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Nashville and The Cult Of 'I'

posted 14 years ago by The_Little_Deaths
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In 1975, Robert Altman released his masterpiece. Probably only partially aware how prophetic his story was, it became the template for multi character canvasses, inspiring such works as Crash(2005), Magnolia(1999) and the two shows considered to be the greatest things to have ever graced our television sets, Mad Men and The Wire.

The tale of twenty odd characters living their lives for three or so days in the capital of down home, America loving entertainment, the film isn't so much a story as much as near-perfect simulacra of the real world that you and I inhibit. Everybody is either trying to become somebody or retain that definition of somebody. Doesn't matter if they're a simple minded girl with a beautiful voice or a campaign advisor for a third party candidate, everybody wants their place in the American timeline, their names known by all. Celebrity isn't so much a status as much as the end all be all final step of evolution.

Realizing that politicians are no longer the most powerful people, a man kills a woman for no reason whatsoever. As thousands of her adoring fans look on, the world stands still. As her limp body is carried off stage, an even prettier and more talented woman steps up to take her place. A song that once spoke about living your life despite the bad things became a commandment to not care about the bad things around you once sung by this voice. And the people joined in. By the end, the gospel choir that obviously represented The Church and the children bought into it as well.

If there's one thing that the conservatives in this country love more than anything, more than Jesus, hell, even more than money, it's individualism. Money and Jesus are only used to promote it. The belief that "all men are islands and I'm the greatest island of them all," permeates the whole of right-wing thought. It can't be separated or set apart from individualism, because that is all it is. When making Nashville, Robert Altman didn't just notice this, he took it to the logical conclusion: a group of people who will stare straight into the eyes of tragedy and make it about themselves.

What makes it so damn prophetic is the rise of the Tea Party. Their politicians are celebrities. Their news channel is their entertainment. Their taxes are abominations unto The Lord, and The Lord is themselves. No longer content to be made in God's image and saved by Christ, they've taken their personalities and placed it onto pictures of him. In the world where Tea Party conviction rules, Jesus never provided healthcare. He never cared for the poor. He never spoke of love.

Basically, he never existed. Neither does the world. The Children who witnessed the martyrdom of celebrity in 1975 are now adults today. Altman was correct, the cult of "I" has been cultivated and passed down to them. And the next generation is coming.

nickbosshumorist.blogspot.com Like Giving Candy To a Baby that isn't yours.

[–] Loomis_Orange 14 years ago

This had nothing to do with Nashville but I wonder if people feel that Albert Brooks' film "Real Life" which bombed and disturbed when it came out and then just disappeared was as prophetic a film as A Face in the Crowd?

[–] azisk42 13 years ago

Thank you for those great insights, gives me a smidgen of hope for IMDb.

[–] DietSoda78 12 years ago

Thank you Politics for your thoughtful explication of the film. The phrase "rancid individualism" comes to mind.

I found the ending to be wildly out of sync with the rest of the film, but in your interpretation, is is both logical and meaningful. Altman is nothing if not realistic, and I simply shook my head at the notion of hundreds of people watching one of their favorite singers get murdered right in front of them and then, within less than a minute,

I got the references to assassination throughout the film; I got the mysterious loner who never opens his violin case; I got the tension between Christian selflessness and buying into the vacuous Bohemia at play in Tomlin's character; I got the tone of both affection and criticism with which Altman seemed to treat all of Nashville. But the ending just didn't work; too extreme, too stark. Having someone sing something, trying to keep the crowd going and some of them staying, that would have worked.

But that's probably because I was coming to Nashville as a relative Altman newbie, as someone whose seen "The Company" half a dozen times but never "Nashville." I saw the film as at least as mostly affectionate and affirming of the artists ambitions and plight, and the ubiquitous Hal Phillip Walker presence seemed like just one more, "Ahhh, the South's so eccentric..." little detail. So for me, her getting shot and everyone reacting as they did was about as jarring and bizarre as if Rye got blown up by a fellow dancer.

But in your reading of the film, the ending is inevitable, powerful, perfect. As a political punchline, the ending works, but the characters throughout the rest of the film were more than political tropes. But anyways, thank you; your interpretation has given me a lot to think about. I'm working my way backwards through Altman's career...should be fun.