The Parthenon
The climax of the film takes place at the full-sized replica of the Parthenon in Nashville. The imagery here is potent and not just due to the how the climax plays out. The Parthenon resonates with allusion to the birth of democracy in ancient Greece, but this is, after all, merely a replica and not the real thing. It is a façade of a symbol of democracy and that is the true symbolic power of the imagery.
Nashville
The dominant imagery of Nashville is that of the city of Nashville as the home of country music. Thus, every image really in some way connects to music even as it often connects strongly to the political drama playing out. This imagery situates Nashville specific to the narrative: every character is connected by way of the music of Nashville. The meaning here can be extrapolated to suggest that every American is connected to each other by way of democracy. Some are more involved than others; some not at all. But no matter where you sit on the spectrum, if you live in Nashville, you are affected by the country music industry. And if you are an American, you are affected by the democratic process.
Sueleen's Striptease
Sueleens’s pathetic experience at her getting her first “big break” is a work of pure imagery that his highly suggestive in a way relative to both the entertainment industry and the world of politics which merge in the film. Both worlds have a voracious appetite for welcoming young innocents into their respective spheres and stripping them of every last shred of dignity: the weak collapse and die while the strong survive and thrive to the point where they can look back on the indignity as a trial by fire in which their mettle was tested.
Hal Philip Walker's Rhetoric
The Presidential candidate at the center of the film is not really a character per se in the sense of actually being on screen, but he talked about and his voice is heard on a loudspeaker. As a result, much of his political rhetoric does become spoken dialogue and when one begins looking closely at his message, the real message of the film shines. Walker’s rhetoric serves as aural imagery which underlines the thematic foundation of the film: politic is entertainment which is devoid of meaning and increasingly reliant on branding an idea of a candidate rather than an actual policy or agenda that candidate represents. The celebrities of Nashville are circling the politics of identity around a candidate whose message includes statements that sound like lyrics from their songs:
“It is the very nature of government to strain at a man who swallowed a camel.
Did you ever ask a lawyer the time of day? He told you how to make a watch, didn't he?
Does Christmas smell like oranges to you?”
