Comes a Horseman (1978)

Slow and predictable...

...but great cinematography. This film is beautiful to look at, but you can't help but know what's going to happen before it happens. Robards character is nothing more than a big baby who literally throws hissy-fits when he doesn't get his way. The idea that this man is free to just kill who he wants whenever he wants-including bankers-is a little extreme. In the climatic scene-you can help but wonder how on earth this man thought he was going be able to get away with what he was doing? Getting rid of Julia no longer benefited him. He didn't owe the land. The bank did. And getting rid of the banker doesn't get rid of the bank. Silly. Still I liked Dodger, though you knew his number was up the minute he showed on the screen. I can't really recommend the movie, because I wasn't overly impressed with any other performance and the script was written by someone who apparently sleep walks. August 24, 2007

Great riding, gorgeous scenery, full characters

The story is about a sweeping passion that you don't see much anymore --the grab for land, the insistence that a way of life stays the same.

This movie is additionally noteworthy because it garnered the late actor Richard Farnsworth an Academy Award nomination for his part as the steady and honest "Dodger." Farnsworth turns in a fine performance that is plainly and comfortably delivered.

Fonda does a great job playing the part of a tough, unsentimental, and unlikeable but tenacious hard scrabble landowner --a rarity in today's wanna-be-liked movie making machinery. Caan matches her character with an easy going but as hard driving manner, and Robards is an example of menace by long stare. The pacing of the movie is slower than anything made today, so wrap your head round 1978 and just take it in.

One of the greatest reasons to watch this movie is the horsemanship. There's some hard riding here, exemplary riding of the sort you don't see as much these days. Farnsworth had a wonderful riding style, straight and graceful. When you see him in the saddle, you miss him. Iconic, you realize how much he carried all the Westerns made from 1937 and on. This is one of those movies where the three leads seem to be easy with horses.

For sure, there were things that could have been done to give it more authenticity. But that's not how they did the Western in 1978. So to complain about it now is futile. This would make a great movie to remake if only they could find some actors who really knew how to ride like Farnsworth, Fonda & Caan.

Awards 1978:
Richard Farnsworth, Best Supporting Actor Winner--National Board of Review,
National Society of Film Critics; USA, Best Actor Nominee, Academy Awards, USA.
Jane Fonda --Best Actress Los Angeles Film Critics Award
Dennis Lynton Clark--Best Movie Script, Wester Writers of America

Western Horseman Magazine
Cowboys & Indians Magazine
The Cowboy Kind Book with a Forward by Richard Farnsworth
The Straight Story Movie with Richard Farnsworth, for which he garned a Best Actor Nomination
The Grey Fox starring Richard Farnsworth August 18, 2007

When Comes The End Of This Movie?

This is a very tedious movie about a female rancher played by Jane Fonda who is trying to eek out a living. At the same time she is trying to atone for fornicating with THE BAD GUY which broke her daddy's heart.So she kinda has her hands full. Then James Cann arrives all shot up and she has to be a nurse too!Then the two of them along with their elderly ranch hand try to drive cattle and make a good sale.This movie is only redeemed by the wonderful performance of veteran actor Richard Farnsworth who I understand started his career as a stuntman. J.R. Ewing's Daddy is also in thus movie with the unlikely name of "Julie". September 23, 2006

Comes a Horseman

COMES A HORSEMAN is a romance wrapped in a western. The local cattle baron (Jason Robards) wants to drive out rancher Jane Fonda, who has hired on local wrangler James Caan to help her make it through one more hard year. Complicating things in this World War II era tale is the oil company that wants everybody's land.
With some truly beautiful wide angle photography, a plethora of establishing shots and a dearth of tight close ups, COMES A HORSEMAN is an more an actor's than an editor's movie that works as well as it does because it has an excellent cast at the top of their game. Director Alan Pakula often pulls the camera back and allows his actors room to discover their character and the meaning of the scene.
I only had two problems with this movie. I felt the ending, the final confrontation between bad guy Robards and good gal Fonda, was a bit contrived . The other problem was a puzzler - weren't their any doctors in cattle country America in 1945? A couple of characters get busted up pretty badly in the course of things and they're dumped into a bed with a damp handkerchief on the forehead with nary a doctor in sight. It didn't bother me much when Caan was laid up without professional medical care, but I hated to see poor Dodger (Richard Farnsworth) treated in such a manner.
September 25, 2004

Dark and hauting western.very underated

This is another fine example of a very underated film release during late 70s ,starring the legendary James Caan , the always superb Jane Fonda and jason Robard in a truly great villian role.They dont make this kind of film anymore.Buy the DVD and judge yourself.Dont expect to see a slam bang action western,there is a fist fight and gun fight but fast and stylishly done by the director.A cinematic masterpiece October 18, 2002

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