Woody Allen's Annie Hall is an outstanding accomplishment in filmmaking that portrays a simple, romantic foundation to create a dramatic portrait of not only 70's pop culture, but of the human nature. Throughout the movie, we see how the course of Alvy and Annie's relationship turns out and his past loves in his life. Weaving flashbacks of his failed relationships illustrated the differences between his past and present with Annie. The sarcastic humor and comedy not only enlightens the film, but the characters as well. Woody Allen plays the role of Alvy Singer who is a neurotic, death obsessed comedian who has trouble with his love life. His ironic humor and drama seem to make his love life incomplete and difficult to deal with. This holds true through different parts of his life until he meets Annie Hall. Annie is portrayed as a beautiful cheerful person who wants more out of life, but not for sure what. Eventually the romantic buildup begins between a pure Midwestern girl and a strong New York Jew who grew up under a roller coaster. There likes and interests seem to oppose one another, but their love holds them together. For example, Alvy has been seeing a therapist for sixteen years where Annie only needed one session. Annie wants to pursue her singing career where Alvy is a withdrawn rascal. The times they spend together seem never-ending as their happiness together seems to increase by the moment. By the end, Annie enlightens Alvy's life for only a short moment as his selfishness and conceded persona shows him how relationships are a win-loose situation. You try to give the best of yourself and take the bad features of the other in small doses. Alvy also learns that certain times and actions with a person can only last once. When Annie and Alvy were struggling with the live lobsters on the floor, they both were laughing and having a great time. After they broke up, Alvy unsuccessfully recreates the live lobsters on the floor with an uninterested girl illustrating no laughter or comedy. Even though their love was solid at times, their differences were too strong to continue the relationship. Annie was just too alive for Alvy portrayed by her love for the Los Angles weather compared to Alvy's rejection to leave dreary New York. Eventually, their relationship ends quietly as they part on their own paths. The story does not end like a fairy tale like Alvy dreamed it would be, but he learns to deal with his failure and other relationships in his life. Alvy's slapstick behavior combined with romantic relationships did not work shown through different stages of his life. Annie and Alvy seemed perfect for each other throughout their relationship, but also terrible for each other in ways already explained. This is a story not completely about a relationship between two people, but also on drugs, East Coast/West Coast rivalry, human nature, and religion which makes Annie Hall a masterpiece.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Harlan County U.S.A.
(1976)
Visual Of A Tragedy
10 May 2003
The clarity and portrayal in Harlan County of the hideous strikes makes the audience feel involved. Surrounded by beautiful nature and hollows, poverty and living conditions flip the picture. In this particular film by Barbara Kopple, her crew follows around the coal miners and their families around the clock. There is not anytime of day where a song is being sung or gun shots are being fired not caught on camera. Kopple's depiction of women and use of sound makes this documentary distinct for its time. In the mid 60's, civil rights and liberties was a huge issue. Eventually the Civil Rights Act of 1963 was passed and America was slowly evolving into a new nation. During the strikes in Harlan Country, women played a big role to help and on screen. Kopple dedicated a good amount of footage to the emergence of women taking a stand and being strong. Around the time of this strike, women were not portrayed as they were on screen thorough the documentary. In one particular picket stand, a car was rolled in the middle of a main road surrounded by women protesting. The sheriff told them repeatedly to clear the road, but they did not move an inch. The women organization during the strike did not become vulnerable once presenting a new image. By the camera shooting close-ups of women's faces during their meetings and protests, the audience can really feel the power and anger they had alone. As the documentary unfolds, the use of music played a major role. Through out the whole presentation, the songs heard described key events that took place during the strike. When studies were shown how black dust from coal kills your lungs, many small scenes showed the coal miners having trouble breathing. During this segment, a depressing song about black dust accompanied each powerful image. Many involved during these hard times composed songs of their feelings and emotions which Kopple caught on screen and included in many shots. The documentary starts the film with an elderly man singing a slow depressing song setting the harsh tone. By the end of the documentary, songs of victory and happiness accompany the images. Including the songs throughout the whole film gave the images more to express to the audience through the journey. Kopple's documentary gives viewers a front row seat of the horrible atrocities during the Harlan County strike. The camera can only speak so many words. Approaching this event as a documentary including powerful music makes the camera and film process complete.
Bicycle Thieves
(1948)
The Italian Experience
10 May 2003
In this remarkable 1947 drama, many aspects and underlining themes become apparent. Taking place during Italy's devastating post World War 2 depression, De Sica uses the real-life environment in the streets of Rome to present his story. The strong connection of the father to son is very apparent and key during the whole presentation. During the voyage together to find the bicycle, the wandering pair walks through everyday crazy life painting a quiet innocent picture of father and son. In another particular movie, we see the connection of father in son in Life Is Beautiful. In the concentration camps, Roberto Benigni makes the horrible experience into a game for his son. The connection between father and son holds true during this experience portraying the innocence like The Bicycle Thief. This landmark film helped identify the Italian neorealist approach showing real life details, detailed imagery, and everyday life. Italian neorealist cinema was a huge movement that grew out of a political movement after World War 2, following fascist rule. Jobs were very hard to come by and the economy was very poor revealed as the film unfolded. Taking place in the heart of this movement gives the audience a great visual to understand and appreciate the tale. The use of a particular object was used very distinctly throughout the course of the film. When the bicycle became apparent on screen, the father's heart was touched shown by his actions and facial expressions. While cleaning the bicycle the morning before work, his son smiles with joy as the sun pours into the room. When walking around, he carries the bicycle like a fragile new born child. After his bicycle was stolen, his heart was broken acting depressed like he lost a dear friend. His sadness and anger took a path which led him to the conclusion of the film. Since these times in Italy were horrendous, the bicycle became a valuable object and friend to the father. Overall, this story is simple, persuasive, and very powerful. The father to son connection painted a true family bond. The use of the bicycle controlled the father's feelings and state of mind. The poetic film style shown through the Italian neorealist movement makes this epic complete.
Notorious
(1946)
Mysterious Acts Of Love By Hitchcock
10 May 2003
After watching Notorious by Alfred Hitchcock, many aspects of the movie caught my attention. The move started off slow building the foundation of the plot, but after Alicia and Devlin go to Rio de Janeiro, the events begin to unfold. Throughout the movie, role characterization and camera techniques were very unique and well portrayed as they work together. In the beginning of the movie, Alicia has guests over at her house showing them drinking and having a great time. She begins to talk to a man whose back is toward the audience and his face is never shown. Alicia continues to talk, but the man stays silent and unresponsive. The shot fades out and when the next scene fades in, the audience still perceives this particular man with his back towards the camera. This particular camera technique reveals underlining themes about this character. Not showing emotions and stiff behavior describes how Devlin reacts throughout the movie. After Alicia is knocked out by Devlin in the car, she waked up the next morning in a daze. When she hears a voice, Alicia looks up and we again see a man whose face is not visible. When he begins to walk towards the bed, his face becomes visible and the camera follows his body from the view of Alicia. As the camera follows Devlin, the audience realizes how Alicia's eyes stick on Devlin's face the whole time. During the party Alicia and Alex throw, the camera is used in a distinct way to show jealousy between Alex and Devlin. When Devlin arrives, the camera follows Alicia to greet Devlin. While they are talking, the shots go back and forth showing Alex's jealousy seeing out they interact. When Alicia goes back to Alex, the camera switches back and forth from Devlin to Alicia and Alex showing Devlin's jealousy as well. Finally, after Alicia realizes she has been poisoned by Alex and his mother, the camera uses their shadows to make their personas dark and wicked. Alicia begins to become dizzy and can only see the shadows outline Alex and his mother. As Alicia walks towards the door, the shadows of Alex and his mother combine showing how both personas equal one person. Overall, Notorious kept me on the edge of my seat and never let me down. The role characterization and camera techniques were connected throughout the whole movie which made this particular movie complete.
Man with a Movie Camera
(1929)
Cinema Grows in 1929
10 May 2003
After watching The Man with a Movie Camera, I was not only confused but terrified at the same time. Experiencing many images in the span of an hour made this movie mind-boggling and creepy. What caught my attention right off the bat was how the director's camera and editing techniques were amazing for being made in the 1920's. Throughout the film, there were many camera shots of a town, but in a unique way. Some angles were shot from above, below, and even on objects that were constantly moving around the town. A great editing technique used was a split screen showing a different movement on top of the screen then from the bottom. The town could be moving at a regular pace at one point where the next time the film is sped up conveying trauma and fast motion through the actual film. At one point in the movie, a camera was setup to show a train coming right at the lens. I thought the train was going to hit the camera and the person shooting the film. Right as the train gets to the camera, it lowers into a bunker under the train as it passes. Great camera techniques were used to give powerful feeling to that particular scene. Later in the movie, many images of eyes would appear very fast and then disappear. This occurred frequently throughout the movie and struck me as being weird and disturbing. Showing women work and pack cigarettes and then flashing to a pair of eyes seems very odd to me. What I do find interesting is how Vertov was able to edit these scenes so quickly together. Over the whole movie, he muse have taken so many random camera angles and shots that when he edited them together, he loved it. Overall, I thought this movie was educational in the history of film. It shows how talented directors were back in the 20's and how history has played a big role in camera and editing techniques.
Tell Your Friends