The 1960s and 1970s were an era of ups and downs in American politics and society, as well as an important facade of Hollywood—the era of decline of western films. Western films have always been given the mission of promoting the American spirit. As a result, the heroic cowboys, the awe-inspiring sheriffs, and the beautiful and attractive prostitutes representing the truth, goodness and beauty, American mythology and spirit in the movie, were involved in a series of events such as the assassination of Martin Luther King, the assassination of Kennedy, and the Vietnam War. The temple was destroyed under the impact and became synonymous with comical and hypocrisy. The people gave up western films, and Hollywood had to give up western films. If the faith is shattered, chanting is meaningless.
However, the Italians from far away have used macaroni recipes to make several masterpieces, providing new ideas to their American counterparts. There are no heavy moral burdens and values preaching in their films, and shooting in foreign regions has greatly reduced the reference to contemporary American conditions. Indeed, who said that Westerns must be linked to the American spirit? It can be the same as other types of films, responsible for providing the audience with the highest audiovisual pleasure, allowing the audience to wander comfortably without any burden in the dreamy and beautiful western scenery; its characters do not need to be high-end, and the story is also You don't have to be a hero to save beauty, good will conquer evil. The audience can accept that the protagonist is shot and killed, because the reality is much worse than this.
"Hana Village" directed by Altman is an atypical Western film that has faded from its halo, but he has to go further and deeper-he makes the Western film that once sang the main theme to sing the opposite. The audience can find almost all the traditional elements in the film, but they are all wrong. The protagonist John McCabe airborne like a mysterious cowboy in a small town, but his nervous self-talking made him immediately disenchanted, and his arrogant, cowardly, and unreasonable character later revealed that he could not take on the heavy responsibility of the savior. In contrast, the old bustard Constance Miller is bold and assertive, without her management, the brothel business would not take shape (to some extent, Warren Beatty seems to have played Clyde again). There are cowboys in the true sense, but a man with insufficient yang who appeared in the middle of the film and came from afar just to get away with him was shot in the ice water without even taking out his gun after leaving the brothel. There is also a real killer. In the hotel, he shuddered and asked whether McCabe killed Roundtree (a tense scene, dialogue and performance are also very catching. This is my favorite passage in the whole film), but Later, he asked in annoyance who Roundtree was-Altman used humor to dispel the stereotypes of the characters, and at the same time, he added a few more bars to this counter-tune score.
But this is not the culmination of the counter-tune of "Hana Village"-McCabe's tragic death in the snow is the most exciting part of the whole piece. In the time after the curtain ends, the brothel will be in the hands of others without accident, but it may be the biggest regret that the lover has not finally married. From the narrative point of view, his death is unnecessary, but because of this, his death is very important. In my opinion, his death represents the living conditions and spiritual portrayal of American society in the 1960s and 1970s.
Let's look at the last paragraph. On one side is the church on fire, on the other is McCabe's gunfight. The use of parallel montages reinforces this metaphor: He can no longer be accepted by God. The small capitalist McCabe is the epitome of millions of Americans. He wants to make a lot of money, he wants to be in love, he has entrepreneurial ambitions, and he wants to be the leader of the people, but at this time and place, God no longer cares for him. He is a person who has lost his faith, or in other words, he has lost his soul. Don't forget that McCabe was kicked out of the church before this, and in the next upgrade shot, the priest was broken by a shotgun with his cross-drawing arm.
Just like the Sheriff Javert in "Les Miserables", people who lose their faith can only find their final destination in death. McCabe died with the trust, buried the economic system of the entire society-only temporarily. The crisis will not be completely lifted, and even the real crisis has never come. While the people are still cheering for the rescue of the church shelf, the magic claws of the machinery industry are approaching them. The locomotive was spraying heavy smoke, crushing the ice and snow, and breaking into the small town. Before long, they will all become vassals of machines other than capital. The lens appropriately creates a surreal and terrifying atmosphere.
So why does John McCabe have to die? Because this is true enough. Westerns filmed during the decline of Westerns are unusual. "Hana Village" is a counter-tune, which is the past and the mask, but it is definitely not for the contrary. It defamiliarizes the genre that the audience knows, creating amazing theatrical effects, and more importantly, adding depth. , Which reflects reality. McCabe is not an enviable perfect hero, but his shortcomings make people love him more. Who didn't feel pity for him when he saw his last frozen appearance in the snow? Perhaps this is another reason why he must die: to use his appearance to express deep care and sympathy to ordinary people in troubled times.
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