3 Women claims to be about identity and the nature of being human
(not just a woman, natch), but there's much more going on within its
palpable, almost fleshy boundaries. Like the best Altman, 3 Women
allows unsuspecting movie-watchers a glimpse into a universe we're not
supposed to have access to. Sure, we all may have met characters like
Millie (Shelley Duvall) and Pinky (Sissy Spacek), but none of us have
had the wondrously alienating and giddily intimate opportunity to go
behind closed doors and spy on such lonely outcasts at their most
vulnerable. And in the stifling Palm Springs desert heat, no less.
To recap the film's storyline would be a waste. Altman's film
moves with the assured grace only his biggest classics are capable of
(don't be fooled, this is one of his best), 3 Women's majestic merit
lies in its looseness, its ability to be both full of momentum and
vividly vague in its intentions. It would be cheap to continue making
comparisons to Mulholland Drive, but, alas, it is unavoidable: 3 Women
and Mulholland Drive are journeys rather than designated narrative
destinations - yes, they have plots, and yes, there is a point to them
(no matter how oblique), but there is no definitive rhyme or reason to
them. If you are able to sit down and accurately and logically explain
the events in front of you, then kudos to you (this writer sure as
Hell can't), but the liberation of 3 Women and M. Drive as
experiential pictures is that they render decipherability incidental.
This being said, however, 3 Women isn't quite as avant-garde
as you might think. Much of it seems improvised and organic, and
there's an excellently evocative atonal score provided by Gerald Busby
that makes everything ebb and flow in trippy ways (there are glorious
paintings by the late Bodhi Wind here, also), but if there's anything
one can say about Altman, it's that the guy is a responsible
filmmaker. He's not trying to pointlessly flex his aesthetically
obtuse muscles in works like 3 Women - he's simply letting us inside
his head. 3 Women has a beginning, middle and an end, and it delivers
everything it claims, but it just so happens that this particular work
is extremely esoteric and musing where most pictures aren't: It's
artsy, but not overtly so.
The acting here is sensational.
Shelley Duvall, who would end up starring in a handful more of
Altman's later pictures, is astonishing in her role as Millie
Lammoreaux, a character who earned Duvall the Best Actress Award at
the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. She is constantly undervalued - to many
cineastes, she'll be remembered only as the marginally proficient
thorn in Stanley Kubrick's side - but she uses her effortless
ingenuity to endless success here. She doesn't rely on trite
"actorly" predictability to define her embarrassed and
desperately lonely character here - it comes across like she's making
it all up as she goes along. And Spacek is a marvel - Pinky is the
film's central protagonist (and the one with the most dramatic
character arc) and the way she moves from shy wallflower to sassy
debutante over the film's two-hour running time showcases both her
versatility as an actress and her powerhouse bravado as a performer.
It also goes without saying that this is the perfect film to
introduce Altman to Criterion's pantheon of DVD releases. The company
released a ton of excellent Altman films on LaserDisc (their version
of Short Cuts was mind-blowingly complete), but this is their maiden
voyage with Altman on DVD - and it's a humdinger. Turn on your fan and
pop this one in: It's confusing, maddening, glorious...and hot.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Presented in its
original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and anamorphic to boot, 3 Women looks
pretty darn solid. Sure, age has had its way with the negative - there
are definitely example of wear-and-tear, scratching and phasing with
the telecine print utilized here - but that doesn't mean its
presentation isn't impressive nonetheless. Black levels are fine,
details tends to be a bit hazy in parts but is overall quite thorough,
and the picture's excellent contrast is manifested here with clarity
and precision. Not the end-all of transfers, but it certainly does the
film justice.
Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?
Mono, baby, mono. The hisses and clicks have been cleaned up here,
but even so, the mono has its limitations. Altman's patented usage of
overlapping dialogue is presented cleanly, and the soundtrack here is
given a nice kick. Sure, there are no fancy upgrades to DVDs, but
that's always been Criterion's way of doing business, and it suits the
material just fine here.
Also included are English subtitles
but no other audio options.
Supplements: What Goodies Are
There?
One of the greatest audio commentaries
ever? Robert Altman's screen-specific track here is a majestic piece
of work, a two-hour film class that outdoes most tracks this writer
has heard in years. He discusses the impetus of the film, how it came
about, how much it cost, how he met his collaborators, what it was
like working in such a hot environment (Palm Springs, CA) and
everything else before, after and during the film's production. He
talks about P.T. Anderson's films, the state of film acting in the
world today, everything - trust me, it's a treat that any film lover
(and Altman fan, of course) will relish.
The rest of the extras
here are slim: We get an extensive photo gallery and
then some theatrical trailers (both a teaser and full
trailer) and two TV spots.
DVD-ROM Exclusives:
What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?
There are
no ROM extras on the disc.
Parting Thoughts
3
Women is a marvel, an elliptical, pulsating frenzy of a film that
plays as strongly today as it ever has. Performances are revelatory,
Altman's at the top of his game, and the refreshing zest of an
atypical picture like this makes the rest of the summertime box-office
crap around us seem less important (which is wonderful). The transfer
here is fine, too, and Altman's commentary is something you shouldn't
miss. You'll pay a high Criterion price for this one, but it will be
well worth it. Highly recommended.
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