...'Nashville'...remains Altman’s most ambitious and successful ensemble-cast effort.
The technical aspects of Altman´s films are rather innovative, which is one of the many reasons "Nashville" why has become so highly regarded. Altman´s devotion to realism is unrelenting. He was able to achieve authenticity in the majority of the film´s dialogue by encouraging his actors to improvise. This technique was not novel to Altman. With "M*A*S*H" (1970), Altman employed a very similar technique to large acclaim. Additionally from "M*A*S*H," Altman also reused his infamous overlapping dialogue, adding a dimension of depth to his work as well as heightening the replay value. The overlapping dialogue had a huge impact at the time of the film´s release. Previous films dating back to "Citizen Kane" (1941) had marginally experimented with such a technique but rarely to the extent of "Nashville."
It´s unforeseeable that the relevance of "Nashville" will ever diminish so long as Americans and other democratic societies continue to wallow in the support of crooked politicians (as if there were any other kind). While "Nashville" reminds me of my distaste for all things political, I sympathize with the glowing characterizations and am reminded of the importance of a society in which truth is as valued as it should be.
Many of Altman´s distracters will argue that it is easier to respect "Nashville" than it is to enjoy it, which is a valid argument (albeit an overused one). Even the harshest of critics have said the same of "Citizen Kane." In my eyes, "Nashville" is an emotional portrait, one which moves me to the understanding that life is far from perfect, but it´s in these imperfections that life forms meaning. Everyone is lonesome at times, but we´re hardly alone in the grand scheme of things.
Video:
The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen print. Paramount has provided a suitable print considering the film´s age, but it´s far from pristine. At times, the picture can appear faded; yet, the film´s vibrant color palette is relatively well-expressed.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is decent but underwhelming. Considering the importance of audio in Altman´s films, I would expect much more than what the disc offers. Musically, the film´s audio is relatively impressive, but the dialogue and sound mixing is, at times, faded.
Extras:
Having both a director´s commentary and interviews can often be a great thing on DVD. For those who are new to Altman´s work, the interview provided on this disc is a great introduction to the landmark director. For those who are collectors of his films, I´m certain you are aware of his sparse commentary tracks. Although Altman provides a decent array of information about the film, his commentary has long gaps of silence where he allows the film to speak for itself. To avoid redundancy, choose either the commentary or the interview.
Final Thoughts:
Being a proud Canadian, a film named after a U.S. city that centers on ´70s American politics was a hard sell. Yet, once I took the plunge, I had no regrets. In my experience, Robert Altman´s films are hit and miss. I thoroughly enjoyed "M*A*S*H," "The Long Goodbye" (1973), and "California Split" (1974). But, I can hardly say the same for "Brewster McCloud" (1970), "Buffalo Bill…"(1976), and the majority of Altman´s films of the 1980s. "Nashville" is perhaps Altman´s definitive, crowning work - a film that pushed the boundaries of technical invention, narrative, and metaphysical allegory.
It´s unforeseeable that the relevance of "Nashville" will ever diminish so long as Americans and other democratic societies continue to wallow in the support of crooked politicians (as if there were any other kind). While "Nashville" reminds me of my distaste for all things political, I sympathize with the glowing characterizations and am reminded of the importance of a society in which truth is as valued as it should be.
Many of Altman´s distracters will argue that it is easier to respect "Nashville" than it is to enjoy it, which is a valid argument (albeit an overused one). Even the harshest of critics have said the same of "Citizen Kane." In my eyes, "Nashville" is an emotional portrait, one which moves me to the understanding that life is far from perfect, but it´s in these imperfections that life forms meaning. Everyone is lonesome at times, but we´re hardly alone in the grand scheme of things.
Video:
The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen print. Paramount has provided a suitable print considering the film´s age, but it´s far from pristine. At times, the picture can appear faded; yet, the film´s vibrant color palette is relatively well-expressed.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is decent but underwhelming. Considering the importance of audio in Altman´s films, I would expect much more than what the disc offers. Musically, the film´s audio is relatively impressive, but the dialogue and sound mixing is, at times, faded.
Extras:
Having both a director´s commentary and interviews can often be a great thing on DVD. For those who are new to Altman´s work, the interview provided on this disc is a great introduction to the landmark director. For those who are collectors of his films, I´m certain you are aware of his sparse commentary tracks. Although Altman provides a decent array of information about the film, his commentary has long gaps of silence where he allows the film to speak for itself. To avoid redundancy, choose either the commentary or the interview.
Final Thoughts:
Being a proud Canadian, a film named after a U.S. city that centers on ´70s American politics was a hard sell. Yet, once I took the plunge, I had no regrets. In my experience, Robert Altman´s films are hit and miss. I thoroughly enjoyed "M*A*S*H," "The Long Goodbye" (1973), and "California Split" (1974). But, I can hardly say the same for "Brewster McCloud" (1970), "Buffalo Bill…"(1976), and the majority of Altman´s films of the 1980s. "Nashville" is perhaps Altman´s definitive, crowning work - a film that pushed the boundaries of technical invention, narrative, and metaphysical allegory.
Average user rating (1-5):