Robert Altman
Robert Altman was an American film director known for ensemble casts, overlapping dialogue, and loose, improvisational storytelling.
His films—*M*A*S*H*, *Nashville*, *The Player*, *Short Cuts*—often satirized American institutions with a roving camera and dozens of characters.
The adjective Altmanesque describes this sprawling, naturalistic style: The film had an Altmanesque quality, with conversations bleeding into each other.
Combat zone hospital
- NashvilleTennessee's largest city
- The Long GoodbyeNovel about lingering departure
- PopeyeSpinach-eating cartoon sailor
- Kansas CityTwin-state metro area
Imaginative planner of futures
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- independentFree from external control
rebel · outsider · subversive · provocateur · uncompromising · irreverent · sardonic · idiosyncratic
Mockery exposing vice
- social commentaryAnalysis of societal conditions
- American mythologyIndigenous and settler legends
- ensembleUnified group or outfit
- interconnectionMutual joining of parts
disillusionment · community · alienation · power dynamics · celebrity · ambition · mortality · cynicism
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- zoom lensAdjustable-magnification camera optic
- ensemble castMultiple principal performers equally
- naturalisticImitating actual appearance
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
satirical · cinéma vérité · character-driven · ambient sound · long takes · observational · freewheeling · kaleidoscopic
MASH
Combat zone hospital
- NashvilleTennessee's largest city
- The Long GoodbyeNovel about lingering departure
- PopeyeSpinach-eating cartoon sailor
visionary
Imaginative planner of futures
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
independent · rebel · outsider · subversive · provocateur · uncompromising · irreverent · sardonic · idiosyncratic · counterculture
satire
Mockery exposing vice
- social commentaryAnalysis of societal conditions
- American mythologyIndigenous and settler legends
- ensembleUnified group or outfit
interconnection · disillusionment · community · alienation · power dynamics · celebrity · ambition · mortality · cynicism
improvisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- zoom lensAdjustable-magnification camera optic
- ensemble castMultiple principal performers equally
- naturalisticImitating actual appearance
meandering · satirical · cinéma vérité · character-driven · ambient sound · long takes · observational · freewheeling · kaleidoscopic
Shelley Duvall
Frances McDormand · Jennifer Jason Leigh · Donald Sutherland · Sissy Spacek · Kathy Bates
- MissouriansHarry S. Truman, Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Harry Truman, Jesse James
- 70s CinemaThe Godfather, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, Chinatown, Apocalypse Now
Robert AltmanAlfred Hitchcock
Stanley Kubrick · David Mamet · Aaron Sorkin · Wes Anderson · Christopher Nolan
Robert AltmanSteven Spielberg
Ron Howard · studio director · crowd-pleaser · James Cameron
Robert AltmanSteven Spielberg
John Ford · Ron Howard · three-act structure · hero's journey