Quintet (1979) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray) | Directed by Robert Altman

Title: Quintet (1979)

Genre:
Science Fiction

Plot Synopsis:
In a distant future where Earth has been consumed by a new ice age and humanity appears to be nearing extinction, a seal hunter named Essex arrives at one of the last remaining settlements with his pregnant companion. After tragedy strikes, Essex becomes drawn into Quintet, a mysterious board game that has become an obsession among the survivors. He soon discovers that for a select group of players, the game has evolved beyond the board, with human beings serving as pieces and death awaiting those who lose.

Cast and Crew

• Director: Robert Altman
• Writers: Frank Barhydt, Robert Altman, Patricia Resnick
• Cast:
  • Paul Newman as Essex
  • Vittorio Gassman as St. Christopher
  • Fernando Rey as Grigor
  • Bibi Andersson as Ambrosia
  • Brigitte Fossey as Vivia

YouTube Trailer: Quintet | Trailer

IMDb: Quintet (1979)

Reviews from Letterboxd

1. Carlos Valladares — ★★★★★
   “I was the only person whose #1 request was to write about Quintet. Altman, in grief mode, was a half-century ahead of all his American colleagues.”
2. Zach A — ★★★★½
   “From its opening shot, hypnotically and slowly tracking across a desolate landscape of snow, Quintet commits to its much-maligned style.”
3. Justin Decloux — ★★★½
   “Altman made a Guy Maddin film!”
4. emily — ★★½
   “extremely bleak, near plotless and operating on an incomprehensible, self-defeating and largely unexplained logic. less than the sum of its parts, perhaps, but i liked it!”
5. PorkChopMurphy — ★★½
   “Slow, bleak, and obtuse. Better than it’s reputation”

Meta Description:
Robert Altman directs Paul Newman in Quintet, a bleak post-apocalyptic science fiction film set during a new ice age, where humanity’s survivors become consumed by a mysterious game with deadly consequences.