: The songs of Leonard Cohen, such as "The Stranger Song," enhance the film’s romantic melancholy.

: Altman often used overlapping dialogue. This makes the dialogue feel natural, but sometimes unintelligible. This technique is now seen as essential to its realism. Thematic Core

: The town of Presbyterian Church was built in British Columbia as the film was shot. This gives it a "lived-in" quality.

: Julie Christie plays a madam whose pragmatic exterior hides a deep opium addiction. She represents the harsh reality of frontier survival. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) - Film Review / Analysis

: The plot shifts into a critique of capitalism. The real villains are a mining corporation that uses "force when guile fails" to take over McCabe's business.