Review of Nashville (1975) by Deany Hendrick C — 25 Apr 2012

The film I've watched the most times in my life and loved for the most constantly changing reasons, Nashville represented a crescendo in my personal understanding of art, life, and the human condition. It has helped me understand the intricacies of community in the same way Taxi Driver has helped me understand the intricacies of the self. Perhaps it is flawed, but to me, it is perfect precisely because of those flaws. It's more of a song than a film: every character clamoring to be heard from underneath the blinds of fate.

Life isn't perfect: it's open-ended, crowded, illogical, sentimental, and tragic. We bump into each other, and we're all in this together. We meet people we despise, love, and disregard, sometimes for a moment and sometimes for a lifetime. Life is filled with missed chances and unnecessary pain, and space, in its emptiness, plays perhaps the greatest role in it. I identify with Nashville because it portrays the world as senseless and flawed, but at least it tries. That is what makes us who we are: we try.

In the end, I can't really describe why I love this film so much. I find myself coming back to it all the time, watching every scene carefully, listening to every line of dialogue. Maybe that's why I love Nashville: I never can say why.