Book description
In his own words, one of American cinema's most incorrigible
mavericks reflects on a brilliant career. Robert Altman served a long
apprenticeship in movie-making before his great breakthrough, the
Korean War comedy M*A*S*H* (1969). It became a huge hit and won the
Palme d'Or at Cannes, but also established Altman's inimitable use of
sound and image, and his gift for handling a repertory company of
actors. The 1970s then became Altman's decade, with a string of
masterpieces: McCabe and Mrs Miller, The Long Goodbye, Thieves Like
Us, Nashville . . . In the 1980s Altman struggled to fund his work,
but he was restored to prominence in 1992 with The Player, an acerbic
take on Hollywood. Short Cuts, an inspired adaptation of Raymond
Carver, and the Oscar-winning Gosford Park, underscored his comeback.
Now he recalls the highs and lows of his career trajectory to David
Thompson, in this definitive interview book.
For Faber, David Thompson has co-edited Scorsese on Scorsese
(with Ian Christie) and edited Levinson on Levinson. He is the
director of many acclaimed documentaries about a diverse range of
films and filmmakers, from Vittorio Storaro and Jean Renoir to Josef
von Sternberg and Busby Berkeley.
