I love Woody Allen movies. In fact, I watch Manhattan almost every night. I might as well have it on a continuous loop. I find it comforting, even though it's about neurotic people in perhaps the world's most neurotic city. Although, in Manhattan, Manhattan itself is presented as a kind of magical wonderland. A wonderland that I can only assume is not a true reflection of what NYC was like back in 1978. But has Woody's work ever really reflected a realistic world (or worldview for that matter).
He's been making films for over fifty years....more or less one a year. That's a lot of movies. And I've seen a good chunk of them. Not lately however. Let's just say Woody started churning things out for the past fifteen years or so.
Anyways, I was thinking about his movies and I realized I couldn't think of any of them that had non-Caucasian or non-heterosexual characters. The only one I could think of was "Petronia" who appears in Annie Hall. Petronia is right behind Paul Simon in the above still. She doesn't even have a line. Petronia is the only African American I could remember from a Woody Allen movie. You'd think there'd be more than just Petronia. I mean, most of Woody's movies are set in New York City, right? It's like the melting pot of the melting pot. And "Petronia" is credited as Petronia Johnson in the credits; so she wasn't even playing a character. That she got a name and a one word line and center frame is something of a miracle.
Okay, so I did a little research and Woody did hire a black actress named Hazelle Goodman to play a character named "Cookie" in Deconstructing Harry; which is one of Allen's movies that I have not seen. She played a hooker, apparently.
He's been making films for over fifty years....more or less one a year. That's a lot of movies. And I've seen a good chunk of them. Not lately however. Let's just say Woody started churning things out for the past fifteen years or so.
Anyways, I was thinking about his movies and I realized I couldn't think of any of them that had non-Caucasian or non-heterosexual characters. The only one I could think of was "Petronia" who appears in Annie Hall. Petronia is right behind Paul Simon in the above still. She doesn't even have a line. Petronia is the only African American I could remember from a Woody Allen movie. You'd think there'd be more than just Petronia. I mean, most of Woody's movies are set in New York City, right? It's like the melting pot of the melting pot. And "Petronia" is credited as Petronia Johnson in the credits; so she wasn't even playing a character. That she got a name and a one word line and center frame is something of a miracle.
Okay, so I did a little research and Woody did hire a black actress named Hazelle Goodman to play a character named "Cookie" in Deconstructing Harry; which is one of Allen's movies that I have not seen. She played a hooker, apparently.
Hazelle herself has defended Woody's casting choices. And that's great. She's right. He does have the right, as an artist, to put forth whatever it is that is his vision. But it just seems, by this point, rather bizarre that his films are so lacking in representation. He lives in New York city. He's married to an Asian woman. I can't think of any Asian characters in his movies either.
And thinking back on his movies and the inclusion of gay characters; again, the only ones I could think of were (again) in Annie Hall. And (again) they barely even count as characters. A gay couple flit by the camera and Woody basically makes fun of them. And then he takes another pot shot at gays by dissing Truman Capote. It's actually kind of shitty.
And thinking back on his movies and the inclusion of gay characters; again, the only ones I could think of were (again) in Annie Hall. And (again) they barely even count as characters. A gay couple flit by the camera and Woody basically makes fun of them. And then he takes another pot shot at gays by dissing Truman Capote. It's actually kind of shitty.
"Where the hell does that little Radcliffe tootsie come off rating, mmm, Scott Fitzgerald and Gustav Mahler and then Heinrich Boll?"
Maybe the same place you get off rating strangers in the park Woody.
Clearly, Woody lives in a bubble of privilege. A very white, wealthy, straight bubble at that. To say he's out of touch would be an understatement. And sadly, his movies; or rather the "world" of his movies seems entirely dated now. It's like the planet Earth moved on and Woody is stuck in some time warp where people just naturally live in five bedroom apartments that face Central Park and write novels and drink wine and have mistresses. I mean, how many times have we seen that Woody Allen movie by now? His aesthetic has grown stale. More like petrified. Like dinosaur bones. He and his art have become fossilized. And he oozes superiority and the sort of arrogance of wealth.
I would say his last "great" movie was Bullets Over Broadway. His last good movie, IMHO, was Midnight In Paris. Thinking on the latter, which was set in Paris in the 1920's and a bastion of black artists who flocked there at the time, I can't remember any actors of color in that one, either. I mean shouldn't Josephine Baker have been in that one? Wouldn't you have thought that was just a given? Oh wait...maybe she was in that one. Score one for Woody.
Maybe the same place you get off rating strangers in the park Woody.
Clearly, Woody lives in a bubble of privilege. A very white, wealthy, straight bubble at that. To say he's out of touch would be an understatement. And sadly, his movies; or rather the "world" of his movies seems entirely dated now. It's like the planet Earth moved on and Woody is stuck in some time warp where people just naturally live in five bedroom apartments that face Central Park and write novels and drink wine and have mistresses. I mean, how many times have we seen that Woody Allen movie by now? His aesthetic has grown stale. More like petrified. Like dinosaur bones. He and his art have become fossilized. And he oozes superiority and the sort of arrogance of wealth.
I would say his last "great" movie was Bullets Over Broadway. His last good movie, IMHO, was Midnight In Paris. Thinking on the latter, which was set in Paris in the 1920's and a bastion of black artists who flocked there at the time, I can't remember any actors of color in that one, either. I mean shouldn't Josephine Baker have been in that one? Wouldn't you have thought that was just a given? Oh wait...maybe she was in that one. Score one for Woody.
We enjoy tearing down our idols, don't we. But maybe we're supposed to. Otherwise, we end up with sacred cows.
But there's no denying Woody is a great director. I'd just like to see him direct something he didn't write. To bring his eyes to someone else's vision.
But he's sort of director non grata nowadays, right?
Will he ever get out of the doghouse of his own device? Or does he even care to? It's a pretty cushy doghouse.
CFR 6/24/22
But there's no denying Woody is a great director. I'd just like to see him direct something he didn't write. To bring his eyes to someone else's vision.
But he's sort of director non grata nowadays, right?
Will he ever get out of the doghouse of his own device? Or does he even care to? It's a pretty cushy doghouse.
CFR 6/24/22