbolism? Ewing's attack, his henchmen? The trapping of Frank and Ella in the house? The violence of the fire, their escape? The build-up to the killings and the apocalyptic slow-motion of the horseman? (Death as pervading the whole film and the various persons who died, the manner of their death - and the atmosphere of World War II and deaths?)

22. The value of the American western as showing the American heritage. the clashes of pioneering way of life, survival, empire-building? How universal are these thews ?