Robert Altmans 'Nashville'

cortempond

Active member
Altman's Best Flick? -- Long Goodbye, No doubt

Altman has made some amazing flims - one of the best directors of the 70's, by far. Of course, he's also made a lot of crap films as well (Dr. T and the Women, Pret A Porter, anyone?) Nashville has been said sum up America as a whole in the mid 70's mindset from a cultural perspective -- political, emotional, musical, etc. Altman as auteur -- the overlapping dialogue, the impression of improvised acting (though Altman says most of his films are tightly scripted) disjointed, crazy quilt sequences, multiple strands of plot and character that come together at the end -- plus a dash of conspiracy, as was the theme in Mid '70s films (All The President's Men, Three Days of the Condor, etc.)

The Long Goodbye, though is his best film overall, next to McCabe and Mrs. Miller, MASH and California Split. It gels and clicks, the dialogue pops, all the performances are incredible, Johnny Mercer score, everything about it is brilliant. It also stands up the frequent viewing, while Nashville is dated, plus a bit of a slog to get through.

California Split has just been released on DVD and has a commentary track with Elliot Gould, George Segal and Altman. Altman says that of all of his films, this was the most improvised. It also is quite incredible, the way Gould and Segal play off each other.

Oh, and Short Cuts is insanely overrated.
 

Woebot

Well-known member
cortempond said:
Of course, he's also made a lot of crap films as well (Dr. T and the Women, Pret A Porter, anyone?)

Not forgetting Popeye ;)

cortempond said:
Nashville has been said sum up America as a whole in the mid 70's mindset from a cultural perspective -- political, emotional, musical, etc. Altman as auteur -- the overlapping dialogue, the impression of improvised acting (though Altman says most of his films are tightly scripted) disjointed, crazy quilt sequences, multiple strands of plot and character that come together at the end -- plus a dash of conspiracy, as was the theme in Mid '70s films (All The President's Men, Three Days of the Condor, etc.)

Thats what i picked up when i studied Altman as well. Have you checked that "Cinema of Lonliness" book, that sucks in all that crew, particularly Scorcese. Ive always rated ALtman higher though. Something quiet about all those films he made in that era.

cortempond said:
The Long Goodbye, though is his best film overall, next to McCabe and Mrs. Miller, MASH and California Split. It gels and clicks, the dialogue pops, all the performances are incredible, Johnny Mercer score, everything about it is brilliant. It also stands up the frequent viewing, while Nashville is dated, plus a bit of a slog to get through.

I do love The Long Goodbye. I've seen the ultra widescreen print of it too. The frame is in some wacked out ratio like 25:4 just so precarious, theres shit happening on the left, and a whole other thing happening on the right. I saw a reprint at the South Bank however and it left less of an impact. Its a real cinematographers film that one. Altman plucks loads of meaning out of the lens, like for example that end shot where the camera zooms in on the car(?) as it disappears along a country road and it appears to remain the same size. Very disorientating.

cortempond said:
California Split has just been released on DVD and has a commentary track with Elliot Gould, George Segal and Altman. Altman says that of all of his films, this was the most improvised. It also is quite incredible, the way Gould and Segal play off each other.

You know Ive never seen that one!

cortempond said:
Oh, and Short Cuts is insanely overrated.

Yeah but it wasnt a BAD return to form was it? Interest in him tailed off pretty sharply. And Gosford Park (minus Steven Fry, the worst cameo EVER in a movie) that wasnt a bad way to call it a day now was it?
 
Altman also did an incredible job on" Vincent and Theo"also political satire in "Tanner" 3women is worth a look too; I think Mcabe and Mrs Miller is probably his most poetic.Leonard Cohen is on the soundtrack as well.Cheers, Chris
 

egg

Dumpy's Rusty Nut
WOEBOT said:
And Gosford Park (minus Steven Fry, the worst cameo EVER in a movie) that wasnt a bad way to call it a day now was it?
sorry gotta disagree. gosford park is lame. from what i remember in all the excitement of the luvvie meetup someone forgot about plot. and then the screenplay won an oscar or something didn't it? afraid that all just passed me by entirely. what have i missed?
 

ripley

Well-known member
"Everything is food!"

I love Popeye - come on, how is "everything is food" not a genuinely bizarre genius musical scene?

And I'm happy that California Split is coming out, at last. I found it pretty amazing, but disturbing. In some ways a brilliant examination/portrayal of a particular aspect of US culture I find it hard to name, that never gets portrayed in films.

Some of the best imagery, as usual. Again, Altman shows things (people doing things) I never see shown.. not big things, but little ones.

Also a big fan of The Long Goodbye. Wasn't that Arnold's first screen role? (How many of you have seen the Governor of your state naked? ugh. not that I'm happy about either half of that question ..)
 
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