In the middle of the 1970s, the US was at crossroads: Watergate and the Vietnam war had strained people’s trust in official institutions. Meanwhile, a presidential campaign is launched by the mysterious candidate Hal Walker with promises of re-establishing national unity. As a part of his campaign he organizes a music festival in Nashville, the birthplace of country music. The place soon turns into a beacon of showmanship and spirituality, bringing together people from all walks of life.
Nashville, however, is not a trite celebration of country music. Rather, Altman envisions the town as a sort of American microcosm that reunites American society with all its hopes and sorrows. To this end, he masterfully weaves together the fates and attitudes of over 20 characters to a sort of musical fabric, which represents a nearly torn society. This film is a cinematic masterpiece, which despite its age has not lost any of its relevance in the face of newly arising divisions and populism.
Mischa Haberthür
Translation: Carlos Hartmann
