Robert Altman

Known for: Nashville (1975), MASH* (1970)

Robert Altman became a major figure in 1970s American cinema with MASH (1970) and Nashville* (1975), developing a style — overlapping dialogue, zoom lenses, ensemble casts without a single protagonist — formally antithetical to classical Hollywood storytelling. He directed more than 30 films and several television series across five decades. He received an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 2006, the year of his death.