Robert Altman’s Nashville (1975) charts the interwoven lives of twenty-four lost souls, each seeking their moment of fame within the honky tonk Mecca of country music. The film is a stylized snapshot of Nashville, not so much as a place, but as a state of mind; a sort of garish wonderland where opportunity is more of a myth concocted by greedy opportunists in search of stardom and celebrity.Initially, Altman was approached by United Artists with a script that the director absolutely hated and rejected outright. In turn, Altman suggested that he collaborate with screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury on a rewrite. Altman then instructed Tewkesbury to go to Nashville, armed with a personal diary to jot down nothing more than her personal reflections.
These notes eventually became the basis for the revised screenplay. This time it was UA that rejected the offer – perhaps unable to comprehend how Tewkesbury and Altman’s reconceived plan would play out on the big screen. Thankfully, ABC Entertainment liked what they read and gave Altman the green light to shoot his film.
What is perhaps most remarkable about Nashville – the movie – is all the behind the scenes prep that eventually materialized as episodic vignettes on the screen. Actors Karen Black, Ronee Blakely and Keith Carradine all wrote the music they perform as part of the musical mélange in the film with Carradine’s ‘I’m Easy’ winning the year’s Oscar statuette for Best Original Song. Originally, Altman cast Louise Fletcher as the gospel singer Linnea Reese (a role that eventually went to Lily Tomlin, who was nominated as Best Actress).
Otherwise, Altman cast the film from an assortment of talents he greatly admired. These included Jeff Goldblum as Tricycle Man – a non-speaking three wheeler motorcyclist and Shelley Duvall as L.A. Joan – the trashy niece of a careworn retiree, Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn) whose unseen wife is slowly dying in the hospital.
Loosely then, the narrative follows the waning career of Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakely); a sort of tragic Loretta Lynn knock off returning to Nashville after a near fatal accident. Barbara Jean’s plane is met by megastar, Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) who is anxious to resume his recording career with her no matter if she is able to continue or not; his faux incredulity and oily charm barely able to mask his greedy intent.
Both political promoter John Tripplette (Michael Murphy) and Delbert Reese sense Hamilton’s malleability as a dupe they might be able to convince to run for state governor. But Hamilton’s expectations may be a shay premature. For, only moments after departing the plane, Barbara Jean suffers a fainting spell and is whisked away by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, Kenny Fraiser (David Hayward) finds himself on a lonely road with Albuquerque (Barbara Harris); a wannabe singing star. Kenny takes a room in Mr. Green’s boarding house, all the while developing a growing and dangerous obsession with Barbara Jean from afar.
Elsewhere, Linnea Reese begins to receive romantic phone calls from Tom Frank (Keith Carradine); a notorious womanizer whose latest conquest is his musical collaborator’s wife, Mary (Cristina Raines). Tom’s focus quickly shifts to another easy mark; Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) - a rather dotty BBC reporter on assignment.
However, after performing ‘I’m Easy’ during a nightclub act, Tom seduces Linnea once more. There are hints that Linnea is Tom’s one great romance. He seems to treat her with more respect than his other conquests. But Linnea cannot break herself from a loveless marriage to Delbert – if, for no other reason, then she has two deaf children by him that she utterly adores.
Altman slowly begins to connect these seemingly loose narrative ends as Barbara Jean resurfaces after a brief hospital stay to perform at the Opryland theme park. At first, all appears well. Barbara Jean rattles off a pair of chart topping hits to the crowd of fair-weather admirers. However, going into her third song Barbara Jean suddenly runs off on a mental tangent, reminiscing in disjointed babble that angers the crowd and forces her off the stage.
Determined that her comeback should be complete rather than a failure, Barbara Jean’s husband schedules her immediately the next afternoon to perform at a large outdoor political rally for Hal Phillip Walker – the presumed next president of the United States. Unfortunately for all, the event turns tragic when Kenny arrives. In close proximity to the object of his mad obsession, Kenny shoots and kills Barbara Jean on stage, wounding Hamilton in the process.
Largely cast aside until that moment, Albuquerque seizes the opportunity and the microphone to perform a heart stopping solo that reunites the frightened crowd as Kenny is carted off by police and Barbara Jean’s body is removed from the stage.
Although Nashville may not be the most fully realized and thoroughly exploited Robert Altman film, it does pack quite an emotional wallop in these final moments; providing its sad social commentary on the fickle nature of celebrity and stardom while feeding a silent condemnation of the motives involved in political activism.
Paramount Home Video’s anamorphic widescreen DVD delivers a largely appealing transfer. Though several scenes inexplicable appear as though they have been duped from second or even third generation film elements (with a considerable amount of grain and age related artifacts), for the most part the image is smooth and pleasing – its palette of rich and eye-popping colors nicely realized.
Flesh tones are dated in a mostly soft register of orange hues, but fine detail is evident throughout. Contrast levels are occasionally weaker than expected, but again, overall quality should not disappoint. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 Dolby Digital and, at times, is spatially satisfying – particularly during Carradine’s ‘I’m Easy.’ Extras include an audio commentary by Altman, as well as an all too brief interview with the director recorded somewhere in the late 1990s. Recommended!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
4
VIDEO/AUDIO
3.5
EXTRAS
2
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