Nashville (1975)

5/30/06

Just minutes ago I finished Robert Altmans Nashville, a film that I have wanted to see for some time but also viewed in preparation for the upcoming A Prairie Home Companion. Nashville is a sort of War and Peace of country music, a character study film with too many characters. Yet despite the brush confusion of the piece at the beginning, its many storylines fade away to reveil a hard to define whole that make provocative statements about politics, humanity, and America. I don't know if I'd say this movie is really my thing, I think I'll have to think and reflect on it some more, but I do recognize that its some kind of genius because I hated the first half of it (and this is a 2 hour and 40 minute long movie), but had achieved detente with it by the end. Never-the-less an important film of the 1970's. I am however a 'supporter' of Altmans Jack Tanner mini-series Tanner 88', and Tanner on Tanner, both of which star Michael Murphy who played a political consultant in Nashville.