Harrelson, Kline, Streep, Jones, Madsen, Tomlin
great names, each of them would make me consider or even force me to watch any movie. And there is Altman himself.
Well, if it were not for Altman, probably this movie would stay within USA borders as a cult movie that nobody of us "foreigners" would hear about, except in those stars' filmographies. We would put it in a ladder with other strictly USA projects like Saturday Night Live and similar and mostly forget about it, while Americans would praise it as a highlight of their culture – and I guess they would have all rights to do it: we, across the ocean, simply can't completely understand and recognize it, can't feel it and can't develop enough emotions for it.
And this is a deeply emotional movie, unlike most Altman's works that open us a part of the reality, show it, analyze, but usually from the point of a spectator, a chronicler. Here Altman includes even supernatural elements, very unlikely for his other works. But in this movie he expresses sentimental feelings for the subject of the movie which, as usual, is not one or few human destinies, but some community, place, event, society etc. The trouble for non-Americans is that we can understand Nashville because, no matter how deeply American their elections are, we are well informed about them, either by daily news or by so many movies that give us really wide perspective (and also all of us have some elections traditions, events and affairs in our own countries), and besides Altman doesn't expect us to feel something about Nashville; but we can't feel Prairie Home Companion because it is too different from our experiences, and Altman tries to induce emotions in his audience, emotions that you can have only for something that has already touched you in childhood or some other sensitive phase of your life.
For me personally, this movie is another prove of Altman's genius, because I had no previous emotions for the subject and he still managed to give me breathless scenes and a create a mood that I felt even more than in many of his movies that corresponded better with my knowledge, feelings, culture. But I am a person that also understands and appreciates words of Queen's Radio Ga-Ga better than the music. I'm glad that I've seen this movie, but I won't repeat it, and I'm not sure to whom could I suggest it if living outside USA (except, of course, Altman's fans, but they've probably watched it already).
Well, if it were not for Altman, probably this movie would stay within USA borders as a cult movie that nobody of us "foreigners" would hear about, except in those stars' filmographies. We would put it in a ladder with other strictly USA projects like Saturday Night Live and similar and mostly forget about it, while Americans would praise it as a highlight of their culture – and I guess they would have all rights to do it: we, across the ocean, simply can't completely understand and recognize it, can't feel it and can't develop enough emotions for it.
And this is a deeply emotional movie, unlike most Altman's works that open us a part of the reality, show it, analyze, but usually from the point of a spectator, a chronicler. Here Altman includes even supernatural elements, very unlikely for his other works. But in this movie he expresses sentimental feelings for the subject of the movie which, as usual, is not one or few human destinies, but some community, place, event, society etc. The trouble for non-Americans is that we can understand Nashville because, no matter how deeply American their elections are, we are well informed about them, either by daily news or by so many movies that give us really wide perspective (and also all of us have some elections traditions, events and affairs in our own countries), and besides Altman doesn't expect us to feel something about Nashville; but we can't feel Prairie Home Companion because it is too different from our experiences, and Altman tries to induce emotions in his audience, emotions that you can have only for something that has already touched you in childhood or some other sensitive phase of your life.
For me personally, this movie is another prove of Altman's genius, because I had no previous emotions for the subject and he still managed to give me breathless scenes and a create a mood that I felt even more than in many of his movies that corresponded better with my knowledge, feelings, culture. But I am a person that also understands and appreciates words of Queen's Radio Ga-Ga better than the music. I'm glad that I've seen this movie, but I won't repeat it, and I'm not sure to whom could I suggest it if living outside USA (except, of course, Altman's fans, but they've probably watched it already).