Review of 3 Women (1977) by Al P — 10 Mar 2010

I had no idea to expect from this film (in a way, I think that's always best). The minute I thought I knew how it was going to be, it changed. It keeps changing. Altman is completely uninterested in sticking to any pre-established norms.

I will admit that the experimental nature of a film like El Topo fell completely flat for me. 3 Women, on the other hand, has such compelling performances from Spacek, Duvall, and Rule that the avant garde tendencies of this film seem secondary.

If a comparison helps clarify the nature of this work, I would propose Persona and Mullholland Drive as first cousins. It's not exactly like them, though. Even though this isn't as accessible as McCabe and Mrs.

Miller or Nashville, I admire Altman for taking a risk and following his vision.