One of the 1970s' most acclaimed films is an audacious, moving and hilarious look at 24 characters involved in a political rally in the music capital of the world. Robert Altman brilliantly directs an amazing ensemble cast of Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, Ronee Blakley, Karen Black, Shelley Duvall, Henry Gibson, Scott Glenn, and more. Includes the Oscar-winning song "I'm Easy" by Carradine. 160 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English; audio commentary by Altman; interview; theatrical trailer.

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The performances are stunning across the board--so much so that one is unable to think of any individual performer without also thinking of the cast as a whole. Although director Altman does not so much guide as observe, there is a certain inevitability to the progression of the characters the film presents. Given the complexity of the film and the fact that it requires viewers to actively and selectively interpret the material as it unfolds, NASHVILLE will likely defeat a great many viewers, who may find themselves frustrated by the film's constantly shifting content; still others will be outraged by the vision it creates of America as a society. For those willing and able to dive into the complex web of life it presents, Altman's masterpiece will be an endlessly fascinating mirror in which we see the energy of life itself scattered, gathered, and reflected back to us. A masterpiece that bears repeated viewings much in the same way that a great novel bears repeated readings. A personal favorite and highly, highly recommended.

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No better criticism of life.Jun 11, 2000
By Samuel Chell
Altman's masterpiece is a testimony to the power of cinema to expose the unexamined life and to reveal us to ourselves. Nashville is not only the film's setting but a metaphoric microsm of the American dream with all of its attendant illusions and problems. But the film also manages to convey deep sympathy toward the 20 plus characters, each of whom is likely to become inscribed in the perceptive viewer's memory. It was the summer of 1975, and moviegoers were lining up for "Jaws," but "Nashville" was the film that made the more powerful immediate impact and deeper lasting one. Nothing since--by Altman or any other director--has come close to matching the power of this film, an experience for the spectator that probably cannot be captured by video or digital technology. Although critics such as Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert were quick to understand the film's significance, most viewers were unable to "get" the film. But for those who did, just mention Ronee Blakley's performance of "Dues," or the final shot--a Gatsby-like tilt from the American flag to the open sky--and the memories return, along with the spinetingling thrill of the movie itself. (Even some "Nashville" admirers missed the posters in the assassin's car, which indicate that his original target was the George Wallace-type candidate, not the country diva who suddenly becomes the scapegoat of his displaced rage and sense of betrayal.) In brief, "Nashville" is more than a film. It's a richly resonant world to be entered into and revisited numerous times--as much if not moreso than "Citizen Kane," "The Great Gatsby," and "Death of a Salesman."

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