Woody Allen’s article Excerpts From the Spanish Diary appearing in The New York Times August, 24th 2008 gives the reader a glimpse into his genius. The article chronicles his meetings, impressions and interpretations of the actors in the film Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008). It also highlights his wit and his self-deprecating humor that Allen’s films are chock-full of. In Allen’s first film as writer/director/star the 1969 Take the Money and Run begins what those of us who love Woody Allen films have come to expect: hilarious antics, sarcasm, beautiful women, philosophy, pessimism, a dash of hope, parody, and of course Woody Allen.
Allen hooks you early on, as you watch him play the cello (seated!) in the middle of a parade while the marchers try to not knock him over. This is followed with a long shot of a building, camera zooms out and a cello comes hurdling from an open window smashing on the street below. Allen uses voice over, still photography, and in your face camera positioning throughout.
The shear physicality of his performance is another marvel of this film and other Allen films. He has numerous costume and make-up changes throughout the film. His character is highly energized. Allen pays homage to Charlie Chaplin ala Modern Times (1936) when he struggles with the shirt folding machine carefully trying not to get caught in the machinery.
No comments:
Post a Comment