NASHVILLE (1975) | Movie Review | Robert Altman

Thank you all for voting for his wonderful film. Another Robert Altman Classic that I can't wait to own! Sucks that Paramount bought the rights back from Criterion.. But honestly that Paramount release looks pretty solid. I'll probably buy it soon.

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[construct]

I trust you've seen it a second, or maybe even a third, time since your review. I'll share my thoughts from having lived with the movie for fifty years. I saw it in the movie house in the fall of 1975. We were leading into the bicentennial year of 1976, an election year, in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam. The assassinations of the 1960s--the Kennedy boys--was still in clear memory. The anti-Catholic sentiment in the South was still strong. We were struggling with (and resentful about) desegregation. We were experiencing both national pride and political disillusionment. The movie hit every single one of those points like a check-list. Altman even plotted his movie within the framework of snippets from a dead-pan political rant, simultaneously banal and true, for a "Replacement Party" presidential candidate. Sure, Nashville was about the country music industry, but it was at its foundation a social and political movie. The crowd at the Parthenon's shift from horror to song was itself both satire and truth. They were swept up into was Barbara Harris singing "It Don't Worry Me"--itself a political statement. The song is both catchy and chilling. And we end with a reprise of the same song by Keith Carradine as the credits roll. I left the theater thinking this was one of the best movies I had ever seen. I still think it's among the best movies I've ever seen.

[jesusperez]

I don't really care for country music, but I love the soundtrack for this film. I love Altman's films upon initial watch, but the more they shimmer the more they grow on me. This is my second favorite Altman film behind 3 Women.

[Thomas-rwnt]

I rewatched last weekend. Excellent film and performances. I first saw the movie in 1975 when I was 12. I'm 61 now and still love it. I liked Barbara Jean's songs the best.

[samsong]

Oh you loved Barbara Jean, too! What an astonishing performance, eh? Just totally mesmerizing. So exquisitely acted. I love your review!

[spivackl]

I think the theme in one word is "exploitation." everyone is exploiting everyone (practically) and that's not an easy thing to capture. But the film does it really brilliantly.

[myneighbourjohnturturro]

Images, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Long Goodbye, and Gosford Park are all top tier Altman you’ll be glad you checked out.

[sprogmonkey]

Great review for a great film. This one really draws you in and sits with you. The commodification of talent and art. The music is so soulful and grounded. Short Cuts and Nashville are fantastic.

[Leo_oe_I]

I actually do think one can enjoy it regardless of whether or not you're a fan of country music. I wouldn't consider myself one in general, I definitely dislike modern country, but I can appreciate certain classic country like Cash, Willie Nelson, artists that deal with universal subject matter, and the movie contains some folk/folk-rock as well by Keith Carradine's character. A lot of people associate country with its current incarnation, but I wouldn't let a dislike for modern country prevent you from watching it. In fact, the modern state of the genre (and the music industry in general) could be argued to be the end-product of the fame and greed obsessed culture this movies depicts, that treats talent as objects to be controlled, used up, and thrown out and their music as a resource to be exploited. "Contemporary country, " stylistically speaking, is just recycled douchebag rock from a decade ago or B-grade, out-dated hip-hop flow that's been sapped of what little distinguishing originality it might've possessed by giving its rudimentary 4/4 chord progression some "twang, " throwing in slide-guitar, make sure the lyrics are about trucks, beer, Fridays, rightwing politics, and are soulless as fuck, and they have to sound like they're from Texas or Georgia, whether or not they're actually from the South, California, Canada, Ireland, etc. That's my opinion anyway. Take it or leave it.

[michaelwallace]

I think you have to look at NASHVILLE as a sprawling, kaleidoscope… a crazy quilt of a film. And, if you think about that, each area of a crazy quilt is representative of the whole with each image having different degrees of space, degrees of purpose, of look, and function. Even the smallest pieces have importance to the whole. To me, the minor characters in NASHVILLE fill a purpose as much as the major ones if viewed as a part of the whole piece. Shelly Duvall’s character is very important to the film as she represents the callousness and shallowness of people more into themselves only. She is so into changing her dress—how she looks—she’s in town and never takes a minute to go see her own dying Aunt. There’s purpose to why she is in the film even if for a few minutes of screen time. Also, not sure I agree that the last hour of the film is any different than the first hour and a half. I think with Altman, people don’t appreciate that he is not into linear narratives and excessive plotting, which runs counter to 95% of movies, and because of that some viewers need narrative solutions, and I get that, but that runs counter to the whole of the style of the film. Altman is always “looking for that note, that nobody wrote” as is representative of great Jazz. You’re entitled to your opinion, and I’m not trying to change your mind, or take away your perspective, only offering my own on your comments. Thanks.

[mhlkta]

Love that opening clip from the movie. That song stuck with me when I first saw this film, for some reason. I thought that was a very poignant sad scene. Two women unaware of each other were lovers of this guy and they were both in the bar listening thinking he wrote that song for and singing it especially to her.

[southendonseaarts]

Nashville got a brilliant bluray from the 4k master on Paramount presents last year. It’s one of his best. But M.A.S.H is right up there.

[raymondpierotti]

You are close. To me the point of the film is that Barbara jean (Ronee Blakely) is the only genuine talent in the film. The other singers are clearly not in her class and that is the point of the film. Nashville is basically America, so busy worshipping mediocrity that they can't discriminate it from real talent. Altman always uses a complex dynamic of characters, it was his style. Look at any of his major films. For the record I hated Nashvill the first time I saw it because iI was upset by the ending, but as I watched again as I matured I came to recognize its theme and saw the death of Barbara Jean as the ultimate statement about how America, and especially the American south treat real talent. Now I love it.

[MellissaBoomeroftheNight]

I love The Player, but I think it also plays into the self-indulgence of the period. It was one of the first films my husband and I saw together, and we had the same taste in movies immediately. Our first date was Jacob's Ladder. Anyway, if you haven't seen Bob Roberts, see it now. It's the perfect time. Don't be vexed by the fact it's just Tim Robbins who did it all. It is Robert Altman through and through. Also interesting that Keith's brother, Kill Bill's David, had an obsession with elicit and random sex partners the way his brother did in this film.

[samcohen]

Literally just rewatched this film last night. That's a crazy coincidence. One of my favorite films 🥸👌🔥

[GeorgeEugeneBarrett]

MASH, McCabe & Mrs Miller, and The Long Goodbye are my favorite Robert Altman films. Nashville, 3 Women, and Gosford Park are all great too.

[randocalrissian_]

Just watched Nashville for the first time--I found the first half to be even better than the second half before the ending. Such a great movie either way.

[CinemaPodcast]

Good review, I like the channel! Classic movie!

[domwalker]

Watching this for the first time tonight so excited

[daannzzz]

Saw Nashville numerous times at the theater. Nice double bill with Th Day of the Locust, one you should check out. Also love Altman’s A Wedding.

[marioj.machado]

Seeing "Nashville" for the upteenth time on the big screen on July 4🎉