Nashville is his masterpiece, but I wouldn’t start there as Altman’s style takes a little getting used to (and Nashville is fairly uncompromising in that style). I’d start with The Player, which I think is most accessible of his greats. Then MASH, then you’re ready for Nashville followed soon after by McCabe & Mrs. Miller and every other film he’s directed.
I started with The Player and Short Cuts and they hooked me so why not start there (although that was at the time of their release)
Ryan Michaels
I consider myself to be fairly educated when it comes to American cinema, I’ve explored most of the work of the “essential” directors (Scorsese, Hawks, Ford, Coppola, Spielberg, Bogdanovich, Welles, etc.) but yet have not seen a single film directed by Robert Altman. Could I get some starter tips?