Streamers

A fiery Vietnam war drama. The acting is pretty great. Altman prevents that feeling of claustrophobia that can come from a filmed-play and the last 20 minutes or so are incredibly intense.

Altman's attempt to make a totally different kind of Vietman war film was admirable, not to mention topical for its time. In the homophobic 80's, it would have been refreshing to see a director from an older generation tackle this subject in an unfamiliar yet totally plausible context. Like most of Altman's 80's films, it's a low key dramatic piece that highlights the considerable strengths of its ensemble cast, but it never transcends the theatrical limits of its source material.

Powerful theatrical adaptation with very good performances from the ensemble.

Effective in fits and starts. It's too long, and Altman makes no attempt to make this adaptation feel cinematic but the intense acting guarantees that it hits home from time to time.

Altman took some unpredictable turns during his long career. Streamers is well acted, had hitting drama, that unfortunately never seems to leave confines of theater behind it. What I think bothered me the most about it, is that it feels like one of those didactic we-went-to-see-it-as-a-school-trip type of plays. On a positive side, it deals with issues like war, homophobia, racism is a completely open way, which I didn't expect to see in a movie of that era.

"We're talking Robert Altman tonight." "After Popeye." http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/01/episode-43-stage-adaptations-of-robert.html

"What elevates the film above a dated topical discussion is Altman's imagining of the army barracks as a hothouse environment where tensions and fears play out in oddly manic outbursts, and his direction of his actors accordingly." - Andrew Schenker

Altman's SHORT EYES. (FORT EYES?)