The Directors - Robert Altman

Starring:Directors
Studio: Winstar
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Robert Altman virtually defines the word maverick. He forged his remarkable career both in and (mostly) out of the Hollywood mainstream, so it's no surprise that he's the most engaging presence in this regrettably hurried one-hour tribute. "Every time I make a film I'm convinced it's a masterpiece," says the veteran filmmaker, commenting with justifiable pride that he's never been out of work and never made a film he didn't choose to make. That Altman has also been prolific is problematic for this edition of The Directors. All of the major films are given adequate time (notably McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Nashville), but most of Altman's erratic output of the 1980s barely rates a mention, offering further proof that this often shallow series treats unsuccessful films as orphans to be forgotten. Fortunately, Altman is a lively interviewee who isn't afraid to name names when describing the botched release of The Gingerbread Man, and he's equally animated when discussing how studio mogul Jack Warner nearly sabotaged Altman's career by seizing control of Altman's early film Marooned. Even then, Altman was beginning to experiment with unconventional uses of dialogue mixing and visual style; we can be grateful that he continued to cut a unique path to filmmaking greatness. The other interviewees (most memorably Buck Henry and Glenn Close) celebrate the director's admiration for actors, and the fact that Altman himself is pleased with his own career--good films and bad--closes this program on an upbeat note. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Discover the world of the talented director of A Prairie Home Companion. Six decades in the motion picture industry,and known for using large ensemble casts, his star-studded films include M*A*S*H, Nashville, Popeye, The Player, Short Cuts, Ready to Wear and Cookie's Fortune.

Customer Reviews:

This Biography Takes Too Many Short Cuts.......2001-03-08

I'm glad I didn't purchase this DVD. Only some brief widescreen glimpses of the coming-soon "Buffalo Bill..." got a rise out of me. The big disgrace is the obscenely short amount of time devoted to "Nashville"--and awful pan-and-scan footage at that! And the other, lesser-known films are relegated to still photos and Cinema 101 Narrator. It's always fascinating to see the old guy comment on the "Gingerbread Man" controversy, but I'm not sure that Mr. Altman would be too pleased with a program that barely mentions his own (admitted) favorite "Kansas City."

Worst of all, the "filmography" lists a movie called "Secret HARBOR" from 1984. Where do I send my resume?

Robert Altman: Glossed Over.......2000-12-01

Let me open by saying I am a far cry from a professional or seasoned film critic or film theory enthusiast. But Robert Altman has remained one of my favorite directors since I saw The Player in 1992 and I have watched everything I've found about and by him. When I saw this documentary focused solely on Altman, I had no problems laying down the...asking price.

I don't think I got my money's worth... The documentary is not much more than a chronological listing of his films up to Cookie's Fortune. The narrator wastes a lot of time simply reading titles and names of leading actors superimposed over a still of each particular movie. From time to time the narration is interrupted by some commentary from Altman and some featured actors, or key clips from the more successful movies, but not nearly enough time is spent on insightful behind-the-scenes or neat-o "never-before-seen" material.

I wasn't looking for fully developed critiques of each film or any such thing, nor a drawn out monologue by Altman and/or some well-reknowned critics, but I really was hoping to gain a lot more insight into Altman and his view of filmmaking and I didn't feel I gained much of anything by the end of the feature.

The interviews that do exist are interesting if brief, and do cover a decent breadth of reactions from different people who speak in a seemingly honest and introspective manner. That is, at least it wasn't a bunch of fan-actors only praising the lauded director in meaningless spurts. Granted, Altman has produced a goodly number of films in his day and to give all of them due coverage would not be practical for a DVD aiming to span his entire career. But I wish it were less of a simple list (that you can easily print out in greater detail from the IMDB.com) and more of a revealing look at a man many claim to be the definitive American director.

The medium of DVD is also somewhat wasted here. No special features to speak of are included other than your standard Scene Selection menu and a static listing of his works and awards. It doesn't even give plot outlines or cast overviews or any such useful information. If you are a die hard Altman fan you might consider picking this DVD up, but otherwise spend your money on one of his actual films and I think you'd be much happier with your purchase.

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