Robert Altman Centennial
June 4–August 30, 2025 | 13-Film Retrospective
“Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes.”—Robert Altman
Robert Altman (1925–2006) is one of the rare directors whose name alone conjures his style. Say a film is “Altmanesque” and you’ll get nods of understanding—most cinephiles know the auteur’s calling cards: large ensemble casts; overlapping dialogue; a roving camera, and a subtle critique of the American Dream.
The Kansas City, Missouri–born Altman joined the Air Force at age 18 and fought in WWII. He never went to film school, instead working as director on industrial films in Kansas City after the war. That work, which started him directing plays at the local theater, drew him to California, where he directed small budget titles for MGM (all disasters) until—after a dozen others passed on the script—he was hired to direct M*A*S*H.
While Altman is regularly praised for his European sensibilities—he’s been compared to Bergman and Fellini—his films are quintessentially American. From the hardscrabble terrain of the Pacific Northwest to the sprawl of Music City, from a melancholic Texas soda fountain to the sleaze of Hollywood, Altman captures the best and worst of us, from sea to shining sea. The director’s decades-spanning filmography reflects his remarkable ability to thrive across genres: comedy, western, thriller, drama, with his trademark style and recurring players (Shelley Duvall, Lily Tomlin, Michael Murphy, Elliott Gould) serving as the connective “Altmanesque” tissue.
Altman was prolific (a hardworking midwesterner), directing 36 feature films, and well over 100 episodes of television. Nominated for five Best Director Academy Awards, Altman was presented with an Honorary Academy Award in 2006—and he passed away nine months later, at the age of 81. When asked by Playboy Magazine in 1976, “When you look into your future, what do you want to have accomplished?” Altman answered, “All I want is to do what I'm doing. What else would I do?”
This series is eligible for the Siskel Summer Pass! Summer Passes go on sale May 14.
