Welcome to our new series here on Mr. Skin: Nudity was Necessary. Of course, we always think nudity is necessary, but some crazy people out there disagree. I am here to prove that they are wrong with a series that highlights nude scenes that were pivotal to the plot and/or to character development. These scenes served a purpose, proving that nudity actually is necessary.
Today's scene is from the 1975 Robert Altman film Nashville.
This mid-70s flick takes us to Nashville, Tennessee, with a look at a series of kooky characters who are trying to make it in country music in the country music capital of the world. So many stars are in this movie like Shelley Duvall, Lily Tomlin, Elliott Gould, and Karen Black. This is a stellar ensemble film with only one nude scene and it is an important nude scene.
Gwen Welles is the star of the nude scene in question today. At the time, she was a newcomer to the big screen and yet her scene remains one of the most memorable of the entire film. This is the only nude scene in the movie, but it serves a major purpose: to show that sex sells even when talent doesn't.
Gwen starts singing to a rowdy bar, but the guys are simply not paying attention. Her talent just isn't cutting it, but she is determined to make her mark and get their attention - by any means necessary. She is wearing a gorgeous green gown, but the drunk audience members (all men) would rather see that dress on the floor.
They start heckling her to take it off. Tired of not getting attention and respect in the room, she acquiesces to their requests. She strips off her duds until she is singing in the buff. Now she's got their attention! The men hoot and holler at her hooters.
Why is this scene important? It's important for two reasons. For one, it is important for Gwen's character. It shows that Gwen is willing to do anything to get attention and to become a star. That means going nude and, yes, it has to be going nude because that's as far as any female performer can take it. Desperate, she takes it all off and proves that she wants to be a star by any means necessary - even if she does clearly feel conflicted about it.
For the plot, this serves the purpose of showing how competitive the country music scene is for all of these characters and how many people have stars in their eyes. While Gwen's character is not the most talented, she knows that she is beautiful and she knows that sex sells.
Gwen's character also becomes loose when her clothes are off and she has everyone's attention. She comes alive for a moment before she leaves the stage in defeat. There is nowhere for her to hide. But that's the point. As long as the audience loves her, she feels validated...no matter what she is getting validation for. She leaves the stage to consider what that performance just meant.
Watch it here:
