I have to say up front, if you don't like artsy films, run! A decade and multiple viewings after my first exposure to "3 Women," I remain ambivalent in my feelings for it.
To provide true spoilers would be nearly impossible, since there is no discernible plot to this film merely themes. Introverted Spacek (fresh from "Carrie" and tackling a somewhat similar role) befriends outgoing Duvall, who no one really likes. The third of the three women is artist Rule, who has little screen time or purpose to her presence.
The entire film feels like a dream (or a nightmare, depending upon your tolerance for it) and ends with the most ambiguous final scene ever, leading one to wonder if perhaps it was the dream of one of the three characters (or perhaps it's the ending itself that was the dream). There's plenty of pointless dialogue and situations, and weirdness abounds. The performances are excellent, the visuals stunning and the score is appropriately inscrutable. If only there were any sense to be made from it.
After 27 years, it finally received the lavish video release that it deserves, complete with a stunning widescreen transfer and an audio commentary by director Robert Altman (though the commentary fails to shed much light on the enigma that is "3 Women"). Like all Criterion discs, the price tag conjures up images of rape (I don't get why Criterion discs are 5 times the price of their studio-released counterparts), but it's well worth it for those willing to take the risk.
To provide true spoilers would be nearly impossible, since there is no discernible plot to this film merely themes. Introverted Spacek (fresh from "Carrie" and tackling a somewhat similar role) befriends outgoing Duvall, who no one really likes. The third of the three women is artist Rule, who has little screen time or purpose to her presence.
The entire film feels like a dream (or a nightmare, depending upon your tolerance for it) and ends with the most ambiguous final scene ever, leading one to wonder if perhaps it was the dream of one of the three characters (or perhaps it's the ending itself that was the dream). There's plenty of pointless dialogue and situations, and weirdness abounds. The performances are excellent, the visuals stunning and the score is appropriately inscrutable. If only there were any sense to be made from it.
After 27 years, it finally received the lavish video release that it deserves, complete with a stunning widescreen transfer and an audio commentary by director Robert Altman (though the commentary fails to shed much light on the enigma that is "3 Women"). Like all Criterion discs, the price tag conjures up images of rape (I don't get why Criterion discs are 5 times the price of their studio-released counterparts), but it's well worth it for those willing to take the risk.