This film is about the loss of innocence in America.. (Spoilers)
The ending scene sums it up entirely:
To me, Barbara Jean in particular represents Virginal America- the land of the free, or the Statue of Liberty or whatever. With the giant American Flag gently rolling in the backrgound- a crescent wave upon contention and apathy. As she has just finished her ballad full of patriotic splendor, Barbara Jean is shot by young Kenny. Her demise by and large represents the American dream before us and how in an instant it is gone before us. The loss of childlike innocense. I know people claim this is a left leaning film (and Altman is a Jew), but I don't see it this way
I see it as a commentary on the scene- a neutral bystander. The irony is while this film was made during post-Vietnam and etched in that time frame, its every bit as relevant as today. Perhaps more now than it was then. The circus of the characters represents all of us as Americans. And Barbara Jean was our hope and our dream. When she went, she took everything
The End.
"Life is like a box of Krispy Kreme donuts".