MONTANA

US, 1990, 90 minutes, Colour.

Gena Rowlands, Richard Crenna, Lea Thompson, Justin Deas, Elizabeth Berridge, Darren Dalton, Scott Coffey, Michael Madsen.

Directed by William A.Graham.

Montana is one of the earliest of the series of significant HBO films made for television during the 1990s and into the 2000s.

It is a western, significant because it was written by veteran Larry McMurtry, writer of The Last Picture Show, Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment and many other novels and screenplays.

The setting is the state of Montana, with beautiful photography of the mountains and landscapes, the open ranges and the breeding of cattle, the arrival of teams involved in oil and coal exploration, significant at the end of the 20^th century, and stances taken between the developers and the old homesteaders. The focus is on a husband and wife and their long marriage, she in the tradition of the cattle owners, he interested in the further developments. They have a son and daughter, the son interested in the developments, the daughter siding with her mother. The daughter is played by Lea Thompson.

The film has the expected conflicts, arguments, taking sides, scenes of cattle runs, scenes of life in the town, Native Americans, drinking, lassoing.

The film is interesting in retrospect given the developments of the first decades of the 21^st-century and the issues of climate change, the uses of fossil fuels…

1. A late 20^th century Western? Style? Themes? The future of wrenching and of mining, oil and coal?
2. The Montana settings, the landscapes, the audience is immersed, the background mountains, the valleys, the cattle spreads, the towns? The musical score?
3. The conflict between the ranchers and those hoping for wealth from coal? A 20^th-century issue? Seen in retrospect? Climate change, fossil fuels…?
4. The film written by Larry McMurtry, his reputation, his interpretation of the American West?
5. The clash between Bess and Hoyce? 34 years marriage? The children? Her ownership of the land? The management of the land, debts? His signing the document about oil and coal exploration? Her shooting the equipment? Clash, separation, his moving out? She a woman of determination? He a cowboy, going to town, lassoing the Indian, the fight in the town, money, drinking?
6. Peg, on her mother’s side, studies and ambitions, coming home, the clashes with Clyde, the flight, her husband and his jobs, taking another side, with her father, in town, the drinking? Her stances?
7. Clyde, different opinions, clashing with his mother, marriage? Flying the plane, giving the woman the lift? Responsible and irresponsible?
8. Life in Montana, the traditions, the cattle, going out to roundup the cattle, bringing them in, everybody participating? Willie, his ambitions, his hat, falling off the horse…?
9. Bess, discussions with her husband, with Peg, change of mind? Her husband’s reaction? Peg’s reaction? The presence of the native Americans and their influence?
10. The end of the 20^th century, the traditions of the land, the tradition of exploiting fossil fuels, the future?