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Nashville [1975] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


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Yee-haaawwww, Robert Altman's all star Americana
Review date: 2006-12-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

Nashville has the ultimate template of a multi-functional cast, which be compared to more recent offerings, like The Player, with the various characters as if they are constantly spilling out of the studio, Short Cuts and you could also consider Gosford Park, with the servants, housemaids, butlers, residents of the household and certain percuile guests whom visit.

Featuring a load of little known talents including some well know supporting partners, Nashville could be considered to be the jewel of the whole of Tennessee!

Nashville follows twelve hopeful country singers as they try to spread their talent (or what they have of it) by catchy one-liners, being patronic about their home; having a band to support them; singing songs close to their dear hearts and having some real desperate dress sense to round everything off, on their journey of religious views, drugs, positivity and prositution for the eve of a Presidental campaigan.

Altman's eye for a cast, was ineable here, different actor/actresses capable of doing different things to blend in with the formulae. Take for example, Shelley Duvall playing a young girl hopping around like a rabbit with headphones with nosey comments, Lily Tomlin playing a woman, unfaithful to her suspicious husband and leaving her two deaf children for an affair with a druggie. This basically outlined the pressure of the career, wanting to be accepted, but wanting it all for themselves.

Nashville's editing was balanced, the scenes spoke for themselves, with for example, allowing time for characters to disappear and appear when necessary, also the use of entire sequences for dialogue or in some cases, following the speech made by the van via the microphone.

The performances were well cast, especially the role of Lily Tomlin whose lack of attention for their children, wanting to idle away with the man of her dreams, she loves her children, but finds the burden of her work entirely reliant on her efforts, she seeks his man and his drugs to be the only sole solution to calm her down.

Nashville was the film of the age, one which went out to showcase the often overlooked country music scene with a document feel, for public humilation, in the sort of songs they wrote about, like for example, "I have been a miner for 300 years" (America was not founded until 1776 under the Decelaration Act)

Nashville was ahead of it's time, encouraging a war to rage with each of the characters, wanting to be superior and rule them old airwaves. Nashville also observed the casualty of fame, singer who are "extremely" popular for their personalities and not much for their quality, eventually lose out in the land, where everyone is trying to get a piece of everything, hand, foot and mouth. Altman seriously believed that a pop star would be murdered because of this and clearly shows why this could happen. A wise move for the New Hollywood protigue, whose "should" have won Best Director for his outstanding work on a film with no stereotypes and cliches to note. A landmark 70s film, which is sure to upset someone with the shocking truth of American life and mere ugliness of it all.

Nashville is not an easy watch, it is rather difficult to understand each constract, so i advise you break it in two or three parts, until you go with the flow.

Thank you, Robert Altman for this.

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Reviews


The Good, the bad and the brilliant of America!
Review date: 2006-03-25 Rating: 10 out of 10

A perpetual womaniser sings a ballad in a club in a desperate attempt to attract a woman he has been trying to cavout for a lengthy period. We see the eyes of three women in turn, who he has had alternate flings with as their faces fill with their heartfelt desires. We see it objectively; through Altman's subtle yet unostentatious photography - that simple, yet transcendental human emotion for each other. 'Nashville' is a gourgeous mosaic of those basic human relationships, characteristics, behaviour traits, lifestyles and attitudes that form our very being.

Altman is a great director, yet unlike many of his counterparts his portrayal of his characters is not full of cynicism and disdain. He never tries to alienate his protagonists from our sympathy. Through the plethora of characters he displays here we see not only the cross-section of America society, but most likely of life itself - each character's humanity is shown without a sugar-coat, yet without a vail of misanthrophy either.

'Nashville' is a sensitive and clever film. It flows seamlessly from situation to situation, from conversation to conversation. Altman's focus is to depict each character in turn with their dilemmas and flaws, but also their redemming qualities as well.

This is an excellent film, one of the best that America's ever produced. Buy it now without delay!!!

One of Altman's best
Review date: 2004-01-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is a great film from a golden age of American film production. It is unusual for Altman, since with about an hour of music in it you could almost call it a musical. But other typical characteristics are there, with its wonderful ensemble cast, natural filming and sound, understated sense of humour and dark overtones.

The story as it is based around 24 main characters and five days of their life in Nashville. The characters are an eclectic mix: the stalwart country institution Haven Hamilton (played wonderfully by Henry Gibson), Ronee Blakely's fragile, domed country singer Barbara Jean, perpetual womaniser Tom Frank (Oscar winner Keith Carradine), Opal - an upper-class English reporter who never seems to really notice what's going on around her (Geraldine Chaplin) and so on.

The cast themselves wrote and sang all of the music (with considerable help from Richard Baskin). Carrdine's Oscar winning song "I'm Easy" is the one most people think of when they think of this film, but its not the only highlight. Some of the songs are rather good in their own right - particularly "Dues" by Ronee Blakely, "Memphis" by Karen Black and "It don't worry me" by Carradine again. Others are fantastic for their earnest pomposity - particularly Henry Gibson's songs. The singing is at times patchy (most of the cast aren't singers and Altman recorded many of the songs in one take): Lily Tomlin isn't really a Gospel singer, Cristina Raines struggles a bit, and Timothy Brown doesn't have much of a voice. But by far the worst singing is also some of the most effective - Gwen Welles's as Sueleen Gay, the desperate wannabe country singer, is far the more painful and affecting to watch because she can't sing a note.

The occasional failings in the casts musical performance make the film all the more realistic. Realism is enhanced by aligning this with the authentic Nashville locations and the fact most of the musical performance scenes don't include extras as such, rather genuine Nashville crowds watching the actors as they would any other Nashville show. As with many other Altman films it at times feels almost documentary like.

Anyone who likes Altman's style will love this film. Those who are unfamiliar would be well placed by making this the film to look out for if they want to find what the man is all about. It is rapidly becoming one of my favourite films and one that stands the passing of time. An undisputed classic.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Barbara Baxley
David Arkin
Ned Beatty
Karen Black
Ronee Blakley

Creators:
David Arkin (Primary Contributor)
Barbara Baxley (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Paramount
Manufacturer: Paramount
EAN: 9786305918882
Binding: DVD
ISBN: 6305918880
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Colour, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC,
Release date: 2000-08-15
Universal product code (UPC): 097360882148
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 160 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2000-08-15
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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