With its constant soundtrack of country
music and political commentary, Altman’s sprawling state-of-the-nation epic reverberates with the troubled zeitgeist of the 70s
“This isn’t Dallas, it’s Nashville! SING!” The desperate speaker is rhinestone-suited old-time country
Singer Haven Hamilton, played by Henry Gibson, in this rereleased state-of-America ensemble classic from 1975, written by Joan Tewkesbury and directed by Robert Altman. The toupee-wearing star has just been shot in the arm by a lone
Gunman in the crowd at a political rally featuring wholesomely patriotic country music, and the crowd is on the verge of panic. Only soothing tunes will calm them, and eventually a sprightly number called It Don’t Worry Me finally gets them singing along, forgetting all about the murder attempt they’ve all just witnessed. (Like Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, from a year later, this is a movie that is attempting to deal with the trauma of the Kennedy assassination as much as, or more, than the Vietnam war.)
Related: Robert Altman’s 20 best films – ranked!