Cat Ballou

Starring: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman, Nat King Cole, Stubby Kaye, Tom Nardini, John Marley
Directed by: Elliot Silverstein
Rating: Approved
Genre: Western, Comedy, Musical
1965

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Jane Fonda) determines to get revenge on the man who killed her father. She hires a famous gunslinger (Lee Marvin), but is disappointed when he is not what she expected.

Review:

Tim: I really liked that Cat Ballou is so different than your typical Western. In a genre that makes it even harder to differentiate yourself (I'm guessing your movie has guns, horses, hats, and saloons?), this film manages to feel fresh and unique while also delivering some of the genre staples we've come to expect. It might not quite be a great movie, but it is a solid, entertaining one.

I really liked that the main protagonist is a woman. In a genre where too often women are either whores or weak victims, this film manages to give us a fascinating, tough, resilient heroine in Cat Ballou. It cannot be understated how great this movie is. While it's a great (rare) example of Hollywood recognizing the strength of women, it also serves as one of those big differentiators. I loved this decision.

The story itself is pretty straightforward and similar to many other films. It's really just a revenge story- a woman's father is murdered and she seeks vengeance on those who killed him. They get revenge by robbing trains and creating other havoc- none of this is particularly new. The film does throw a twist in by making this a comedy. I loved that the comedic elements never went so far as to turn the film into a farce. It's a Western with plenty of action and drama, and yet it expertly weaves in comedy. I liked the scenes with Lee Marvin drunkenly riding the crazy horse. That was a great example of taking something that's been done dozens of times before (a horse chase scene) and turning it on its head. Now, I will say that I wish the film had looked for more ways to subvert our expectations. There are quite a few scenes that just adhere to the same old, same old (for example, the hanging scene- do you think they'll rescue her?).

The cast was good. I liked Jane Fonda in the lead role. Sometimes she annoys me, but for the most part, she delivered a fine performance. I would not suggest she's a truly great actress (several of her scenes weren't quite great), but she is serviceable and works in the role. Lee Marvin is interesting, because he oddly plays two roles- both the drunken formerly heroic Kid Shelleen, as well as the villainous no-nose Tim Strawn. It was impressive that he was able to pull off this range in one film. I would suspect that it also led to his winning the Academy Award for Best Actor. I have to say I was a bit surprised by this. Sure, playing both a good and bad guy (who are very different characters) is an impressive feat. He had more opportunities to showcase his talent as the drunken Shelleen, and he was legitimately funny throughout the movie. I also loved his ability to transform into a different Shelleen when he decides to get sober. I'm not sure if Marvin did any one thing that was truly spectacular, but he was called upon to do so many different things that the sheer volume of what he needed to deliver likely set him apart. It's certainly a very unique performance, so I won't complain about the Oscar win too much.

The music was actually quite enjoyable. The songwriting played a bit part in the film (the film was rightly nominated for Best Original Song and Best Score). I actually enjoyed the little interludes with Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye singing directly to the cameras. The songs were fun and catchy "The Ballad of Cat Ballou" was especially good. This really added a great deal to the film.

Even at 97 minutes, the film occasionally felt too long. It dragged in a few places and it did deliver on a few too many Western cliches. Some of the supporting characters weren't nearly as strong as they needed to be. The movie was also not as funny as it could have been. Many of the moments were slightly amusing, but not as funny as the film wanted them to be. On a few occasions, the humor was more annoying than anything else.

While Cat Ballou has its flaws, it is a Western that feels fresh and original (for the most part). I had fun watching this movie and while I wouldn't consider it a classic of the genre, it made for an entertaining time. Now I have to go and try to get that "Ballad of Cat Ballou" song out of my head.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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