Altman is like Manet, a transitional figure. He was old-fashioned to his bones about character and theme, but for whatever reason (genius, I'd say, or maybe just annoyance at Hollywood nudniks) aggressively challenged the formulas he was expected to fit. Improvisational feel was where it started, maybe because that was where a big change…
Altman is like Manet, a transitional figure. He was old-fashioned to his bones about character and theme, but for whatever reason (genius, I'd say, or maybe just annoyance at Hollywood nudniks) aggressively challenged the formulas he was expected to fit. Improvisational feel was where it started, maybe because that was where a big change was already happening in the representational arts... I could go all day about this. What do you think?
Gosford Park, The Player. Big plots.Raymond Chandler is famous for his rather inexplicable plots yet Altman's Long Goodbye is pretty straightforward. OTOH
there is Images, Buffalo Bill and the Indians and Thieves Like Us. Big Time vibes there.
I think Ebert does a good job explaining what I'm trying to get at.( back when I was young and all hoity toity about serious film criticism I would have laughed in your face if you suggested Mister Thumbs up /Thumbs down would be my go-to guy)
As seems to usually be the case he seems very right about this-
Altman is like Manet, a transitional figure. He was old-fashioned to his bones about character and theme, but for whatever reason (genius, I'd say, or maybe just annoyance at Hollywood nudniks) aggressively challenged the formulas he was expected to fit. Improvisational feel was where it started, maybe because that was where a big change was already happening in the representational arts... I could go all day about this. What do you think?
Vibe in service of story, mostly.
Gosford Park, The Player. Big plots.Raymond Chandler is famous for his rather inexplicable plots yet Altman's Long Goodbye is pretty straightforward. OTOH
there is Images, Buffalo Bill and the Indians and Thieves Like Us. Big Time vibes there.
I think Ebert does a good job explaining what I'm trying to get at.( back when I was young and all hoity toity about serious film criticism I would have laughed in your face if you suggested Mister Thumbs up /Thumbs down would be my go-to guy)
As seems to usually be the case he seems very right about this-
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/thieves-like-us-1974