ironhorse_iv Review of Nashville

Nashville (1975)

The movie don't worry me much, but it's still out there bothering other people.

[7/10 · 26 December 2012]

Opening credits reads for a very long time, but once it's starts, it's really does start. It captures the time and place so vividly. A film on superficiality and hypocrisy of the American people for how is created. This is a riot. Even if Robert Altman is exaggerating about how loose this was, it is amazing how much of this was done essentially the fly and assembled in the editing room. The musical film follows country, gospel music stars, and 24 near normal people in Nashville, TN. The movie is full of musical numbers, and multiple story lines. Having 24 characters in a movie for the audience to watch, and care is hard to follow. It get somewhat confusing, and the story only have a overaching story arc with each character trying to become somebody. Most of the characters come together at Parthenon in Nashville to witness a outdoor concert for a populist running for President of the United States on the Replacement Party ticket. The overarching plot takes place over five days leading up to a political candidate Hal Phillip Walker ralley, who is never seen throughout the entire movie. Hal Phillip Walker's folksy political aphorisms is mixed with overblown songs juxtaposed with country superstar intended to commemorate the upcoming Bicentennial. The most popular country singer is Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley) just return to Nashville who just agree to join the ralley despite having health issues and the 'Main' Main character. Barbara Jean continue to struggle in her return to the point that she refuse to sing songs, and rather rambling stories about her childhood. After several false starts, Barnett escorts her from the stage and tells the disappointed audience that they can come to the Parthenon tomorrow and see Barbara Jean perform for free, thus committing her to the Walker concert. Without spoiling the end-- the Climax at the Walker concert is one of the most deep movie ending ever. It's still chilling to watch even today. Other key characters are Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) a wacky, celebrity-obsessed, self-absorbed radio reporter. As a surrogate for the audience, she provides an outsider's perspective on the business of music. She is never seen with a film crew, to the point she may not even be a filmmaker but just a groupie who uses fake credentials to gain access to famous people. Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) Grand Ole Opry star. His political ambitions play a pivotal role in the film's plot. Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn), a Vietnam War veteran looking forward to Barbara Jean performing in a stalking type of way. Sueleen Gay (Gwen Welles) a pretty young waitress at the airport lunch counter and a talentless, aspiring country singer. Her refusal to recognize her limitations and face reality gets her in trouble is one of the best characters in the film. What a great character! I felt such pity and embarrassment for self-deluded Sueleen, but the scene at the stag fund-raiser was heartbreaking, nonetheless measure of control of of the rheum. Several characters are based on real country music figures: Ronee Blakely's Barbara Jean is based on Loretta Lynn. There are also cameos from real stars Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, Vassar Clements and others all playing themselves. The actors and actresses composed some of the songs they performed in the film. The movie has some of the best songs, "Since You've Gone" This beautiful song, performed by the fictional folk trio Tom, Bill and Mary written for the film by Gary Busey. Weird. The whole sub-plot affair between Tom Frank (Keith Carradine) and Lennea Reese (Lily Tomkins) can be solve by the song 'I'm Easy" which won Best Original Song at the Academy Award. This song still holds up and to think that it was actually written by an actor like Keith Carridine. Such a poignant moment in the film. He had all those girls fooled into thinking he liked them individually and he called up another gal while Lily Tomlin's character was getting ready to leave. Lily's face near the end is absolutely heartbreaking, that scene had to have gotten her the Oscar nomination.Carradine also wrote "It Don't Worry Me", which is heard on the soundtrack throughout the film, and is the closing number performed by Barbara Harris onstage at the Parthenon. She sang it beautiful, it's a shame Barbara Harris didn't go on to greater things - she's a country gem. She plays as an aspiring singer-songwriter who failures to get a break, comes in the end, and opportunity is calling. Sueleen Gay, leaning against the post watching Harris performs, coming to grips with the fact that her big break is not happening. But still patiently waiting for it. You could look at it like that, or you could see the indifference as rather the ability of Nashville (or even, the country at large) to carry on with the show, despite the tragedy - which would signify, fundamentally, a collective belief that the show must go on. Altman's film remains, to me, the greatest example of cinematic Impressionism (it's not really made up of multiple overlapping stories --but he just touched on every right moment for each character and you caught that. Still it's spotty. The movie was widely despised by the mainstream country-music community at the time of its release; many artists believed it ridiculed their talent and sincerity. Of course almost all of those people have since passed. Nowadays country music is just rock n roll with a twang anyway. Then there are those that says the politics really hurts the movie. Everybody thought that the South's time was over but it sound like Altman's was saying - America is the South - parody does not mean offense. That's why Nashville keeps being the masterpiece it is. It is simple and complex at the same time. Mr Altman leaves everyone free to form an idea of his/her own about the story told on the screen