10 Greatest Films Directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman was born in Kansas City in 1925. During World War II, he flew more than 50 bombing missions in a B-24 Liberator. After the war he moved to California and quickly sold a script. After that, he struggled and ended up making industrial films back in Kansas City. Eventually one of those films caught the attention of United Artists. He found himself back in California and spent a decade steadily working as a director in television, directing episodes of shows from Bonanza to Surfside 6.
He had occasional forays into film, but none did well until 1970, when he hit it big with M*A*S*H. The film received five Academy Award nominations. From that film until his last film, A Prairie Home Companion, in the year he died (2006), he worked very steadily.
Robert Altman was nominated for a Best Director Oscar five times. Altman was an experimental filmmaker. His focus was on capturing the essence of something through the sum of many pieces. This can deter film fans used to the conventions of storytelling such as establishing characters and situations. Altman felt that those conventions introduced an unreality or artifice. His preference was to drop the viewers into the middle of an experience.
10. Short Cuts (1993) — Altman uses his gift for manipulating large casts and abstract representations to portray nine Raymond Carver short stories in an overlapping and interlocking manner.
“You know, I don’t know who you think would wanna look at your sad,middle aged ass anymore!” — Earl Piggot
9. California Split (1974) — Altman uses two compulsive gamblers, played by Elliot Gould and George Segal, to show us the underbelly of society in this black comedy.
“Goddamnit, lady, you don’t throw oranges on an escalator!” — Bill Denny
8. A Prairie Home Companion (2006) — There are so many reasons to like this film. It’s neat to see Garrison Keillor’s long running radio show brought to life on the big screen. There’s a fantastic cast that includes Meryl Streep. And it is a Robert Altman film.
“We come from people who brought us up to believe that life is a struggle, and if you should feel really happy, be patient: this will pass.” — Garrison Keillor
7. The Long Goodbye (1973) — Altman gives his take on Raymond Chandler’s detective Philip Marlowe in this film that lifts the noir detective out of the 1940s-1950s and inserts him into 1973. Elliot Gould plays Marlowe. Watch carefully and you’ll see Arnold Schwarzenegger in his second screen role.
“Let me tell you something else. It’s a minor crime, to kill your wife. The major crime is that he stole my money. Your friend stole my money, and the penalty for that is capital punishment.” — Marty Augustine
6. 3 Women (1977) — One of Altman’s smallest films and yet no less abstract. Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall give their best performances in this examination of aspects of woman.
“Ever since you moved in here you’ve been causin’ me grief. Nobody wants to hang around you. You don’t drink, you don’t smoke. You don’t do anything you’re supposed to do!” — Millie Lammoreaux
5. Gosford Park (2001) — Before he created Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes wrote Gosford Park. Altman is at the top of his game in handling a large, and I mean large, cast in this dramedy that uses a murder to weave people of different classes together in 1930s England.
“He’s very full of himself, I must say. Doesn’t eat meat. He’s coming to a shooting party and he doesn’t eat meat.” — Mrs. Croft
4. The Player (1992) — This satirical criticism of Hollywood greed stars Tim Robbins as a movie executive that is not above murder to protect his job, a job at which he has no real talent.
“I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we’ve got something here.” — Griffin Mill
3. M*A*S*H (1970) — It took me a while to fully accept this film, because I came to it pre-attached to the television adaptation. M*A*S*H is both a commentary on war and an examination of how people survive the horrors of war through absurdity and black humor.
“I wonder how a degenerated person like that could have reached a position of responsibility in the Army Medical Corps!” — Hotlips O’Houlihan
2. Nashville (1975) — Robert Altman’s films are examinations of people, places, and experiences more so than stories dependent on plot. This film has a massive amount of characters and no real single plot thrust. The film captures the people and experience of country music in the titular location.
“I need something like this for my documentary. I need it. It’s… It’s America. Those cars smashing into each other… and all those mangled corpses…” — Opal
1. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) — Long before Clint Eastwood received acclaim for perfectly deconstructing the western in Unforgiven, Altman perfectly deconstructed the western in this film. Warren Beaty and Julie Christie star in this bleak and immersive film.
“If a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his ass so much, follow me?” — John McCabe
Other films considered for this list include Brewster McCloud, Cookie’s Fortune, Vincent & Theo, Thieves Like Us, and Secret Honor. What would make your list?
