"Nashville" is one of Robert Altman's trademark sprawling ensemble pieces. In this case, the large cast of characters is made up of people in and around Nashville's country music scene. However, these characters really represent a microcosm of the country as a whole around that time.
Even at 160 minutes it isn't easy to juggle 24 characters and give them all sufficient character development. Some motivations are cloudy and certain story threads are vague or unresolved. Overall, I don't think the film shows the same level of refinement as a later movie like "Short Cuts".
The music might also be a bit of a question mark for you. I like some country music but most of the material showcased here just isn't that good. Frankly, a lot of it is the sort of thing that the 'outlaws' of country music were rebelling against at the time. Ironically, the film's best tune, the Oscar-winning ballad "I'm Easy", is actually a folk-rock song.
I've got to give Altman credit for assembling a fine group of actors, though. Several individuals were recognized with Oscar, Golden Globe and/or BAFTA nominations. Altman's deft direction was also justifiably recognized by awards bodies. This certainly wasn't a simple movie to pull off and Altman did a pretty good job overall.
Ultimately, I think that "Nashville" is an interesting film but Altman has done better work elsewhere. At the very least, I can say that the movie's intriguing for its entire duration, even if it didn't leave me completely satisfied in the end.
Even at 160 minutes it isn't easy to juggle 24 characters and give them all sufficient character development. Some motivations are cloudy and certain story threads are vague or unresolved. Overall, I don't think the film shows the same level of refinement as a later movie like "Short Cuts".
The music might also be a bit of a question mark for you. I like some country music but most of the material showcased here just isn't that good. Frankly, a lot of it is the sort of thing that the 'outlaws' of country music were rebelling against at the time. Ironically, the film's best tune, the Oscar-winning ballad "I'm Easy", is actually a folk-rock song.
I've got to give Altman credit for assembling a fine group of actors, though. Several individuals were recognized with Oscar, Golden Globe and/or BAFTA nominations. Altman's deft direction was also justifiably recognized by awards bodies. This certainly wasn't a simple movie to pull off and Altman did a pretty good job overall.
Ultimately, I think that "Nashville" is an interesting film but Altman has done better work elsewhere. At the very least, I can say that the movie's intriguing for its entire duration, even if it didn't leave me completely satisfied in the end.