Altmanathon Stop #2: McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

TRIVIA

Stars Warren Beatty and Julie Christie were lovers at the time of filming; this was their first time working together on a film.

The film was shot almost entirely in sequence; the order it plays is the same order in which it was shot.

The film negative was "flashed" (exposed to light) in order to get a grainy, lived-in look.

Leonard Cohen's music was added to the film in post-production, and though he was a personal fan of Altman and gave him permission to use the songs, Cohen disliked the finished film upon first viewing. A year later, he called Altman and told him that after seeing the film again, he'd had a change of heart and realized he loved it.
AWARDS

1 Oscar nomination (Best Actress: Julie Christie)

1 BAFTA nomination (Best Cinematography)

WGA award nomination (adapted)


REVIEW

McCabe & Mrs. Miller is not your typical love story, nor is it your typical western, but it is your typical Robert Altman film. It features the trademark Altman ensemble feel, overlapping dialogue, and genre subversion to which fans of the director have become accustomed. What is new and interesting (at least to me) is seeing these techniques used in a Western. In many ways, the genre suits Altman incredibly well; his realistic, unvarnished approach serves to bring out the ruggedness of the old west, the way things actually were, rather than how their remembered. The story is framed around John McCabe and Constance Miller, but the true star is the environment; the film brilliantly evokes a specific time and place, and immerses the audience in its specific atmosphere. There are so many details in the set design, the photography, and the supporting actors' performances that the central love story is almost unnecessary.

And as I said, the love story is not really the point. The actual story would be rather unsatisfying, were it not for the lovely details the filmmakers throw at us, and the sheer pleasure of watching life in this environment unfold. Much between Beatty's McCabe (the film's true lead) and Christie's Mrs. Miller remains unconsummated and unfinished right through to the end; these are not two people who were made for each other, just two people who encountered each other and saw some sparks fly. The actual plot, or what there is of it, involves McCabe and Miller's joint business venture - a whorehouse - and the events that take place when McCabe refuses to sell it. But as I've said, this film's pleasures are not in the plot but in the details, the little things here and there that give authenticity to this little Western town.

I think the most notable aspects of the film (other than the Altman's signature direction and the performances by Beatty and especially Christie) are the production design, cinematography, and music. The town was apparently built from the ground up on location in western Canada using lumber from local trees, and the film just wouldn't succeed without a great town in which to shoot. Also, the film's distinctive grainy and softly lit look was achieved by "flashing" the negatives of the film after it was shot, a dangerous process that might've resulted in all the film being ruined, were it done wrong. It was all worth it, though, for the resulting film was rich and beautiful visually, with many impeccably composed and gorgeously lit shots. And the look of the film was perfectly complemented by Leonard Cohen's song score, which added poetry and lyricism to already wonderful visuals. Altman claims he didn't know what he was going to do for music while shooting; he'd put musicians in many scenes as a way of having diagetic music, but he didn't want a traditional underscore. Later, he realized that a recent Leonard Cohen album had songs that set the perfect tone for the film, and he added them in post-production. Between the soft, sad music and the film's distinctive look, McCabe had truly won me over in the first frames.

I won't discuss individual plot points or performances, because that's honestly not what I remember about the film. What I do remember, and what I'll take from it, is a rich sense of atmosphere and a fully realized world, created by the director, actors, and designers together, with nothing feeling wrong or out of place. I think I preferred this film to M*A*S*H, due to its quiet confidence, cohesion and ease of sustained mood, but both are undoubtedly great. I'm so glad I took the time to investigate Altman... and I have a feeling the best in the marathon is yet to come.

Next in the marathon: Nashville

Altmanathon Stop #1: M*A*S*H (1970)

TRIVIA

This was Altman's first major critical and commercial success.

Fifteen other directors passed on the project before Altman took it on.

Stars Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould approached the producers during filming to try to get Altman fired from the film; Altman claims that if he'd known about this at the time, he would've quit (Sutherland and Gould now admit the error of their ways).

The film's screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr., who won the film's only oscar, was reportedly disappointed in the film and upset by how much the director and cast had improvised and strayed from his script (he accepted his award nonetheless).

Altman is not a fan of the TV show.

AWARDS

1 Oscar (Best Adapted Screenplay)
5 nominations (including Best Picture, Director)

1 Golden Globe (Best Picture: Musical/Comedy)
6 nominations (including Best Director, Screenplay)

WGA award (adapted)
DGA award nomination

2 KCFCC awards (Best Director, Best Supporting Actress)
NSFC award (Best Picture)

5 BAFTA nominations (including Best Picture, Director)


REVIEW

Robert Altman's M*A*S*H was a tricky film to gauge. As I stated earlier, it's often hard for me to determine the worth of older films. Not only do I go in with a preconception of how good they're supposed to be (or how GREAT in some cases), but it's also hard to estimate what a film must've felt like to the critics and the public during the time of its original release. After all, things that were highly original, transgressive, or even revolutionary when first presented might feel dull and commonplace today. The very best films age like a fine wine, getting better or a least maintaining their grace with time, despite their being conceived during a particular period that has long passed. And while I wouldn't count M*A*S*H among those greatest of greats that only improve with age, it is still a very good film indeed, and much about it is timeless.

The story concerns a group of military surgeons on a base during the Korean War. But in truth, "story" is not the operative term here. Like most of Altman's films, the stars are the ensemble acting and the unique, organic tone, and not the story or narrative. There is growth and change in many of the characters, but that growth and change isn't really what the film is about. What the film is about is presenting a familiar situation in a brand new light, thus permitting the audience to grow and change by seeing the world in a new way.

The film reads as a series of vignettes, wherein these military surgeons deal with various crises and situations through humor, play, and a curious kind of camaraderie. Much has been said about the film's evocation of the Vietnam War through its presentation of the Korean War, and it's a credit to the film that one could easily see the Vietnam War (which was at its height during the film's release) in these scenes, despite specific references to their being in Korea. The film brings out the absurdity of any kind of war simply by showing those involved and how they deal with it (i.e. through humor). We see that the only way anyone can survive a long stay in this environment (while remaining sane and productive) is to forget where they really are and what they're doing, and try to have as much fun as they can. It comes off as immature and disrespectful to some, like Sally Kellerman's rigid Margaret O'Houlihan, but war - especially senseless war - is an immature and disrespectful business.

The audience is challenged with a bold perspective right from the first frames, where the beautiful and haunting vocal track "Suicide is Painless" (written by Robert Altman's son) is played over footage of wounded being whisked out of helicopters. Later, the doctors' brash, immature antics are contrasted with messy surgery scenes, where they act like they're repairing cars rather than people. And there's a distinct undertone of satire in even the most serious moments. Altman has stated that the film's success (it made a LOT of money on a very small budget, and went on to be nominated for oscars) was a vindication of both his politics and his filmmaking process, both of which ran the risk of being well ahead of their time.

I'll leave it to you all to discover the various individual scenes and character antics, since there are many, and I'm not even sure I properly appreciated all of them. M*A*S*H is not my favorite Altman. I didn't bond with the various characters the way I have in other films of his, and I don't think all the comedy holds up in 2007. The trademark Altman messiness and overlapping dialogue sometimes just felt like... well... messiness and overlapping dialogue. But the film has its moments of pure cinema, and blended seriousness and satire in a way no war film had yet dared to do. It was a bold statement in 1970 that struck a nerve with the industry and the public, and for that, I give it major props. It also announced the arrival of Altman as a major director, and gave him the opportunity to do all his subsequent films, and for that, I thank it profusely.

I invite everyone to encounter M*A*S*H and engage with it. Though I didn't love it the first time I saw it, it definitely improved on second viewing, and improved more still when I'd read more about it, listened to Altman's commentary, and thought of it in its historical context. M*A*S*H may not hold a place in my all-time favorites list, but it holds a distinctive place in film history, and is thought of by many as a classic. And with that, I won't argue. It's definitely a winner.

Next in the marathon: McCabe & Mrs. Miller

OK, I'm doing it... the Altmanathon!

So, in light of Robert Altman's recent passing, I've decided to finally start seeing all his old films I've never seen.

Yes, I realize that I'm still only halfway through the Streepathon (not even), but the Altmanathon needs to start anyway. Maybe I'll do both in tandem. In any case, the Altmanathon will be a chronological journey through the highlights of Bob's filmography, consisting of the following films:

1) M*A*S*H
2) McCabe and Mrs. Miller
3) Nashville
4) 3 Women
5) The Player
6) Short Cuts
7) Gosford Park

The only one I've seen from this list is the most recent, Gosford Park. But it's so great that I'm renting it and watching it again.

I'm officially updating my netflix cue... right... NOW. The Altmanathon is on.