QUINTET: Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction by Robert Altman

If I told you that, at one point, the creation of a science fiction world was something that Robert Altman, a director usually associated with a more “down-to-earth” repertoire, was interested in, would you believe it? And if I told you that in his sci-fi film, Paul Newman appeared, an actor who had never before and would never again have any dealings with science fiction, would you still maintain your disbelief? The answer to these doubts is the 1979 film Quintet – a very specific, unique post-apocalyptic film that, after more than forty years after its premiere, has already been forgotten.

When I looked at the results of the post-apocalyptic films poll, I wasn’t surprised that Quintet was not among them. Although I personally supported having the work included in the list of films for the readers to choose from, I was also aware that it is neither a particularly popular film nor entirely successful. Although the two names I mentioned, Altman and Newman, make Quintet seem like an intriguing phenomenon and a must-see not only for the average sci-fi fan but also for anyone who enjoys the work of the aforementioned individuals, it is also certain that the 1979 film earned its place in history as one that people have forgotten. Above all, because of its enigmatic, difficult-to-digest formula.

This also contributed to the unequivocal criticism of the film. Today, it is hard to find an opinion saying that Altman’s experiment succeeded. On IMDb, with almost four thousand votes, the film has managed to achieve only an average rating hovering around five. It’s just as bleak on Rotten Tomatoes. Out of eight reviews of the film, only one is positive. Similar voices to the opinion expressed at the time by Vincent Canby for the New York Times circulate: “Quintet is depressing not because it deals with the end of the world, but because its artistic vision is simply weak.” I probably don’t need to add that, due to such reception, even with a relatively low budget of ten million dollars, the film turned out to be a financial flop for the 20th Century Fox studio?

Now that we’ve checked off the kind of legacy Altman’s film has left behind, we can focus on my reception of this work. And I must admit that I still remember it fondly because it brought me intellectual satisfaction at the time. It is also difficult not to appreciate Altman’s courage in creating an original post-apocalyptic reality. The action of Quintet takes place in a future world affected by another ice age. It is the aftermath of a devastating nuclear war, the effect of which, as you might easily guess, has had a significant impact on the natural environment. The main character, a man named Essex (Paul Newman), arrives with his pregnant wife in a city buried under snow. For the frozen, starving, and hopeless people of the city, the only “entertainment” seems to be a mysterious game – quintet – in which human life is often at stake.

One of the main advantages of Quintet is also its main problem. That with the onslaught of metaphors accumulated in the film, it makes both the plot and the titular game so unclear that the viewer must assign their own meaning to them. It’s easy to feel lost, though I personally found something interesting in this snowy space. It’s pointless to look for the rules of the titular game, so it’s better to treat it symbolically, as an end in itself, without a message. After the fall of culture, quintet seems to be the bastion of intellectual and emotional entertainment. Entertainment that, due to the inherent risk, remains the only determinant of life for its participants. The isolated, frozen, and apathetic civilization failed to preserve its spirit. Its remnants seem to echo in the game.

Quintet is also, in my simplified view, a metaphor for life in general. After all, its rules are unclear, and the consequences of actions are hard to predict, which is meant to remind one of the labyrinth of human fate. As I understand it, the director’s goal was not to offer the protagonist hope and fill the viewer’s heart with it, even though the bird flying at the beginning of the film can be interpreted as a harbinger of it. Ultimately, everything gets stuck in stagnation. But perhaps it is precisely this mystery, the uncertainty of fate, the suspension, the constant lack of answers to fundamental questions about meaning, that makes everything around us keep turning. And perhaps it is these factors that will provide us with the motivation to continue to survive in the face of an impending disaster. Even if it only means a dry, emotionless existence.

Altman’s Quintet also stands out for its atmosphere. The film features very calmly shot dialogue scenes, referencing the theatrical nature of many of the director’s films. The technical hallmark is the blurring or misting of individual shots, making the sub-zero temperature (which Altman himself ensured during the filming) more tangible for the viewer. This is also the fundamental building block of Quintet’s specific, dreamlike atmosphere. The atmosphere that one wants to return to – especially in winter, for a screening by the fireplace.