I saw Robert Altman's Nashville when it first came out in 1975 and at the time I felt it was not a middle America I even recognized, I did not care for the film. Watching this film again over 30 years later, I now realize that Altman has captured a portrait of middle America that is spot on.
From the campaign of "The Replacement Party" candidate for president Hall Phillip Walker spouting inflammatory political rhetoric to it's portrait of clueless empty headed fame seeking individuals crooning their mediocre country songs, Nashville presents a portrait of middle class white people that is uncomfortable to watch.
Altman managed a cast of 24 actors and there isn't a misstep in characterization or performance from any of them. They are perfectly integrated into the story. My only complaint is that perhaps there are maybe a couple of extra performances of country songs than are really necessary to the story.
This is probably the best of Altman's ensemble pieces and it seems more than just a satire of the United States, but an actual documentary record of it. A film classic.
160 minutes.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment