A Critique of Film and genre

Rating: Null/10 (26 April 2006)

Scott Greenan April 28, 2006 New American Cinema Annie Hall
The film Annie Hall brings to light the idea that film can now critique other media, including itself. Set in New York City, it portrays not only the pretentious literati of the Upper East Side, but it shows the contrasting West Coast pretension of the film and television industries. These two enterprises are entirely different in medium but completely reliant on one another in the 20th Century. Annie Hall uses different filming techniques to critique on other genres of film. The cartoon, for instance, was a once innocent genre. Now, it is shown in a less guiltless light depicting the witch in Disney's Snow White portrayed with accentuated breasts and screaming about her period. It plays on the flashback technique in film as well. The flashback sequences allow the characters to travel back to the time being recalled and interact, not only with the audience, but the past characters themselves. The use of these techniques plays with a very modern idea of art not having to be conventional or even comprehensible at times. What it ends with is a film that is oddly romantic and representative of the common man. The common man is not always attractive, he is usually strangely quirky. The love of these two characters lies in the audience's ability to relate to them and not to gorgeous Hollywood actors/actresses. Woody Allen's film Annie Hall marks the time when we can begin to reference films as cornerstones of modern American expression, the new medium of the 20th Century, and thus becomes the very cornerstone that he is critiquing.
One of the first, most prominent references to film comes early on in the film when Alvy (Woody Allen) is approached by two men that he says remind him of the "cast of the Godfather." Ironically enough, this was a message to the audience that connected two worlds. Not only was a movie referencing another movie(s) of that decade, thus bringing audience members closer in relationship to the characters, but the cast of the Godfather (1972, 1974) also included Diane Keaton. Our ability to differentiate between actress and character was slightly skewed for a moment but passed off just as quickly. What is interesting is that we see the shift from the literati of NYC to the showbiz of LA, the two cities that represent the main characters. Alvy is the cold, dying island whose main inhabitants concern themselves with literature. They are over-medicated and psycho-analyzed when they should be out experiencing life rather than critiquing it from a distance. Alvy, like the New Yorkers, also relies heavily upon his language. His life is governed by his mouth and not his looks. Diane Keaton, however, belongs with the sun and the stars of LA, meant to be shown to the world on big screens. Her eccentric dress and singing ability allows the audience to fall in love with her innocent ways.
Woody Allen's film Annie Hall has this sense left over from the 60's. This sense is that love is free, that drugs are mainstream and natural. There are numerous scenes that make light of both marijuana and even cocaine. The sacrament of marriage and even religion in general is not sacred anymore. He constantly critiques his own life, allowing for the younger generation to see that there is indeed life and sex after 40. His love-life, however, should not be taken seriously as he did marry his adopted daughter (an act that reflected poorly in box office responses). The movie becomes a critique of his life and his encounters with women, including his brief love affair with Diane Keaton, herself. This account of his life is also critiqued by the film as evidenced when we see the play he creates in the end of the scene we just previously saw in the health food restaurant. This time, however, he changes the story around to see what his own life could have been. He is in full control of where he takes this picture and can thus swing the story around to his liking. He can add voice-overs, split screen, subtitles and the like to depict his own life. That is what makes this film great. It takes all the abilities of film and all the plot-driven and characterization of literature and somehow binds the two together in a modern piece of comedic visual artwork.