A Companion to Robert Altman

A Companion to Robert Altman presents a wide selection of essays covering myriad perspectives on Altman’s life, career, influence and historical context. As one of the key figures in post-World War II American cinema, Altman’s work represents an important bridge between Hollywood and independent cinema, film and television, mainstream narrative and art cinema, the movies and a range of other art forms. This book feature 23 essays from a wide variety of experts in the field covering many of these aspects and dimensions of Altman’s work including his extraordinary deployment of various devices such as the zoom, multi-track sound recording and the long take, his iconoclastic critical reputation, and his representation of space and place. This volume is particularly significant for the ways in which it shifts focus to specific aspects of Altman’s work that have that have been beyond the scope of previous studies including his work in industrial filmmaking and television, collaboration with actors and writers, and his influence on other filmmakers. It draws on a range of approaches to his work beyond the traditional parameters of auteurist film criticism, and represents the first truly extensive and expansive collection devoted to Altman’s work.