farewell robert altman

Well the film world lost one of its masters on Monday and audiences are in mourning. Maverick director Robert Altman has died aged 81. I came to know Altman's work relatively late in life and although I've enjoyed much of his more recent films, the picture that really mesmerised me was Nashville (1975). I saw it for the first time about 5 years ago at the Chauvel Cinema in Paddington. The last time I saw it was back in April when Cliff was visiting from Melbourne. We sat and watched it together on DVD and loved every minute of it. It's an inspired piece of filmmaking, which I recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it. Add it to your list now.

A year or two ago I bought The Nashville Chronicles: The Making of Robert Altman's Masterpiece by Jan Stuart, which gives a wonderful insight into Altman's work methods plus all the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of the cast and crew. As well as being a great read it's the ultimate companion to the film. A little while ago I was also lucky enough to find a copy of the screenplay, so if anyone wants to come over and play, there are plenty of roles to go round...



What I love about Altman's films is the combination of ensemble casts, intertwining plots and the heady journey this talented director takes me on when he puts it all together. I was so excited to go to the cinema a few weeks back to see his latest (and sadly last) offering - A Prairie Home Companion. And despite my high expectations I wasn't disappointed. There are so many other films too: MASH (which I haven't seen); Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean; Short Cuts; The Player; Gosford Park; The Long Goodbye to name just a few. Robert Altman can certainly leave this planet knowing he made an impact, a valuable contribution. What an inspiration, what a loss