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Nashville

  • 11-06-2014 11:01pm
    #1
    johnny_ultimate
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 30,018 CMod ✭✭✭✭


    Now after years in the making Robert Altman brings to the big screen the long-awaited Nashville. With 24 - count 'em! - 24 of your favourite stars!

    You know, for a film that's a perennial presence on critics' lists and 'best American film' polls, I've always got the impression Altman's Nashville has never quite enjoyed the same kind of reputation in Ireland as other great 1970s American films have. Certainly it's never cited as commonly as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, Jaws etc... despite being every bit the match (and in some cases more than a match) for these films. Maybe it's because it is, appropriately, such an American film - there's that old phrase the 'Great American Novel', but Nashville is a 'Great American Film', so specifically rooted in a time and place that perhaps it is always destined to resonate most strongly in its country of origin (although I believe the actual Nashville community was very dismissive of the film upon initial release!). Google it these days and you'll get hits for a TV show before the film itself. Or perhaps it's simply because it has been disgracefully out-of-print on Region 2 DVD for the longest time, whereas other films of the era have enjoyed special editions upon special editions.

    Luckily that's about to be rectified on Monday when Masters of Cinema release a Blu-Ray of Altman's sprawling, hilarious opus (it seems you can also rent it on Youtube of all places!). More than any other film, it's best compared to a major, epic novel like Infinite Jest. There's 24 - count 'em! - credited main characters, each of whom enjoys their own (albeit sometimes interconnected) well-developed plot. The editing is manic and always threatening to spiral out of control, yet at the same time the film feels wonderfully controlled. It covers many genres, from satire to political thriller to something approaching a music documentary. It's incredibly indulgent in some respects - it's very 'meta' (Elliot Gould pops up as himself at one point) and music performances are allowed play out in their entirety.

    But it's a glorious, unique and almost overwhelming achievement. It's bursting with humour and sharp commentary about the state of America. There's many excellent performances from the likes of Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine and Henry Gibson. And the music, despite being from one of the most unlikeable and formulaic of genres, is terrific :)

    If you haven't seen it before, make sure to pick up the new release as this is one of those genuine great films that has earned its reputation (and possibly deserves an even better one in some quarters). Would love to hear thoughts from anyone who has seen it already too!

    Oh, and those amazing opening credits!


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