November 21, 2006: Robert Altman dies

There was a period of time when I thought Robert Altman was a great director- capital 'g' - mostly shortly after the appearance of "MASH". I remember liking "Nashville" quite a lot too, though I have not seen it recently. I wasn't as entranced with "McCabe and Mrs. Miller," although I know many were.

Then I became less interested in Altman. His semi-plotless improvisations seemed more of a schtick. Even when he came back to 'story' with "Gosford Park," he didn't appear to have is heart in it. He was one of those 'auteurs' who was in love with the sin-nay-mah, saying all the right anti-Establishment things while milking the Establishment for all it was worth. Still, actors loved him (he let them improvise - why not?) and his work has many fine and amusing scenes. It's just that the whole is vastly less than the parts. [Aren't you only supposed to say nice things about the dead?-ed. I'm sure he was a terrific guy. And I said I liked "MASH" and "Nashville."]

BTW, here's a movie I found first-rate. See it with kids if you can, but see it anyway. The film's director - George Miller - is developing quite an impressive oeuvres.

Comments

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Well, if nothing else, I'll always remember Robert Altman fondly for "Popeye" and the cinema debut of Robin Williams.

Perhaps Altman was guilty, as the saying goes, of selling his birthright for a pot of message. But when he could convince himself to turn it off, he did amazing work.

respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline

Posted by: Daniel in Brookline at November 21, 2006 10:41 AM

I think I'll follow Daniel's lead and confine myself to a few words of praise for my favorite of Robert Altman's directoral efforts in the '90s, Vincent & Theo. Tim Roth turns in one of the great performances of his career as Vincent Van Gogh. This is one of the few biographical films about artists which manages to stay close to the "truth" of the life as it was lived and the art as it was created while delivering the drama. It's also not in the Altman "style".

Altman took many deserved knocks and kept right on working.

Come here, Mr. Buntline! Come over here and look at Sitting Bull! The son-of-a-bitch must be seven feet tall!

He's getting smaller every year.

from Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson, screenplay by Robert Altman & Alan Rudolph from the play, Indians, by Arthur Kopit

Robert Altman may or may not get smaller, but he won't be forgotten.

....

My favorite George Miller memory (IIRC) has him accepting the 1995 Golden Globe for Best Picture - Comedy/Musical with a plastic pig snout over his nose. Babe and Happy Feet are a long, long way from Mad Max.

Posted by: Patrick Tyson at November 21, 2006 12:24 PM

No, Nashville does not hold up, and Roger's post indicates he instinctively senses that it might not. Borrowed it a few months ago and we did an in-home walk-out (took it back to the library only one third watched.) A movie from a year later that does hold up nicely is Network. Just saw that last week. William Holden had more talent in his pinkie than George Clooney has in that whole huge Easter Island head of his. And count me in as the McCabe And Mrs Miller-enamored. All that mood in a western and Leonard Cohen too.

Posted by: Bill S at November 21, 2006 1:17 PM

Short Cuts was ok as a movie but it completely failed to capture the essence of Raymond Carver's stories. Ever since I saw Tess Gallagher's name on the credits I've thought of her as Tess Ono.

Posted by: Captain Hate at November 21, 2006 1:25 PM

i think his movies sucked - most of them, at least.

and his politics sucked bigtime.

but the speech he gave upon receiving the special Oscar,tm was truly touching and warm and classy.

i hope he rests in peace.

and i hope that soon his leftist ideology will finally rest in peace, too.

Posted by: reliapundit - the astute blogger at November 21, 2006 5:31 PM

I'm probably a party of one but I think Popeye is a masterpiece and I didn't even like it the first two times I saw it.

Posted by: Walter Guest at November 21, 2006 7:00 PM

Happy Feet was a solid B. Very entertaining, and the message wasn't too obnoxious, since we're used to Hollywood horse puckey in every movie.

Please ignore the actual biology in question, this story is good for you. Conservatives bad. Religion bad. Doing what feels good good. Don't forget to "save the planet" from the evil humans.

But darned if our fake penguins can't *dance*.

Posted by: Twill00 at November 22, 2006 8:01 PM

Have to second Bill S here - "Network" is one of my all-time faves. Not just Holden, but the whole cast is phenomenal. And the "mad as hell" scene is one of the iconic moments in film history.

Posted by: Gary Rosen at November 23, 2006 11:21 PM

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