“Altman controls things beautifully, proffering credible biographical reasons for Cathryn’s inner disturbances, and borrowing shock effects from the thriller genre to underline the terrifying nature of her predicament.” - Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Wednesday, June 25, 6:00 p.m. & Saturday, June 28, 2:00 p.m. | In Altman’s psychological thriller, the mental undoing of author Cathryn (Susannah York) begins with disturbing phone calls that suggest her husband Hugh is having an affair. Shortly after, Cathryn is plagued by visions of her dead lover Rene, and receives an unexpected visit by her ex-lover Marcel—and soon is unable to distinguish the three men from one another. Critical viewing for Altman devotees and novices alike, IMAGES, which critics compared to Ingmar Bergman’s PERSONA (a major inspiration for the film), is an atypical Altman film, with a small cast of five, no overlapping dialogue, and haunting visuals that marked an entirely new style in his filmography (which he revisits in 1977’s 3 WOMEN, presented in this series July 16 and 19). IMAGES premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where York won the Best Actress prize. A young John Williams received an Academy Award nomination for his chilling original score.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Actress (Susannah York), Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Best Score, Academy Awards
Robert Altman Centennial | June–August 2025
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. 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?”
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu