Cinema Blind Spots: Nashville (1975)

We all have films we really, really want to see, but many of them never make it from our Blu-ray shelves to the television, and simply remain on a list for years. As an aspiring film historian, I have read so much about, and seen so many signature scenes from, several important films that, honestly, I sometimes forget to actually watch them from beginning to end. And in other cases, there are pop-culture hits that I have yet to make a priority. So I have decided to use this column as motivation to check off many of the titles I’ve wanted to see for so long. These are my Cinema Blind Spots.

Robert Altman is an auteur with which you should be acquainted. If you consider yourself a film lover and have not seen “M*A*S*H” (1970), “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” (1971), “The Player” (1992), “Short Cuts” (1993) and, above all, my personal favorite “The Long Goodbye” (1973) — to name only but a few — clear your schedule, get some popcorn, and start marathoning!

Altman's amazing one-man-show, “Secret Honor” (1984) with Philip Baker Hall as a ranting Richard Nixon, was my first Altman experience, strangely enough, and from there it just got better. Like many filmmakers from that New Hollywood era that have a prime and sometimes a resurgence decades later… this is Altman’s story.

His prime was undeniably in the 1970s where he churned out consistently good work, and solidified his trademark style of overlapping, conversational and often improvised dialogue, masterfully woven story arcs, and well-directed ensemble casts. Certainly one of Altman's biggest, if not the biggest, is “Nashville” (1975), and it is one of the few films I had not seen from his filmography until preparing for this Blind Spot. June marked the 40th anniversary of the film, so I thought I’d give it a shot and see if one of my most beloved filmmakers could knock it out of the park yet again, or if it would follow down the path of “Popeye” (1980).

“Nashville” is generally adored as a concrete classic. Having a strong grip on its 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, it received abundant praise upon its release and even to this day. After seeing the film, Roger Ebert said, “Sure, it's only a movie. But after I saw it I felt more alive, I felt I understood more about people, I felt somehow wiser. It's that good a movie.” “Nashville” earned 4-star reviews from many notable critics, such as Gene Siskel, James Berardinelli and Leonard Maltin, as well as loads of praise from Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, Vincent Canby, Variety and many, many others.

The film is ranked #59 on AFI’s Top 100 American Films of All Time (10th anniversary edition), and Keith Carradine’s song “I’m Easy” is currently #81 on their 100 Greatest American Movie Music list, not to mention it won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The Academy also nominated "Nashville" for Best Director, two Best Supporting Actress nods and Best Picture. Even the United States National Film Registry officially selected it for preservation, saying it’s "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Do I need to go on? It’s a big deal.

“Nashville” is a brilliantly crafted series of events following the people involved in the country and gospel music business deep in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. Altman follows twenty-four (yes, 24) characters as they intricately weave together, creating a nest for drama. Meanwhile, an extreme right-wing presidential candidate sends a consultant to Music City in order to put together a rally full of Nashville’s best musicians in order to win Tennessee in the primary.

The cast includes David Arkin, Barbara Baxley, Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Timothy Brown, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Robert DoQui, Shelley Duvall, Allen Garfield, Henry Gibson, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Harris, David Hayward, Michael Murphy, Allan Nicholls, Dave Peel, Cristina Raines, Bert Remsen, Lily Tomlin, Gwen Welles and Keenan Wynn. Even Julie Christie and Atlman favorite Elliot Gould make appearances as themselves. If you don’t recognize all of these names, you’d probably know their faces; it’s one of those movies. Everyone is good here, carrying their own personalities and burdens to contribute to this film’s greatness.

There is a reality that Altman perfected during this decade, and you can feel it here. “Nashville” was shot on location in the title city, and most of the extras were real locals. Approximately one hour of the 159-minute running time is concert footage that was actually shot live during concerts the actors put on for these local audiences, performing the original songs they helped write for the movie. If that hour deters you, I'll add that during each music sequence there are nuggets of development happening both in characters and story arcs. It’s masterfully executed.

The film is constantly furthering the narrative that we, the viewers, are constructing as we watch. It could easily be mistaken for a ruthlessly mundane slice of life; however I would argue the plot is simply buried under a surface-level reality, intentionally and smartly. During my screening, I was constantly piecing the film together, following each arc as it flawlessly progressed. There is a fluidity to Altman that is unique to him; all points meet their mark.

“Nashville” marked the second collaboration of Altman and writer Joan Tewkesbury; their first being “Thieves Like Us” (1974) — another Blind Spot for me, which will likely be remedied soon. The script as seen through the film is wonderful! It’s impressive not only for the work it must have taken to tie the arcs of an enormous cast like this together, but seamlessly constructing the deeply cynical political and social commentary that is rife throughout the picture is an undoubtedly daunting task. In addition to all of the above, the rich themes, character development and flow of the scenes are remarkable.

If there is one thing overall I can say about “Nashville,” it’s that it holds up without question. However, you would never see this film being made today. The studios would retch at the idea of a 159-minute country musical where there is little surface plot and all performance. It just wouldn’t happen like this. That allows Altman’s film to feel fresh 40 years later. It’s not flashy or spectacular, but simple, practical and plain like the “redneck” community (as Michael Murphy calls them) it exposes. It’s not about technical camera angles or plot twists, it’s about people, places and the stories they have to tell. All of this leads to a film that, I believe, if released today exactly as is, would find an audience of cinephiles hungry for more in contemporary cinema. And althought the film could easily be cut down to two hours, in my opinion, Altman's style never gets boring. There is really nothing that ages the film when watched as a period piece. It’s just too good.

I have left a lot of the details intentionally vague in the hope that you will just experience “Nashville” yourself. There is too much to mention, and by discussing characters, motives and themes, it just might lessen the blow.

Too many films today insult my intelligence. They make me feel stupid, as if the studios see me as a peanut-brained halfwit. “Nashville,” however, restored my hope in cinema as many films have, reminding me that subtlety, complexity and intelligence exist in cinema and will hopefully return as a norm in the future. All I know for certain is when I’m feeling discouraged that the medium I love so dearly is going down the toilet, I’ll just try to remember that Altman exists. And if I’m down by the river, I can always drop in.

In celebration of ‘Merica’s independence, I will talk about “Top Gun” (1986). Feel free to get caught up and let us know your thoughts on “Nashville,” “Top Gun,” or movies you would like to see me check off the list in the comments below.