The discovery of America
20 February 1925 20 November 2006 Robert Bernard Altman, world famous Director, writer and producer, was born on February 20, 1925 in Kansas City, Missouri. Educated at a Jesuit institution, at 18 years old he was drafted into the army and leaves for World War II as a pilot. He participated in more than 50 air strikes, then back from the front: in 1947 he attended the Faculty of engineering at the University of Missouri. His creative talent proves to be the invention of a machine for tattooing the identification code of the dogs. Meanwhile, Robert Altman writes for radio and makes documentaries and industrial films for the Calvin Company. Set aside some money, in 1953 he wrote, directed and produced his first feature, "The Delinquents" (never been distributed in Italy). In 1957 he made "the James Dean story", a documentary on the life of the young star who died tragically a year earlier. From 1957 to 1966 he worked for various tv series including "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Bonanza" but often are fired and driven out from the set because of its waste to comply with directives of network television and its insistence to insert in his works political content and anti-militarists. Although on the brink of financial disaster because of gambling debts, he manages to start a production company, Lion's Gate Films. In 1970 with "M.A.S.H." (Donald Sutherland), mocking and jeering militarist spoof, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the film receives six Academy Award nomination. The film was the most significant and original Altman as one of the authors of the cinema of the ' 70 and as one of the most careful and profound of American society, whose history and whose phenomena are passed to critique and irreverent of the great Director. With "McCloud" (1971) Altman denounces racism still rooted in the deep South of the country; with "cronies" (1971), revisits the story of the West, showing less magnificent and heroic aspects. With "the long goodbye" (1973), starring a disenchanted Elliott Gould (one of the favorite actors of Director), Altman shows a Marlowe private grappling with the daily routine at all heroic and Paladin of the law. "Gang" (1974) tribute-a nostalgic atmosphere-in the world of the underworld-' 40, with gangsters who seem to be of the losers and outcasts. Gambling is dedicated "California split" (1974), where the two protagonists are caught in their wanderings through a bitter and hostile America. Altman is known for its ability to perform choral film including "Nashville" (1975), one of his most appreciated works. The film is a bitter split and symbolic worries of American Society of the time: get five Oscar nominations. The commercial success of the film won him the money for the new sound system to 8 tracks with which it can record sound on the set in real time of the later films. With "Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or sitting bull's history lesson:" (1976) won a golden bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and continues into national heroes and demitizzante review of the rhetoric of the legends that accompany them. His Buffalo Bill is a clumsy character, ignorant on the borderline of stupidity. With "three women" (1977) Altman's attention moves on the problems of women. Not always the audience, producers and critics manage to follow the complexity and eccentricity of the Director, as is the case with "a wedding" (1978), "Quintet" (1978) and "a perfect couple" (1979). After the failure of the film "Popeye" (1980), the musical inspired by the comics of the famous sailor mangiaspinaci, decided to sell the Lion's Gate and became interested in theatre, forming the "Sandcastle 5 Productions" and directing some plays. For about a decade now stays away from Hollywood while continuing to make films appreciated by critics and audiences: "Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" (1982), "Streamers" (1983, whose performers win all together the award for best performance in Venice), "fool for love" (1985, with Kim Basinger), "group therapy" (1987). In 1990 for television "Vincent & Theo" focused on the life of Vincent Van Gogh. Gli anni ' 90 marks the Director's return to the big movie industry: "the actors" (1992), "America today" (1993), a complex weave of micro-stories set in Southern California, for which he won a Golden Lion at Venice, ex-aequo with "Trois Couleurs Bleu" by k. Kieslowski. Then subsequent work: "Prêt-à-porter (1994, in which Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren represent the famous scene of the film" yesterday, today and tomorrow "by Vittorio De Sica)," Kansas City "(1996)," conflict of interest "(1998, with Kenneth Branagh)," Cookie's fortune "(1999, with Glenn Close, Julianne Moore and Chris O'Donnell) and" Dr. T and the women "(2000, with Richard Gere and Helen Hunt) , "Gosford Park" (2001, yellow to Agatha Christie set within the British aristocracy).