Description
Released after the large-scale frescos of Nashville (1975) and Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bulls History Lesson (1976), 3 Women (1977) was seen as an intimate drama from director Robert Altman.
Justin Wyatts study of 3 Women explores the films genre defying characteristics. He argues that the film goes beyond its initial interpretation as an example of art cinema owing to its surrealist, dreamlike quality. Wyatt considers four distinct aspects of the film; the function of space and Altmans ability to guide the action through the careful unfolding of the mise-en-scene; its critique of social and sexual manners; the construction of Shelley Duvalls impressive performance; and the ways through which the film can be interpreted generically as alternately a psychological drama, a puzzle film, a dark comedy, and a horror film.
Using archival materials from the Robert Altman Archive at the University of Michigan Special Collections, Wyatt explains how this broader reading of 3 Women uncovers a most valuable film text with particular interest to those interested in performance, unique cinematic storytelling methods, and an exacting social satire of American life in the late 1970s. He situates the film within Altmans oeuvre, arguing that it is one of the most significant films in the filmmakers illustrious filmography.
Author: Justin Wyatt
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: British Film Institute
Published: 11/14/2024
Series: BFI Film Classics
Pages: 104
Weight: 0.37lbs
Size: 7.54h x 5.46w x 0.29d
ISBN: 9781839026027
Language: English
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