Robert Altman is a very unique director with a few styles that are very different from other directors. There is one cinematic element that he seems to include in all of his films that he is well known for. He seems to always have a restless camera that is always moving around. We see this in most of his films especially in the beginning of the player where we get to start out with a nice long eight minute tracking shot. These types of shots are great ways to start out a film and kind of show the viewer what the setting is like and give them an idea of what they should expect to see.
Another very common element in Robert Altman films is that they all seem to include some sort of satire. He seems to like to always make a statement about a certain subject and he really shows how he feels in all of his films. In The Long Goodbye he uses Marlowe to make tons of fun of the 70s decade. Then in Nashville he relentlessly rips on country music down south. And then in the Player he makes fun of Hollywood and shows us some of the ridiculous thing that can take place there. Robert Altman has a very unique style but it is one that makes his movies stand out and represent great ideas.
