(1978)
2.5
Brian J. Dillard
Comes a Horseman won Richard Farnsworth his first Oscar nomination, but the veteran stunt man-turned-thespian provides only one of the fine performances in this grave, level-headed Alan J. Pakula effort. James Caan's insouciant veteran/cowboy and Jason Robards' winner-takes-all villain are equally solid. Jane Fonda, meanwhile, leverages a severe Electra complex and a lot of dusty cattle rancher costumes into a very different sort of showcase role than the one that earned her an Oscar in Pakula's masterpiece Klute. The popular director keeps the focus on his actors, but screenwriter Dennis Lynton Clark and cinematographer Gordon Willis take great pains to demonstrate both the hardships of the modern rancher and the dusky beauty that continues to draw independent-minded individuals to such a life. This is mostly a quiet film, full of pervasive, unglamorous challenges and occasional but subtle triumphs. It isn't a blockbuster and doesn't try to be, but its measured script is full of well-observed moments and ragged charm.
Comes a Horseman on AllMovie
Comes a Horseman (1978)
