He has remarked, for example, that the idea for Three Women came to him in a dream and refused to offer any other explanation for that extraordinary, somewhat enigmatic, film. Altman's method of work seems to consist in large measure of placing actors in situations which intrigue him and trusting that something engaging and truthful will emerge from their interplay. It often does. The limits of this approach are exposed in Kansas City . It is difficult to make a persuasive film about historical and social questions when one's understanding of history and society is not up to the task.
Intuition truly takes flight only when it has solid ground beneath it.
If the truth be told, the chief difficulty with Kansas City is not cynicism as such. America is not, as a matter of fact, simply corruption and venality and brutality, and Altman knows that perfectly well. The real problem is that Altman doesn't understand a great deal of what's taking place before his eyes. His cynicism is largely a cynicism by default. The WSWS invites your comments.