Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2019
A fascinating psychological drama about 3 distinct women.
Robert Altman wrote and directed his avant-garde, indie drama 3 Women (1977) is about loneliness, manipulation, twins, dreams, love, motherhood, adoration, neediness, friendship, and the female gaze. Altman conducts an orchestra of madness and loneliness as he depicts women that build a friendship that develops into something toxic, then something surreally beautiful. 3 Women feels like one long dream sequence that reflects on identity theft and the personas we create for the public sphere.
Shelley Duvall is gripping as a kind would be socialite named Millie Lammoreaux, who never stops talking. Her dialogue is surprisingly funny, but her act becomes sad as you realize no one actually likes her. Her incessant talking is delightful and so expressive. She plays Millie as a bubbly, vindictive, desperate, pathetic loser who genuinely wants love. Duvall is eccentric, lovable, annoying, endearing, forlorn, and exciting all in one character named Millie. I love her in 3 Women.
On the other hand, Sissy Spacek is genius as the manipulative Pinky Rose, who clings and worships Millie, with the intention of replacing her whole persona. Spacek plays Pinky aloof and odd to the point of being disturbed, then shifts to the confident trickster who will manipulate Millie for her own gain. Sissy Spacek delivers one of the most intriguing and breathtaking performances with layered personas overlapping like the 3 women. There will never be a more endearing, sweet, alluring, mysterious, or likable actress as the adorable Sissy Spacek and 3 Women is her at her most compelling.
Janice Rule gets the least to do and the most to express with her few notable scenes as the weird Willie Hart. Whether she is painting or staring, you are captivated by her mystique and emotions. Her acting during the pool scene, firing range scene, or the birth sequence is impressive to say the least. I like Robert Fortier as the sleazy, drunken gunslinger Edgar Hart. He captures a cheat in a drunken stupor quite effectively. The entire cast of 3 Women plays their parts well to the desired effect of neediness or passive neglect.
Altman’s writing is full of hidden meanings everywhere you look as the leads are women that are constantly ignored by all around them, until they find solace in each other’s company. They don’t need men, but each other’s attention and affection. 3 Women is very much a massive tribute to Ingmar Bergman’s Persona as it revolves around the similarities between women despite their personality differences. Indeed, by the end of 3 Women, all 3 ladies exchange and meld personalities into one presence. 3 Women is wildly creative in demonstrating the subtle commonalities between the 3 leading ladies as well as how their personalities differ in their own unique ways.
Robert Altman’s direction for 3 Women is dreamy in the same fashion as Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, Peter Weir’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, and Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides. The pastel colors of warm sunny yellow and vibrant purple ooze a surreal tone throughout 3 Women. The yellow repeats all over Millie’s apartment and on all her clothes. The purple is isolating like when the characters are outside elsewhere away from the safety of their apartment. I love Altman’s use of radiant colors, playful outfits, particular make-up, and smooth movements.
Similarly, Chuck Roscher’s cinematography is beautiful and mesmerizing as he captures devastatingly sad and lonely women go about their lives as best as they can. Roscher’s shots demonstrate how the surrounding women ignore and ridicule these women just as men tolerate they at the barest levels. Roscher always lets you know who is where, watching whom, and from where for a focused perspective of each lady. I love the shot of Willie looking up at Edgar from the pool and realizing he is cheating on her or Millie looking down at Pinky in the pool with guilt over causing her distress.
Dennis Hill’s editing is abstract, surreal, creative, expressive, coherent, curious, and revealing all at once. Hill uses long takes with sudden cuts to different scenes by way of a loud sound or startling visual. The first 80% of 3 Women is a linear, if strange, story, but then devolves into surreal dream sequences that actually reveal the finale if you pay close enough attention. 3 Women rewards observant viewers at all is explained and meaningful if you are willing to interpret the images you witness each scene. Altman wants to allure you with lovely women, intriguing characters, and provocative images. However, I sincerely feel like all his artistry is purposeful and readable for an audience that is paying attention to all his dreamy clues.
Furthermore, Altman uses heavy symbolism within the abstract painting that repeats at various points in 3 Women. What seems like nonsensical art at first, reveals itself over time to contain deeper meaning. You slowly realize the painting depicts 3 women like the leading ladies, a pregnant woman like Willie, and a parasitic relationship between the two other women like Millie and Pinky’s pairing.
Overall, 3 Women can be analyzed at length for all its symbolism and hidden meanings as an avant-garde indie drama or just experienced as a brilliant psychological drama. Either way, Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek are captivating in their dramatic performances and stunning to watch portray their individual woman role.
