Robert Altman, R.I.P.

[dirac]

An obituary for Robert Altman, who has died at age 81.

Unlike most directors whose flames burned brightest in the early 1970s — and frequently flickered out — Mr. Altman did not come to Hollywood from critical journals and newfangled film schools. He had had a long career in industrial films and television. In an era that celebrated fresh voices steeped in film history — young directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich and Martin Scorsese — Mr. Altman was like their bohemian uncle, matching the young rebels in their skeptical disdain for the staid conventions of mainstream filmmaking and the establishment that supported it.

[sandik]

I heard this earlier today and have been sad ever since. I remember walking out of the theater after seeing Nashville for the first time totally gobsmacked, planning to see it again as soon as I could. It was jammed full of detail, some of it crucial to the characters and plot, some of it just part of the environment

I've often thought that he must have met John Cage at some point -- his films had that wonderful random quality that Cage's music has. Altman made you work, and the rewards were stunning.

[zerbinetta]

He was also a powerful opera director. The new (at the time) opera McTeague received fabulous performances from its cast at Lyric Opera of Chicago several years ago & I heard from a couple of them that he was fascinating to work with & they benefited from the experience.

[Anthony_NYC]

"Altman's art, like Fred Astaire's, is the great American art of making the impossible look easy."

--Pauline Kael

[dirac]

"Altman's art, like Fred Astaire's, is the great American art of making the impossible look easy."

--Pauline Kael

He's like a master juggler, keeping so many things in the air at once. (However, there were times when this virtuosity seemed like not much more than a superior form of traffic management - I'm thinking specifically of "A Wedding" - with not much to show for it in the end.)

[bart]

[ ... ] there were times when this virtuosity seemed like not much more than a superior form of traffic management [ ... ]

Great descriptive phrase, dirac! Makes me think of the constant motion in Prete a Porter, one of my guilty pleasures. It's not Rashomon. But it's something to keep the eye, ear, intellect, and social consciousness sharp.

[papeetepatrick]

I am not fond of 'pret a porter', but do think this 'traffic management' is very effective in 'The Player', which I thought brilliant (and I believed signalled a comeback for Altman) and certainly in 'Nashville', a masterpiece. I probably liked 'A Wedding' better than most and 'Short Cuts' has got a lot going for it.

[Anthony_NYC]

He's like a master juggler, keeping so many things in the air at once. (However, there were times when this virtuosity seemed like not much more than a superior form of traffic management - I'm thinking specifically of "A Wedding" - with not much to show for it in the end.)

I don't remember if it was in the commentary on the DVD or in some article I read somewhere, but the cast of "Gosford Park" spoke of how they had no idea what they were doing during filming, it seemed like total chaos on the set. It wasn't until they saw the final product that it all came together for them.

[Petra]

It was Robert Altman's "The Player" that showed me - then a snotty teenager - that a new movie didn't have to have subtitles to be a work of art.

I haven't liked every Altman novie, but "The Player" and "Short Cuts" are very significant in my personal viewing history.

[richard53dog]

It was Robert Altman's "The Player" that showed me - then a snotty teenager - that a new movie didn't have to have subtitles to be a work of art.

I have to add to the comments on The Player. It's one of those movies that are special to me.

[dirac]

I have to differ a little, I’m afraid. The only Altman movie that I really love is ‘McCabe and Mrs. Miller.’ (Others I like: ‘Thieves Like Us,” “Short Cuts”) For some of the others I have admiration combined with mixed feelings, and of course no director as prolific as Altman is going to avoid stuffing a few turkeys.

“M*A*S*H” has fallen from critical favor somewhat in recent years but it still looks remarkably good and the things that were fresh about it when it first came out are still striking.

Thanks for the comments, everyone - keep them coming!

[dirac]

I forgot to add the "Tanner" series for cable starring Michael Murphy, Pamela Reed, and a very young Cynthia Nixon. Some of the best work he ever did, IMO, with a powerful assist from Garry Trudeau.