3 Women

[Will]

We all know the backstory: started as a dream, created/evolved through daily collaboration and improvisation, and savaged by critics. Altman's biggest risk, and one of his most engaging/hypnotic films.

Any thoughts about this amazing film?

[Ryan Tek]

I LOVE Three Women! It's my favorite Altman by far. Sissy Spacek and especially Shelley Duvall are some of the most pathetic characters I've ever seen in film. They reminded me of the hilariously delusional and pitiful character Warren Oates played in Two-Lane Blacktop only Sissy and Shelley get way more abused and mistreated. I never see anyone mention how brutal this movie is... this had to have been a huge inspiriation for Todd Solondz. I would consider 3 Women to be a dark comedy but I don't know if it was intentional or not. Don't get me wrong, I really sympathized and loved both the protagonists here, but at the same time I couldn't help but laugh at how completely stupid they were or how cruel everyone was to them for being so airheaded. I probably love this movie for the wrong reasons though. I hated its supposed influence "Persona" and I also did not care for the movie it inspired, "Mulholland Drive". And with the exception of Long Goodbye and California Split, I do not like Robert Altman.

[Pihk]

Yeah, Duvall's character was pathetic, but painted in a sympathetic light. I felt bad for her. Duvall plays those kinds of characters really well (The Shining)

I know the term "dream-like" gets overused but I would put this in the top 5 or maybe even the most dreamlike movie I've seen. Little details like when the soundtrack becomes nothing more than the sound of car engines and gunshots from the firing range just get to me everytime I watch it. Its hard to explain with words.

First time I saw this was on the big screen at the Roger Ebert Overlooked Festival in Urbana, IL while I went to school there. This was a year or so before the Criterion release but the restored print had already been made. But somehow the shipping got fucked up and the first reel(s) of about 30-40min didn't make it and Ebert had to scramble to find *any* print. WHat he got was a really tattered one that was red shifted to high heaven plus major static on the sound. Still, I was completely mesmerized. That had been one of those great blind watches that we all have occasionally that leads to lifelong appreciation.