MCCABE & MRS. MILLER | Dir. Robert Altman | 1971 | 120 min | 18A

MCCABE & MRS. MILLER (1971) is one of Robert Altman's earliest anti-genre films. In this case, Altman takes on the Western and it’s hallmarks of a confident hero and streamlined sound design. McCabe (Warren Beatty) and Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie) are embedded in a multi-protagonist cast who all seem to co-exist long before and after the camera arrives. Likewise, unprivileged dialogue speaks to the complete unobtrusiveness of the film and to Altman’s propensity for subversive formal tactics in general. One of three Altman films to be selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, MCCABE & MRS. MILLER was also selected as eighth on the American Film Institute’s Top 10 Westerns list. 

MCCABE & MRS. MILLER is the fifth and final film in this season’s Master Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.

THIEVES LIKE US | Dir. Robert Altman | 1974 | 123 min | PG | 35mm

THIEVES LIKE US (1974), pairs Shelley Duvall and Keith Carradine as romantic leads and ultimate Altman-esque anti-heroes. In keeping with his taste of complex and layered sound, no score was composed for the film; instead all music is diegetic. Radio programs feature prominently in the background of the film. This was an early example of Altman’s love for and inclusion of radio programs.

THIEVES LIKE US is the fourth film in this season’s Master Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.

NASHVILLE | Dir. Robert Altman | 1975 | 159 min | PG

In NASHVILLE (1975) Altman assembles a powerful cast of multi-talented performers to compose a truly authentic soundtrack. Featuring a myriad of actor-singers, many of whom wrote and performed their own songs, this film is one of the most decorated and best loved of Altman’s works. Nominated for five Oscars, including Altman’s first Best Picture nomination and his second for Best Director, NASHVILLE even brought home the Oscar for Best Song. With its multi-layer storylines and overlapping dialogue, it is a comprehensive testament to characteristics that would become synonymous with his filmmaking style.

NASHVILLE is the third film in this season’s Master Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.

3 WOMEN | Dir. Robert Altman | 1977 | 124 min | PG

Altman’s successes through the 1970s allowed him the freedom to make a film with a bare bones script based on a dream he had. That film was 3 WOMEN (1977). Legend has it that Altman successfully pitched the film while making a brief stop at Alan Ladd Jr.’s office on the way to the airport the night after his dream. Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek’s engrossing performances garnered acting awards from Cannes Film Festival, New York Film Critic Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Set in a small Californian town, 3 WOMEN is the story of a bizarre, mysterious relationship between a woman (Duvall) and her roommate and co-worker (Spacek).

3 WOMEN is the second film in this season’s Master Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.

THE LONG GOODBYE | Dir. Robert Altman | 1973 | 112 min | 35mm | 18A 

THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) is a revision of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel by the same title. The neo-noir time period is updated from 1949–50 to 1970s Hollywood, allowing Altman to satirize the ways society had changed in the 20 years since the novel’s release.

Starring Elliott Gould and Nina van Pallandt, the film is a prime example of Altman’s trademark style of a constantly moving camera. There are no static shots in the film. Almost all of the music in the film is varied arrangements of the theme tune.

THE LONG GOODBYE is the first film in this season’s Masters Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.

COMMUNITY PARTNER: WORDFEST