Timeless classic that applies to today (major spoilers)
I was watching this movie again recently and I was astonished by how the events in this movie still occur today. Between the music industry, the media, and politics, this movie definitely strikes a cord with the hypocrisy the public is willing to endure every day.
Michael Murphy's John Triplette was one of my favorite characters because he embodies a breed of politics that still occurs to this day: They will say ANYTHING in order to get what they want. I think the only time in the entire movie that Triplette is human is after Barbra Jean is shot. He is upset, yes, but not because the main star was assassinated. He is upset because his candidate didn't make it to the stage. His political scheme has failed.
Robert Altman was brilliant in having his actors write their own music. I love comparing the actors' performances with the music they sing. Almost every time there is a complete contradiction. Haven Hamilton is the prime example of that. He sings about family and the need to be unified with others, when he is anything but that. In actuality, he is smug, pretentious, and acts like he is superior to everyone else. Then you look at someone like Barbra Jean, whose music occupies these moments of sheer happiness when she is, in fact, tremendously lonely. It is why she gets so much sympathy.
Even the minor characters, like Opal, connect with today. For Opal, she is filming a documentary, but she wants more excitement and drama than what is being provided. During the traffic jam she is trying to make it seem more drastic, or the junk yard, or even the bus lot. She wants chaos to attract an audience, yet when something dramatic ACTUALLY happens, she misses it. It shows how the media fails to grasp the genuine events that affect all and instead focus on the trivial.
Lastly, the audience, themselves, were astonishing to me. In the two major scenes with Barbra Jean, she is treated like an object rather than a person. I think this is very much what music audiences are like today. Can anyone say Britney Spears? When Barbra Jean is clearly having her meltdown on stage, her husband does the only one right he can do - get her off the stage! Does the audience care about her mental health? Hell no! They only want her to finish the show!
What I find most disturbing about the audience is their lack of regard for Barbra Jean once she is killed. During the entire movie, there is such an emphasis on how much she is admired and loved. However, once she is dead, rather than grieve the loss, she is replaced at the snap of a finger. It shows how vile the industry is: If you step off the stage for a moment, for any reason, another ambitious person will take their place. Will the audience embrace and continue to love Barbra Jean? No. She's been replaced with Albuquerque and she's the new sensation!
Incredible timeless classic. I miss Robert Altman and his vision. He was one of the most unique directors to come across Hollywood.