Three Women (DVD)

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For me, the film´s success is largely a function of Shelley Duvall whose various quirks breathe vitality into a role that I believe nobody else could have played as well; Duvall is a singularity existing in her own pocket of reality (a pocket of "Duvallness") separate from everything around her. The film community noticed her performance; she won a Best Actress Award at Cannes that year though she was snubbed by the Oscars. It turned out to be the high point in Duvall´s career. After a superb (and yet another misunderstood) role in "The Shining," she played the role the genetic lottery had built her for, Olive Oyl in Altman´s vastly underrated "Popeye." The die was cast; she was forever Olive Oyl and whether for professional or personal reasons, Duvall began to drift away from mainstream acting, leaving behind a solid decade of some of the most unusual and remarkable performances of the post-classical Hollywood era.

"3 Women" is perhaps Altman´s strangest film, though it´s hard to determine exactly what constitutes a departure for such an eclectic director. It´s also one of his most visually accomplished. It´s a little like Bergman, a little like Lynch, and just a whole lot weird. If you want a change of pace, and something you probably never expected from Altman, give "3 Women" a shot.

Video:

The movie is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The high-definition digital transfer is par for the course for Criterion which means it looks gorgeous. Like most 2.35:1 transfers, viewers with smaller screens might feel somewhat frustrated, this is a print that absolutely must be seen on a wide-screen. The image quality is sharp and clean, and the colors are vibrant. "3 Women" is probably Altman´s best-looking film after "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and this transfer more than does justice to it.

Audio:

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital Mono. The signal is directed to the center channel on surround systems, though the production notes from Criterion suggest some viewers might want to switch to two-channel playback for better sound. The movie has a full and vital score which comes across beautifully even without stereo. Optional English language subtitles support the audio.

Extras:

Aside from trailers and stills galleries, the only feature on the DVD is a commentary track by Robert Altman. Fortunately, the commentary is top notch with Altman being more open and revealing than usual. Viewers who are intrigued but confused by the film (a natural reaction!) will want to listen to the director´s thoughts. Fans of Altman will also enjoy his discussion of his production methods, particularly his thoughts on working with actors.

The attractive snow-white graphics on the DVD invite an obvious comparison to other Bergman DVDs in the Criterion collection. The liner notes include a short essay by critic David Sterritt.

Closing Thoughts:

More than any major American director, Altman alternates duds with masterpieces, mixing mediocrities in along the way. He´s worked non-stop for nearly forty years now, and become one of modern cinema´s most relentless experiments, perfectly willing to fail publicly simply for the sake of trying something new. For me, his two best movies are "The Long Goodbye" and "California Split" with "The Player" and "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" just behind. "3 Women" isn´t quite in their company, but it´s not far off. It´s also a film that I suspect will seem very, very different to me when I watch it a second time. So I reserve the right to come back later and either call it brilliant or a complete waste of time.

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