Brewster McCloud

Wednesday 12 November at 7.30pm

Robert Altman | USA | 1970 | 105 mins | R16

Fresh from the success of M*A*S*H, Altman threw his unmistakable directorial flair behind this sharply scripted, avian-themed black comedy about a recluse who dreams of being able to fly.

“Entirely singular… a strange yet vivid time capsule” – L Magazine
“Acclaimed New Hollywood filmmaker Robert Altman’s Icarian satire follows the titular Brewster McCloud (Bud Cort), an owlish recluse determined to construct a set of prosthetic wings that will enable him to fly. Under the auspices of his charming yet inscrutable fairy godmother Louise (Sally Kellerman), and in spite of myriad would-be sensual distractions, Brewster’s aerial ambitions quickly turn to ruthlessness, and capture the attentions of hot-shot big-city detective, Frank Shaft (Michael Murphy).

With sharp dialogue, superb choreography, and Altman’s unmistakeable flair for composition and arrangement, Brewster McCloud is a sprawling tableau of avian-themed absurdism and social satire that takes aim at race, class, authority, and academia in America. Brought to life by captivating performances from its ensemble cast – including a young Shelley Duvall in her debut film performance – Robert Altman further refined his unique directorial vision in this distinctive black comedy.”

– QAGOMA

“Given virtual carte blanche after M*A*S*H’s explosion at the box office, Altman responded with even greater irreverence toward fame, spectacle, civilization and any standard narrative arc. Occasionally digressing from the film’s central location, the Houston Astrodome, and the basic premise that the awkward Icarus of the title wants to fly, Altman discharges a frenzied parade of speculative asides, self-mocking jokes, cinematic allusions, avian lectures, serial killings, freak accidents and red herring characters such as Michael Murphy’s McQueen-like investigator, who is hot on the whole ambiguous scene. Disrupting the relentless satire with truly shocking, tragic bursts, Altman unearths an emotional layer within his slice of absurd Americana and introduces the world to Shelley Duvall as the Astrodome’s tour guide.”

– Harvard Film Archive