He explains that the genesis of 3 Women came from a dream. He dreamt the title, the setting and that it would star Sissy Spacek and Shelley Duvall. Altman doesn't like to analyze his films and prefers the audience to develop their own theories and opinions. Despite this statement, he does go into great detail about the themes of the movie and tells some interesting anecdotes, in particular how he first met Duvall. Altman usually doesn't deliver strong commentaries but this one is first rate and a must-listen for any fan of the man and his movies.

Despite Altman's previous poor (commentary) track record, this Criterion release happily bucks the trend and finds him at his most lucid and illuminating on what must be his most obscure and impenetrable film.
Starting with an explanation of the strange circumstances of the film's inception, Altman manages to find plenty to say throughout the length of the film, discussing various aspects of its making, along with entertaining tales of the personalities involved, both in front of and behind the camera.
And this despite his stated preference for leaving the interpretation of his work to the individual viewer - and at the risk of sounding churlish, you almost wish he hadn't been quite so literal in his explanation of exactly what the final scenes mean!
He also finds time to talk about his other films of the period, and even offers his idea of what would make the perfect film.
Altman may never have quite made the perfect film but he came closer than most (and more often) so a track like this that gives an insight into his working methods is something to be savoured. Recommended.