Throughout his long and illustrious career, Robert Altman forged a distinctive and remarkable cinematic style that remains uniquely his own. As Paul Thomas Anderson aptly described it, in the introduction to Altman on Altman (a comprehensive collection of interviews with the director), "He cannot be captured or tamed; the river he flows in is entirely his own." Altman’s creative genius was evident as he became a foundational figure in the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, with classics such as M.A.S.H., The Long Goodbye, Nashville, and McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Yet, his journey began in the crucible of American television during the 1950s and '60s, where he directed episodes at a relentless pace of two per week, in an industry that often left little room for personal expression. The standard formula of the time—long shots, close-ups, over-the-shoulder shots—was designed to produce footage for editors to craft the final product. Yet, Altman rejected this formulaic approach from the start. His efforts to challenge Hollywood's conventional storytelling often resulted in conflicts that led to his dismissal.
When Altman finally made his way to Hollywood, he devised a style that defied the traditional approach. Rather than focusing on telling a straightforward dramatic story, he aimed to immerse the viewer in the messy, unpredictable adventure of human life. He accomplished this by utilizing all cinematic tools, with the script serving as only a starting point. The story evolved through rehearsals and on-set improvisations, with Altman noting, “If we planned to shoot on Wednesday and didn’t, and came back the next day, it would be a different scene. It depends on what’s happening in the moment.” He also shifted the traditional focus from the lead actors to the extras, incorporating them as active participants in the narrative. His camera roamed freely through the action, avoiding excessive cuts and close-ups, while allowing for layers of overlapping dialogue—often recorded simultaneously, with the final mix chosen later. Above all, Altman relied on his actors to bring measured, nuanced performances to the screen.
Altman’s greatness lay in his ability to seamlessly orchestrate all the elements of filmmaking—characters, camera, soundtrack—into a harmonious whole, creating a fluid, uncompressed cinematic experience. His films are emotionally rich, often offering a delicate balance of humor, irony, pathos, and frustration. While never shying away from irony or a touch of farce—always with a sly smile beneath his mustache—he knew how to shape his characters so that they elicited sympathy and compassion.
Looking back, it is clear that Altman was one of a kind—no one makes films like his anymore, and few directors can respectfully stand in his shadow. Paul Thomas Anderson is often cited as one of the few who carries the torch of Altman’s legacy. The films Altman left behind remain brilliant and exciting masterpieces that continue to deserve our attention.
Born in February 1925 in Kansas City, Missouri, Robert Altman served as a pilot during World War II. After the war, he worked as a director of instructional films for the Calvin Company, and later directed his feature debut, The Delinquents. Altman then turned to television, where he found success as a director before breaking into film in the 1970s with a string of hits, including M.A.S.H., The Long Goodbye, Nashville, and others. By the end of the decade, the failure of the musical Popeye temporarily derailed his career, and he found work directing television dramas and operas. In the late 1980s, he made a groundbreaking return to television with the mockumentary series Tanner ’88. The success of The Player (1992) marked his resurgence, followed by Short Cuts (1993), a critically acclaimed adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short stories. In his second golden phase, Altman directed such films as Prêt-à-Porter (1994), Gosford Park (2001), The Company (2003), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006), solidifying his place as one of the greatest directors of his generation.
