Nashville is one of those movies where it is about real people going through day to day life in some unusual circumstances during some pretty crazy and hectic times such as the post death of JFK to the Vietnam War. It takes place during a very confusing time in United States History and it shows that life goes on as it is demonstrated at the end of this film. Life doesn't stop for anyone or anything, 'the show must go on' is one of the many themes that Nashville talks about and in a way Nashville is a brilliant movie in that it is one of the first films that uses the 'documentary style' filmmaking that Robert Altman has gotten very known for, with the overlapping of people talking, getting as authentic as possible with everyday life and conversations.
When there are laughs, they are big laughs because they are so true to life such as the scene where the young son of Henry Gibson's character is pouring out his heart and soul, by singing the one and only song he's ever written, to a female reporter who kept persuading him to sing it to her, and so he finally does, it's a very touching moment, but being the ding-dong that she is, in the middle of him singing this song that means everything to him, the flaky reporter sees Elliot Gould and interrupts him and says "That's Elliot Gould" as she then leaves to go talk to Elliot Gould. Very funny situations like this(and they're funny because most of us can relate to them) and there are some of these situations throughout the whole movie, and in a way, I'm glad those kinds of situations aren't overdone in Nashville because as in life, they don't come around too incredibly often.
And without this movie, we probably wouldn't have any of the Christopher Guest films that we have today, which I'm a huge Christopher Guest fan, so I'm thankful for Nashville in that sense as well.
However, Nashville is a good film, but it's not a great film, there's no solid connection at any given point, and I always believe there has to be some kind of real connection and if there's not that solid connection, then the movie better be very significant in a historical or cinematic way, which one could argue that Nashville is very significant with what's going on, and how it deals with what's going on.
And even though Nashville is a pioneering film in the 'documentary style' way, in my opinion, I don't think that pioneering aspect is of extremely great importance, not extreme significant importance like the films like The Best Years of Our Lives, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, just to name a few(Also The Best Years of Our Lives really deals with what's going on in the most significant way and in more ways than one, which Nashville doesn't do). Also, Nashville is a very long and a very boring film. It's almost 3 hours long and it drags a lot of the time throughout the film.
The Razor's Edge with Bill Murray is a good movie in the same way of Nashville in that it has some great moments, some great comedic moments as well as some very great dramatic moments, just like Nashville. But, overall Nashville and Bill Murray's The Razor's Edge(even with those great moments) don't come together and connect in the way that you hoped they might have, to make them great films.
Now I will say, and I can say this subjectively, I like country music, but I'm not a huge die-hard Country Music fan. Now for any die-hard country music fans, those types of viewers will probably love this film as there are a lot(a lot) of songs sung in this film(from there very beginning to there very end).
There are a few of the songs that I really enjoyed, especially 'I'm Easy' that was written and sung in the film by Keith Carradine, a fantastic song, and one of the best scenes in the film for that matter, but other than that song and a few others, I would find myself getting to the point of 'how long is this song and when is it going to end for crying out loud?' Not a film for everyone, but perhaps worth a glance. Better Altman films in my opinion are M*A*S*H and The Player.
When there are laughs, they are big laughs because they are so true to life such as the scene where the young son of Henry Gibson's character is pouring out his heart and soul, by singing the one and only song he's ever written, to a female reporter who kept persuading him to sing it to her, and so he finally does, it's a very touching moment, but being the ding-dong that she is, in the middle of him singing this song that means everything to him, the flaky reporter sees Elliot Gould and interrupts him and says "That's Elliot Gould" as she then leaves to go talk to Elliot Gould. Very funny situations like this(and they're funny because most of us can relate to them) and there are some of these situations throughout the whole movie, and in a way, I'm glad those kinds of situations aren't overdone in Nashville because as in life, they don't come around too incredibly often.
And without this movie, we probably wouldn't have any of the Christopher Guest films that we have today, which I'm a huge Christopher Guest fan, so I'm thankful for Nashville in that sense as well.
However, Nashville is a good film, but it's not a great film, there's no solid connection at any given point, and I always believe there has to be some kind of real connection and if there's not that solid connection, then the movie better be very significant in a historical or cinematic way, which one could argue that Nashville is very significant with what's going on, and how it deals with what's going on.
And even though Nashville is a pioneering film in the 'documentary style' way, in my opinion, I don't think that pioneering aspect is of extremely great importance, not extreme significant importance like the films like The Best Years of Our Lives, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, just to name a few(Also The Best Years of Our Lives really deals with what's going on in the most significant way and in more ways than one, which Nashville doesn't do). Also, Nashville is a very long and a very boring film. It's almost 3 hours long and it drags a lot of the time throughout the film.
The Razor's Edge with Bill Murray is a good movie in the same way of Nashville in that it has some great moments, some great comedic moments as well as some very great dramatic moments, just like Nashville. But, overall Nashville and Bill Murray's The Razor's Edge(even with those great moments) don't come together and connect in the way that you hoped they might have, to make them great films.
Now I will say, and I can say this subjectively, I like country music, but I'm not a huge die-hard Country Music fan. Now for any die-hard country music fans, those types of viewers will probably love this film as there are a lot(a lot) of songs sung in this film(from there very beginning to there very end).
There are a few of the songs that I really enjoyed, especially 'I'm Easy' that was written and sung in the film by Keith Carradine, a fantastic song, and one of the best scenes in the film for that matter, but other than that song and a few others, I would find myself getting to the point of 'how long is this song and when is it going to end for crying out loud?' Not a film for everyone, but perhaps worth a glance. Better Altman films in my opinion are M*A*S*H and The Player.