3 Women (film)

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3 Women

Directed by	Robert Altman
Produced by	Robert Altman
Written by	Robert Altman
Starring	Shelley Duvall Sissy Spacek Janice Rule
Music by	Gerald Busby
Cinematography	Chuck Rosher
Editing by	Dennis Hill
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	April 3, 1977
Running time	124 min
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	US$1,500,000 (estimated)
IMDb profile

3 Women is a 1977 film directed by Robert Altman, starring Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Dennis Christopher and Craig Richard Nelson. The story came directly from a dream Altman had, which he did not fully understand himself, but nonetheless adapted into a treatment, intending to film without a script. 20th Century Fox greenlit the project on Altman's reputation, but a script was completed before filming, although, as with most Altman films, the script was just a "blueprint" for what would be said and seen on-screen.

The minimal plot involves two women whose personalities are in sharp contrast when they first meet and move in together. The third woman is actually a key supporting character -- a mural artist who lives at the same apartment building. The story takes place in a small desert community typical of those found east of Los Angeles. The film has a dream-like quality, focusing more on behavior, mood and mystery than on plot devices.

What the story is about exactly is open to interpretation, and even Altman has said he is not sure what the ending means but has a "theory" about what happens. What is clear is that the two principal characters undergo a transformation in which they exchange their relative status to each other. In this way, 3 Women has a kinship with Bergman's Persona.

Duvall plays a woman who is very confident of her personal charisma and attractiveness to men, despite obvious evidence to the contrary. Spacek is a naive, childlike woman, with a somewhat mysterious past, who initially looks up to Duvall. They both work at a physical therapy facility and much of the film takes place at their apartment building, where the third woman creates striking and somewhat unsettling murals.

3 Women represents the quintessence of the truly independent, personal filmmaking that characterized American cinema in the 1970s; indeed, it was among the last such films of the period — one of those films that "could not be made today."

[edit] DVD release

For years, the film was not available in home video in any form. This was alleged to be due to music rights; reportedly, the distributors of Altman's films Images, California Split, 3 Women, and HealtH, had not negotiated music rights for home video release of the films, and, due to their relative obscurity, they were never expected to be released.

3 Women became the first of these films to be released when The Criterion Collection obtained the rights, along with other Altman films Secret Honor, Tanner '88, and Short Cuts. The DVD includes an anamorphic transfer in the correct 2.35:1 aspect ratio and a commentary track by Robert Altman.