Annie Hall introduced several innovative narrative conventions into the romantic comedy genre that were a departure from the classical Hollywood style and were greatly influential on the genre as it evolved into the 1980s and 1990s. Identify two conventions/qualities that stood out to you along these lines and discuss why you think that they are innovative and/or influential. The film is very much seeped in 1970s culture but approaches the era from a much different (i.e. comedic) perspective. What similarities and differences does it have to other films that we have viewed in class this semester?FINAL PROJECT ALERT!!!
I apologize for the confusion about the due date for the final project. I have decided to extend the deadline in order to help out those who need extra time. (If you still want to submit your project in class, next Wednesday, the 5th, please feel free.)
Here is the schedule for the remainder of the semester:
Wednesday, December 5: Class discussion of Annie Hall and screening of Raging Bull
Monday, December 10: Final Projects due by 5 PM. See below for specifications regarding where you should submit your project:
- Written component (Everyone) : E-mail (as a Microsoft Word attachment) to your TA (Defne: dtuzun@uwm.edu/Andrea: andreamaio@earthlink.net) by 5pm. Those submitting written projects should have their images embedded in the body of the document.
- Visual Project, with still images: Save as .jpg files, and burn on to a DVD or CD. Submit in person to Prof. Schreiber in her office (Mitchell B55A) between 3 and 5 pm or by 5 pm to your TA's mailbox in the Film Department Office (Mitchell B70).
- Visual Project, with moving images: Save as a Quick Time movie file, and burn onto a DVD (follow still images submission protocol listed above).
Wednesday, December 12: Presentation of final projects (off of course blog).
44 comments:
Nicholas Naber
11.29.07
Annie Hall is an incredibly influential movie especially for romantic comedies. One of the major conversations that sands out to me is the conversation in the movie theater when he wants Annie to have sex and they are fighting about it. She says that it is always about him and she gets more and more upset with him. Another conversation that stands out is when they break up and they are looking through the books, he is upset about the break up and is passive aggressive about it. He gives her the depressing books that he’s bought for her, and she is like it’s a big weight off my shoulders. She says it’s not him as the weight but you know that it is.
This film is all about talk such as all the Presidents Men was or Network. Annie Hall creates a story non-linearly and this type of filming is widely copied in movies of the 80’s and 90’s. It is different than most of the films that we have viewed because it is a comedy and a romance. The pace of the film is quite different because of the comedy that Allen includes. It is also different because of the conversations that Annie and Alfie have about sex and their relationship.
Annie Hall was quite influential with its narrative. The actors talking to the camera was influential. We have seen this technique copied before with other romantic comedies such as "High Fidelity". The actors talking to the camera helps the viewers identify with the characters easier. I also liked how creative Woody Allen could be. I like when he'd place characters in the past and act out with people in his family history. And also the dialouge. Annie Hall's dialouge it quite different from old romantic comedies, considering the dialouge in "Hall" delved much deeper into love and relationships. Mr. Allen wrote more psychoanalytically about love and I believe it resonated better with an audience because it was more noble and true.
As Mr. Naber said, "Hall" is much like "President's" and "Network" because of the dialouge. Dialouge in all three movies is the key element. It's not like "Jaws", where it uses spectacle. It requires an audience who are able to listen, who are cultured. It's not meant for "popcorn movie" goers.
Kelly Doucette
11.29.07
Annie Hall has got to be in the top 10 films of all time, especially in the top 10 comedies and top 10 romance films.
The romantic comedy and the romance genres are known for getting their viewers emotionally invested in their characters, but when it comes down to it, we are just watching a movie and are not actually involved. In Annie Hall, we become a supporting character for which Alvy can confide his emotions in. The breaking of the 4th wall convention was completely revolutionary for the movie industry as a whole. The second convention would have to be that it traces an entire relationship from the time the couple met, to when they were happy to be dating each other, to their separation, and to the time in which they are reunited (the spider scene). It also delves back into Alvy's past marriages as an attempt to analyze his & Annie's relationship. Usually romantic comedies and romance films focus on one relationship and lead to an ultimate separation because the characters are usually complete opposites (like GONE WITH THE WIND). I think in a way, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989, Rob Reiner) is the best romantic comedy and an obvious protogee to ANNIE HALL.
Like NETWORK, CHINATOWN, and BONNIE & CLYDE, there is a strong leading female character and like HEARTS & MINDS, it is almost a documentation of something (only in ANNIE HALL, it's a break-up rather than war). Also, by having Paul Simon play Tony Lacey (Annie's rebound boy friend from Alvy)
Some pop-culture trivia that I would like to share - please view IMDB for ANNIE HALL & DIANE KEATON
Diane Keaton's birth last name - Hall & her nickname is Annie. (Hence: "Annie Hall")
Sigourney Weaver played Alvy's date outside the theatre at the film's end (in an extreme longshot)
Alvy and Annie never say "I love you" to each other. The closest they come is when Alvy says love isn't a strong enough word for how he feels.
The film Alvy is waiting to see with Annie is Ansikte mot ansikte (1976) (Face to Face) by Ingmar Bergman, one of Woody Allen's biggest influences.
Annie's outfits, which caused a brief fashion rage, were Diane Keaton's own clothes.
The film "Annie Hall” went against many conventions of classical Hollywood cinema, especially in the genre of the romantic comedy. In classical films, you would always see the picture perfect man and woman fall in love and dealing with a conflict in their relationship. In “Annie Hall” this is obviously not the case. The characters are likeable, but are very flawed. Diane Keeton is very good looking but is often eccentric and neurotic. Woody Allen of course is the same way if not more so, but has the added feature of looking very nerdy and unconventional. Another characteristic of the classical Hollywood romantic comedy is that the couple ends up falling for each other and joins together at the end. This does not happen in “Annie Hall”. Woody Allen’s character writes this scenario into his play, but he and Diane Keeton only stay friends at the end.
This film differs a lot from most of the films we have seen in class. Over the course of the semester, we talked about the influence in of violence in these films. However, Annie Hall shows no violence and really doesn’t need it. The film does share some similarities with the more subtle films we have seen in class. Films Such as “All the President’s Men” and “Network” are more character based and use dialog more so than extreme action. These films are more on the wavelength of “Annie Hall”.
Shiraz Bhathena
I think that the genious of Annie Hall has a lot to do with the use of conventions of ‘serious’ cinema and using it to portray comic situations- this is what makes the film so funny. Let’s take the car chasing scene at the beginning as a good example. Ten years earlier, there would have been a giant brass section playing this ridiculous over-the-top score to beat the viewers over the head with a mallet to indicate that the scene was comedic, as a camera would have probably started at eye level of the car and then slowly tracked up and tilted, following the car down the road, parallel cutting to the two of them acting ridiculous about the situation, whereas Allen chooses to use a more ‘cinema-verte’ approach to the movement in the scene and uses a handheld camera for it and then parallel cuts those shots in with very brief eye level shots of the car from different angles. The humor is then allowed to lie more with the dialogue and the reaction from it- by employing a cinematic technique that is associated by ‘high class’ cinema viewers and critics as honest, it is then evident that Alvy is honestly scared to ride with Annie, which adds to the humor of the scene. Another example appears closer to the beginning with my personal favorite shot, the pan across the chalkboard as the ridiculous teachers are shown. By unfolding the teachers the same way that a director unfolds a set within the frame, he introduces the filmgoer to a new form of comedy- one that can be just as funny cinematically as within the script and score. That same genius is portrayed through the references of the film. Annie Hall, for example, references Allen’s second wife, Louise Lasser. Her real life personality, as seen on the shows Taxi and Mary Hartman Mary Hartman, resembles that exactly of Annie Hall, as portrayed through much of the rambling dialogue and vocal pauses along with Diane Keaton’s portrayal of her (the two look quite similar actually). The common public knows Lasser like today we know Clinton, and the impersonation is a reference in itself without naming names. While this isn’t necessarily innovative in the new sense (the same thing is done by Curtis’s imitation of Grant in Some Like It Hot) it definitely is innovative in a renaissance fashion for the films that were being made at the time.
Annie Hall is different from the other films we’ve seen in class because of its difference in intensity. One of the most common criticisms of the films from this decade that I’ve always heard is that they are sometimes too intense- while all the same types of stylings are used in this film compared to the other ones, this film manages to do it with a hint of class- the stylings are not in your face, and also not mixed with images that are so intense within the frame that one can limit themselves to watching the film ‘once in a while.’ I could probably watch this film a lot more than The Godfather and enjoy it a lot more, even though the latter is without a doubt a much better film.
kelly doucette is a DOUCHEBAG
Annie Hall, like most of Woody Allen’s films, is a close resemblance to Woody Allen’s actual life and follows a character modeled specifically after Woody. It’s because of this personal nature that the film’s narrative takes on special liberties such as a non-linear plot line and direct addresses to the audience. The non-linear plot line gives Woody the ability to reveal his story through his thoughts and on his own terms. This new ordering of scenes and time reveals a different kind of story than if it had been shown in a linear way. Woody’s direct address is also credited to the same personal style that gives him the ability to manipulate the plot. His background is originally writing for standup comedians and eventually performing himself so this role of narrator is almost an instinctual approach, again adding to the personal motif found in and throughout the film. The film Annie Hall is said to have influenced the next two decades of romantic comedies but Woody Allen himself is something that cannot be achieved without him apart of the production. He momentarily departed from acting with a recent film called Melinda and Melinda (2004) but his dialog and style was still evident with him as the writer/director of the film. Woody Allen is even quoted to say that he actually thinks he isn’t that influential a filmmaker in this Q&A interview, (last question at bottom-> http://www.rkpuma.com/woody.htm ).
“I’m not denigrating my work. Like in jazz, for example, Charlie Parker was a monstrous influence everywhere, but Thelonious Monk, who is a definite genius, has no real heritage. Practically nobody was influenced by him. I feel that I’ve influenced nobody. I would be very surprised if my picture was up on someone’s wall. It may be, but I just would be surprised.”
This film isn’t like anything we’ve seen before but combines styles of documentary, romance novel, and intellectual comedy. The film has very clever dialog that feels prepared like a play and often has the characters openly admitting weaknesses that become tragically funny in the process. This kind of honesty from characters provokes psychobabble and an obsession with the self as a universal mannerism throughout his stories. All of Woody’s choices seem to be an ultimate reflection of himself revealing his unique personal signature on every film he makes, making him: an auteur filmmaker.
I suppose the structure of the film itself is the biggest influence and or innovation. Woody Allen opens the film by telling two jokes directly to the audience and often turns away from the scene going on to address us throughout the film. The playful nature of scenes like the movie line and his childhood days are a large departure from many of the films out in the seventies. Although it speaks about the seventies major events here and there, it is always played for humor. Annie Hall is a nice change of pace considering how deadly serious all the films we've viewed have been. I am pretty sure that this is the only film we've seen where not a single character gets murdered, so when I say deadly serious I meant it.
With breaking down the fourth wall, the character in the film gives birth to a new relationship he/she will have with the viewers. The comments are for the audience to enjoy and even sway them to be sincere to the hero(ine). This convention also moves the ideological male at that time even further away from the classical Hollywood leading male. Alvey is so smart and quick witted, doesn't smoke pot, neurotic, anxious and to most would be considered an asshole in his disregard for peoples opinions on art and politics. Taking the nerd and giving him the edge by adding savage humor and intelligence is in a way substituting the good looks and charm.
However, Woody Allen was not constructing the everyday man at the time, it did influence many romantic comedies to have a male who's terrible with women or strikes out often resulting in a neurotic smart ass personality.
I see Annie Hall as the most mainstream film we've seen thus far. I do not think it is a safe picture in that sense of mainstream but maybe it's lack of controversey or statements is where it seems PG. After watching so many films with such heavy thematic elements, Annie Hall walks by us as opposed to hitting us in the face with it's content. It is a film to enjoy and laugh at, but not much to think about outside it's aesthetics. Woody Allen is far to self absorbed, not a bad thing, to bother with making statements or stir any type of controversey. Where the other films bathe in the era, or its impacts on society, Annie Hall has one thing captured perfectly and that is its honesty. Honesty is funny and Allen allows so much of himself to come out that even if you cannot relate to him you can laugh at him.
I think the two things that made this film stand-out was the use of direct address and the use of a non-linear narrative. Woody Allen pulled off direct address very well. Even though Alvy talks to the camera frequently the audience still feels involved in the story and he also makes it believable. Direct address also lets the audience know exactly what Alvy is thinking without the use of an inner monologue. The non-linear narrative, although today somewhat cliche, in the 70's was probably a welcomed change from the typical linear movies at the time.
Kevin Stephan
12.04.07
One of the influential ways that annie hall had on the rest of the movies was the way the actos talked to the camera during the movie as if you were really there standing by their side. I think this sort of influenced the mainstream documentary, where people often talks to the camera as if you were really there, so they can get their point across. The other quality that stood out to me would be, the emergence of the romantic comedy, we havent really seen to many of these in this era where we focus on the love and the quality of the relationship. Now we have had movies involve love but never where thats all we focused on. So this i think helped assisst the romantic comedy to today's movies.
One movie i know it's not compared to would be jaws. Jaws was a huge blockbuster movie, while in my eyes Annie Hall would not be a movie where you expect to me amazed by the "special effects" or by the story. I wouldnt go to see this movie in theaters. However i would compare this movie to Network, because of the dialogue and story, while not a very good one in my eyes, it did focus on the story. I also would compare it to some of the earlt movies we watched where they focused on character development.
Annie Hall is a dialogue, intellectual comedy that sets standards for all romantic movies that follow. Its so deep and into its self, with taking an under the skin approach to topics as racy as sex and as passionate as love. This movie in strides develops what most people seek for, WHAT IS LOVE? that is the real question, with all the war and violence being implemented how does love still stand to society, according to Allen, sex and money out weigh true feeling. and love at first sight never really can be to true. Allen is inventive by trying to even bring the audience into this question and conversation. He not only narrates but addresses us as a main character, its a very rewarding experience to feel like he can confide in you what he can not with anyone in the film.
It follows a trend of talking movies but as where others took interest in violence, TV, politics, and greed, allen shows us the sensual and sometimes repulsive view of sex and lust. he not only crafts a very detailed relationship but uses it to crush the very love they have. I feel that they never say I love you is because its never there and since love is so screwed up and elaborated and desensitized that its not an appropriate word to use to describe a relationship or partnership. this movie is very 80's with all its hip movements and its questionable pacing and the fact that it lacks a real climax or in fact any build at all.
The movie Annie Hall was very different then the other movies that we have watched thus far throughout the semester for a few reasons. One of the ways was the way the characters talked to the camera, sort of like a narative. This had never been shown in the previous movies that we have watched. That is just one of the ways that it was different. Another way it was different was they had sort of a different humor that the characters had. This movie was the only one that actually made the students watching it laugh. That was because of the humor that the filmmaker used in this film.
This movie was different and similar in some ways to the other movies that we have watched. The differences were the way the actor/actoress was viewed. They had more of a narative role than an acting role. That was one way that it was different. Another way it was different was the humor that they put into it. None of the other movies had any form of humor but this one did. A way that they were similar was that it was basically revolved around a select number of key people in the movie.
Jordan Robbins
Christian Turckes
Annie Hall, I think revolutionized the way people could look at relationships, in the 70s and through today, which I thin the movie did a very good job at. It showed that analyzing a relationship can be put into movie form, and can be extremely funny especially when you have one extremely eccentric person, and a huge ditz. Another thing I really liked about the movie was that even though it was a love story, it didn’t end up to be a really happy ending, which is really a cliché in most romance movies in Hollywood. I think that that aspect of the movie really got me, because real life is a lot like lot.
I think that this movie was definitely like All the President’s Men, and Network, because it was really all talk, and had plot twists, even if you could see a lot of them coming, and yet it was different from those films, because it ends a lot more vaguely than the other two. Network ends very abruptly and finally when the TV host gets killed, and in All the President’s Men, it ends with the two main characters getting their discoveries put into paper, and then the following articles after that. Where Annie Hall ends with Woody Allen saying they met once after she moved back, they had a good time getting acquainted again, then they leave again, and you really don’t know if they could get back together again or not.
The conventions/qualities that stood out in ANNIE HALL are the moments where Woody Allen broke the fourth wall and also the movement of the plot. There were moments where he would go back in time in a scene and watch as an outside spectator. The way he broke the fourth wall was similar to the way that has been done in theater when a main character would give a direct monologue to the audience.
The film is very different from the other films that we have watched in that this film is very dialogue driven and not action driven. I guess it were to be compared to any of the films that we've watched, (as most of the other people have mentioned also) I would have to say it is probably most similar to ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN and NETWORK because both those movies and ANNIE HALL seem to be more focused on the characters and the dialogue.
~Jonathan Porter
Annie Hall is a romantic comedy with an innovative narration style used often by Woody Allen. In this film all of the characters are likeable. This is unlike many of the other films seen in class. Usually there is an outside force that the main character(s) are opposing. The most innovative feature of this film is the use of narrative. Woody Allen is treating the audience as someone to confide in. His thoughts and ideas are told directly to us in a first person narrative. The audience is connected to the film through this idea. We view the film and can see how his life progresses physically, but we also hear what is going on mentally. The non-linear progression of this film is also innovative. The film does not travel in a normal sequence. The film skips around to mimic the thoughts presented to us by Woody Allen. The transition between current events and past or future events is not obvious or cliché. The transition is only followed by understanding and comprehending the story line.
This film is different than all of the other films seen in class. This film is the first romantic comedy that we have seen. It is also the first film to rely heavily on narration, rather than imagery. The amount of communication is similar to that of Network and All the President’s Men. It differs because of the lack of a major antagonist character. This film is similar to others viewed in class because of the leading female character. She is still viewed as unintelligent as many of the films have depicted women.
Tegan Olness
Brian Cooney
Annie Hall was such an influential film because it changed and kind of created new rules for romantic comedies. It proved that the lead characters didn't have to be perfect looking and have no personal flaws. Woody Allen was perfect for the lead because he is very likable, yet geeky looking. Diane Keaton had the looks, but had a strange personality. Another difference from most romantic comedies is that they do not end up happily ever after. They are only friends in the end and never really fix their relationship.
This film was very unlike most films we have watched in class because it had no violence. We have talked about violence in these films since week 1 and this movie easily gets away with zero violence. I would say it is most like ATPM because it is all about the characters and the dialogue that goes on between them. ATPM also had reasonably little violence.
Annie Hall is like no other movie we have experienced this semester so far. The first major difference that really stuck out to me was the dialogue that was spoken into the camera. We never saw this is another movie before. It made us feel as if we were apart of the film like they were speaking to us. It helped us move along the movie better I believe. Another difference that I saw was the humor that was brought into this film. Not many of the films this semester I can say made me or any of the class laugh.
Annie Hall being is a comedy romance which is different from all the other movies we have seen this summer. The dialogue and humor are to of the huge things that we have seen differently. But like some of the movies we have seen there are some similarities. The one that I see the I would consider the biggest would be the role of the female in a romance movie. A lot of the movies we have seen had to do with romance much like this movie. Over all I think this has been one of the best film so far this semester.
Kelly Grzybowski
Melissa Neumann
December 4, 2007
“Annie Hall” is the most enjoyable movie I’ve seen in a while. What really stood out to me was the way characters would escape from the action in the movies to address the audience or people walking on the street. In movies prior to this, that really wasn’t seen. The breaks made the film even more enjoyable. And what was one of the best elements of this film was the relationship between Annie and Alvy did not have the picture perfect relationship as couples do in most movies. They aren’t the typical movie couple, tall muscular, handsome man and a glamorous, voluptuous woman. They look like regular people that could be seen on the street. And obviously, Woody Allen does not look like the typical leading man, far from it, but it works. And their relationship is not perfect. They don’t have a happy ending. They remain friends, but the romantic relationship does not last, at least that we know of. But the relationship is rocky. They may not end up together.
In “Annie Hall,” we get to see a strong and free-minded leading lady, much like in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Chinatown.” But it just seems different from the rest of the movies we have viewed in its style and feel. The comedy just seems more advanced, and the characters just seem more real, like these are people you could know or have associated with in some way. This movie is very different from all the others because this had no violence, as the rest of the movies had. It wasn’t making you wondering when the bad guy would come and who would be the next victim. It was easy and fun to watch.
The movie unfolds non-sequentially, and is playful with what it shows the viewer and when it shows it to him or her, but doesn't transition between them in any special way other than just cutting back and forth. While the unusual structure is breaking the convention in the film world, it is actually borrowing from the theater world, due to the ability to play scenes out of order, but the lack of the ability to add in some sort of fancy transition or cut at all. It also borrows the idea of the monologue, which makes plays more intimate because the actor is actually addressing the crowd itself, but brings it into a film which along is the same lines. This "breaking of the fourth wall" seemed like a natural fit for characters in romantic comedies to address the audience because the gimmick of the genre is to give the viewer a "been there, done that" sense.
It has the same sense of unrest we have seen in almost every film we've watched so far. The wake of Vietnam and the Watergate scandal must have been a hard notion to let go of. The film also seems to add to the running trend that the 70's was the best and most influential era in film history by breaking many conventions. However, it is different in that is plays specifically to the viewer and leaves the story grounded in realism, which contrasts greatly to the mostly sensational films we have seen so far.
I would agree that the movie is innfluential and paved the way for romantic comedies. The first part that stood out to me was the scene when Diane Keaton seperated her mind from her body when her and woody allen were going to have sex. It touched on the topic of what women think about sex and men's perspective on what women think about or view sex. Another technique I enjoyed was the flashbacks they would take and view themselves in the past it set the way for flash backs in the newer romantic comedies of today. However nothing as good and innovative as how allen did it in this film.
Like the other students have said this movie would be like presidents men or network because it wasn't anything big effects wise it relied more on the dialouge. However I would dare to say to me I would almost put it with the movie Hearts and Minds because it almost seemed as if Allen were trying to make this a documentary on how relationships go bad, just a funny documentary.
I think Annie Hall, in its direct audience face to face’s, allowed for this film (through characters) to be much more frank. This would influence movies like High Fidelity, this departure from normal narrative to allow the character to be truthful with their feelings to make them “real”. This was also a departure from “stoic man”, the “hear me roar” of manhood that was so much set placed by most 70s films, instead this was “I am man, hear me bitch and complain”. This is one of the few films we have watched where the man is not smooth and cool; Woody Allen is the definition of uncool. Though I would say men of this period were portrayed as narcissistic, it is brought to a whole new level in Annie Hall where Woody Allen’s constant commentary allowed his character to travel far beyond what other characters that were full of themselves did. I think that is Woody Allen’s niche, narcissistic film making, as the characters is basically just presented as him, in his city, while he is doing his things.
In comparing this film to other films we have seen this semester I would say it stands pretty solidly by itself. If anything it speaks of sexuality frankly like most other 70’s films, like others have said. Granted this is no porno romp as portrayed in Sweet Sweetback, but it has the 70’s sexual openness to it. That’s what I want to see, Woody Allen remaking Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song.
- Matt Ott
Thomas Penglase
Annie Hall breaks the boundaries of the old formulaic Holly wood comedy/romance genre. The film strives on the success of it's non linear structure where the viewer experiences the story from perspectives of the characters past,present,and future experiences. Another breakthrough is that the movie allows the viewer to be a participant in it's events, especially when Woody Allen turns to the screen and confides to the audience his many anxieties that exist in his relationship and life. Another important difference is that the movie has no fairy tale conclusions and that the lead characters are just normal looking people-(Well Diane Keaton is a dime piece but I think you know what I mean). These aspects made me feel a deeper connection to the world this film created. Not only did I get a sense of participation but the realities of fading love were much more human and realistic compared to the perfect kiss at the end of an older romantic movie.
Annie Hall shared several similar and dissimilar qualities with the other films we've watched in class. I think the greatest similarity is that it relies heavily on it's thoughtful dialogue. Much like All the Presidents Men and Network, Its not the action or explosions that take youre interest to this film its the brilliant screenplay,character interaction,and closeness to real human experience.
Annie hall does not seem to have a large budget and does not really use any special effects that many of the other movies we've watched in class seem to rely on-Jaws,A Clock Work Orange. It also didint have any violence, maybe the first movie in this class we've watched with no violence in it. I'm very happy movies can still be so enjoyable with the absense of giant sharks and wild chainsaw slinging cowboys killing large breasted women.
Unlike conventional Hollywood style, Annie Hall starts in the middle of their relationship and builds both backwards and then forwards through flash backs as information is need. For instance, it did not start from when the two first meet at the tennis court but rather in a much later time after they’ve met. Forwards in that once the story/viewers catches up from the beginning to where the film started, it moves forward on. This is similar in some films such as Network or All of Presidents Men in that it is dialogue driven. Different in that it is not graphic such as Straw Dogs sex scene as well as Jaws shark attack.
Xiong, Koua
Annie Hall managed to be an unconventional comedy for it’s time. However, as I explain how this is, realize that I currently live in an era where film “comedy” consists of Carmen Electra and the Wayans Brothers making penis jokes. So I’m damaged goods, honestly, and lack any sort of proper perspective.
Anyway, part of what made Hall different was the narritive structure. The fact that it happened “out of order” in parts gave it the appeal of sketch comedy whle still maintaining a basically coherent story. One of the other ways it was different, which was notably influential, was the fact that the comedy didn’t rely on the funny man/straight man approach for it’s humor. Later films would, more and more, try to use jokes that didn’t require a reaction to be funny.
All together, I wouldn’t claim that I thought Annie Hall had too much in common with the class’s other films. It was a self aware product of the 70’s that focused on the upper middle/ high class society of New York. If there was a generational/authority conflict in it, it was represented by culture in general, and it’s influence.
Marisa Marcus
Woody Allen’s film Annie Hall contains many elements that would be considered innovative and inventive for a comedic genre or general film composition entirely. Some of the most innovative features include Woody Allen’s recurring addresses to the audience. This constant engagement allows the audience to become directly involved with the events that occur within the film. Also, the fantasy elements add to the humorous quality of the film as well as help the film relate to audience members. Flashbacks also contribute to the concept of the film’s storytelling quality and split screen images allow for audiences to observe direct differences between opposing perspectives. The scene with subtitles introduced allow for universal understanding of the differences between formal conversation and inner mentality, especially given the context of forming relationships. Another innovative experience that occurs within Annie Hall is the observational humor that occurs. The continuous commentary on relationships and documentation of discussions that occur within the context of relationships in the film allow for a realistic observance of how relationships interact, develop, and change. This realism is emphasized at the end of the film when the relationship ends completely. This ending is perhaps one of the most innovative factors in the film because the film doesn’t end in a traditional Hollywood sense where both characters reunite in comedy, and permanent separations occur only in tragedy. This film redefined the sense that a satisfactory ending in comedy didn’t necessarily have to maintain a stable relationship at the end, and while the film contains elements of fantasy, the ending maintains the realism found in relationships that is portrayed throughout the entirety of the film. Because of its comedic nature, it is difficult to compare this film to the more serious films that have been discussed in class, but this film seems to have more in common with the more innovative films discussed in class, than films that have been accused of producing elements of a Hollywood blockbuster mentality and spectacle such as Jaws.
Annie Hall was obviously very influential for it's time, particularly on romantic comedies for the next 20 or so years. I think that it was particularly intereting because it neither sugar coated the character, but rather allowed the character flaws to be source for comedic moments, but also left you with a bittersweet end. I typically am a true hopeless romantic and prefer "happy endings", but this one left a good taste in my mouth because you walked away feeling that the characters appreciated one another and would still respect and love the other, but realized the importance of not being together. My favorite scene was the beak up scene, as it was just so logical. It's rare that those situations are ever treated with such maturity, but just highlighted the quirks of the characters, and the lack of extreme emotions this film incurred.
I also found the use of special effects interesting. They were very subtle as compared to jaws or any of the other splashy blockbusters of this time, however where kind of important to the plot to allow the inner voice dialogues to unravel characterizations. I think the use of breaking of the 4th wall in this film was highly significant as it had not been seen in film (to my insignificant knowledge) up to this point. This is an obvious throw back to theatre, and thought it can sometimes be obtrusive, I was not bothered by it. Overall, I was surprised how entertaining this film was.
--Jennifer Campbell
Nathan Pratt
Annie Hall was a very influential movie of this time period. One of the conversations that stood out to me was when he puts the red light bulb in the lamp to try and set the mood before sex. this is influential because it discusses how relationships often have troubles with their sex life and how they feel about each other from the womans and mans perspective. Another influential seen is when they are breaking up the first time and are going through eachothers books and arguing about whose books are whose. This scene is because as they are talking she says the books are a bi weight off her shoulders and that its not him shes referring to, but we know it really is him shes referring to which is portraying the little lies people use to defend the ones they love or have loved.
This film is different from other films because it comes from a more narrative standpoint told from Archies perspective. It also is different because it gives one mans pessimistic view on the time period instead of and abundance of characters different viewpoints. This film is similar because of the abundance of just talking like in The Network and Presidents men.
Annie Hall broke away from the classical Hollywood style in the way in which it chose to portray relationships and love. Typically, the two main characters (presumably the ones in love) are quite attractive and seemingly flawless. Diane Keaton and Woody Allen are anything but flawless. Both are neurotic and contribute to the relationship's breakup. Woody Allen uses sarcasm and dry humor to portray a seemingly sad experience. Previously, classical love stories are light and happy. Allen's use of dry humor and exaggerated flashbacks (specifically of his and Keaton's families) clearly depart from the "pretty" classical romance story.
Almost all of the films we have watched have contained violence, some more than others. The only other film I can think of that we have seen that did not blatantly flaunt violence was All The President's Men. All The President's Men and Annie Hall are both character driven films. They both focus on two characters and the relationship that develops.
ANNIE HALL gave a new perspective of the romantic comedy which defined a new and innovative style within the genre. Woody Allen gave this film a very light feeling through his narrative, almost godlike in nature. Allen is able to stop time and freely explain a bit of information to the audience, usually his thoughts and feelings at the time. Characters around him are bent to his will, as off screen and irrelevant actors pop in during these freezes. One clear example is during the movie theater when, to prove a point, Allen causes a film expert to appear out of nowhere.
ANNIE HALL transitions from areas of high drama and conflict, primarily between Woody and Annie Hall, to scenes of nonsensical almost FAMILY GUY like humor. EASY RIDER had that clear contrast between Billy and Wyatt's humor and the serious tension from the issues they're working through.
Woody Allen seems to have become the master of romantic comedies, although some could argue Nora Ephron's "sweet" movies could be just as memorable, but Allen was unconventional in his filmmaking which influenced later romcoms. The obvious is his choice to have his character talk to the camera or the characters stepping into the past like the scene where Annie, Alvy and Max walk into Alvy's childhood setting or Alvy bringing in Marshall McLuhan. This doesn't take away from the movie but it makes the audience aware of the camera but also allows them to connect better with the characters. If Alvy didn't talk to the camera he could be considered not necessarily less important, but not as personable. The audience becomes friends with Alvy as he takes us through his life.
Another quality is the dialogue. It's more pop culture centric and a sort of stream of conciousness. The dialogue isn't centered around one story arc, but more a bunch of little stories strung together with jokes in between.
And with that it shows the difference between this film and the others we've watched. The others were less talkative and more about the visuals. Although like many others have said, it is very similar to Network. In both films what the characters are saying and how they are saying it shows us what kind of people they are. I also believe both movies are timeless. Like Michelle said in class, Network could easily be a film made now about now. Same with Annie Hall. Sure the some of the references and possibly some jokes would have to be updated, but the story and setting, the characters could easily people living in the here and now.
Annie Hall stands out on many levels. Many aspects of the film contribute to it being groundbreaking and greatly influential. A lot of things stood out but here are just a couple. The actors speak directly to the audience in such a way that it makes the audience feel included in the story. The way it plays off is very cool and really adds to the viewing experience. When you think of romantic comedies in general, they typically have predictable happy endings. This isn’t always true nowadays but it was the standard and the norm in previous generations. Annie Hall breaks this convention which added to its very original experience. When comparing Annie Hall to the rest of the films we’ve seen, it stands out on a few levels. Obviously, Annie Hall is by far the most humorous film we’ve seen. In that respect it stands alone. I agree with the assessments that Annie Hall is like ATPM in the way that they are really driven by its characters and the dialogue.
I think one of the main reasons Annie Hall stands out as a breaking ground film is that the characters involved in the romance are nowhere near ideal. I don't think anyone in their right mind would want to date either of them. Another reason that this film stands out for its time is the subject matter. Many of the conversations are rather adult oriented and almost always negative. There is very little talk about how great life is and the topic of love just seems so awful. There appears to be no good in falling in love, especially since there is almost no love in the movie. Even sex seems awkward anytime it is brought up. As stated by other bloggers (i hate that word...) the use of the direct address also created a new feel for the movie. It would allow for commentary by Allen, and occasionally another actor, to pull the viewer out of the story and allow them to attempt to relate the situation to the audience while usually creating a larger element of humor for the scene.
Yes, the use of dialogue to carry the story makes Annie Hall appear to be similar to Network and Presidents but other than that I dont really believe there are any similarities to anything else we have watched. There is no major conflict affecting the surrounding people. This is just a people story involving only one messed up relationship. There is a spectacle: humor. But the humor is not slapstick. It is almost dark humor because almost every bit of the humor is negative and pessimistic. Every joke begins on some bad element of their lives. This film is nowhere near a documentary or even observational. This is more of a commentary while watching major elements and breaking points in a persons relationship. Overall, the movie stands by itself in terms of the class.
Alex Brucker
I loved the perspective that Annie Hall gave to us about Alvy's and Annie's relationship. The narrative being full of Woody Allen's musings and hypotheses was intensely interesting and delivered many dynamic thoughts about the relationship. The most innovative aspect was how Woody would address the camera and its viewers to explain certain things or point things out. A fun example of this is when he proves his opinions to the man waiting behind him in line for a movie by bringing out who they were debating about whom sided with Alvy. Another innovation that I enjoyed was the Christmas Carol-esque scenes where Alvy took Annie and Rob to his old neighborhood. All three sat and watched as Alvy narrated, with commentary from his friends, the scene of his family reunion and such. This was an effective way of portraying his version of his past and how he felt about his memories.
Unlike most of the films we've seen, Annie Hall was a talker film more so than a violent one. Annie Hall is most similar to All the President's Men in that the movie features little violence and focuses more on character development and plot line. You got to know the reporters and some of the news staff very well in All the President's Men since the whole movie was about what they were up to. The same is true for Alvy and Annie because the movie focuses on their relationship and its factors.
Dylan Statz (301-004)
Annie Hall was a new form of comedy for its time. It is still considered one of the greatest comedies ever and that is because of its revolutionary comedic style. The films storyline was somewhat mixed and chopped up giving it a feeling of sketch comedy, which is something rather new in Hollywood for this time. Also when you look at most traditional comedies they are driven by a funny guy, a Chevy Chase, an Eddie Murphy, or anyone one comedian. However it isn't the jokes that are made in the film, or the fact that he is a comedian that makes him funny, its the way he is, his anal way about life, and the nutty little things he does that makes him funny. While comparing Annie Hall to the other films in class its hard to see much alike, it's pretty much the first comedy of this sort that we have viewed however just like most of the films we have viewed in class Annie Hall was a revolutionary film changing the way people viewed comedies for two decades to follow, many of the films we have watched in class were revolutionary in some way or unique in some way.
The film had very long takes of each shot, and each scene lasts for a really long time, and seems to be improvised. On the whole, there was a lot a talking going on, of a very realistic nature, completely unrelated to forwarding the plot or anything like that. This is similar to All The President's Men or Network in that sense.
Allen breaks the fourth wall a lot--he directly addresses the audience. I think that helps people identify with him more, or maybe it's just to add to the hilarity.
brennan olena
Annie Hall was truely a unique film for its time. It has two aspects that are currently used, but still not fully embraced in Hollywood. FIrst, as many other have pointed out, the asides that Alvy does to the camera. This helps to involve the viewer, as they like to be, in a romantic comedy. It gives you the sense that you actually are friends with Allen's character and therefor you feel his pain. This technique was later embrassed in all sorts of movies. The one that comes to mind for me is the movie Alfie, starring Jude Law as a ladies (go figure). He guides the viewer through the film, just as Allen's character does.
The second aspect that would later be used in the romantic comedies of later years, would be the unhappy ending. Almost every romantic comedy ends with the guy and the girl kissing after a brief fight/discovery/seperation with lovey dovey music in the background. This is not the case in Annie Hall. This feature occurs in modern movies like The Break Up, in which the leads don't end up together.
I would most compare this film to All the President's Men. THe viewer knows what the ending of the film will be whether from prior knowledge (APM) or directly being told (Annie Hall) Then the main characters guide us through the rest of the film. On top of this both reference current (at the time) trends and etc. Politics in APM and sex/pyschology in Annie Hall.
brennan O'lena
One of my favorite conversations is when they are standing in line and Woody Allen is talking about how annoyed he gets by the asshole in the movie line. His thoughts are hilarious and are exactly what many people think. The man is talking about something that he claims to be an expert at, at this point the “movie” stops and the real expert comes into the screen and tells the man that he is basically full of shit. This is a very innovative technique to stop what the audience thinks is the “movie” and bring this other character in. In that same scene Annie says something rather loud about their sex life and the man in front of her turns around and Allen covers perfectly saying something along the lines of “no I haven’t read that one yet” making it seem like they were talking about a book.
Annie Hall is a film that requires the audience to listen to what is being said. It differs from many of the films we have seen thus far. If someone is looking for an action packed thriller this is defiantly not the movie. Conversely if someone is looking for a film that necessitates the audience to listen to the conversation they will find a hilarious comedy.
-Nathan Radoszewski
It is easy to see the way ANNIE HALL changed and influenced future movies with a similar romantic-comedy plot. Although ANNIE HALL wasn't the first movie i've seen where the character breaks out of the movie and starts talking to the viewer (camera), but Woody Allen by far did it best. He would break away from a conversation he was having and tell us how he really felt about what was going on. This allowed the viewer to understand the characters logic or introduce another perspective otherwise not seen. This idea was used in many movies since, Wayne's World being my favorite. Another way ANNIE HALL was different or changed the criteria for romantic movies was the comedy aspect. Although it may not have been the first real romantic comedy it was done differently than any other. Both of the leading characters aren't 'Hollywood Beautys', but rather more everyday kind of people with personality and flaws. This movie is very different than those we watched early in the semester, where dialogue isn't really the main focus, action is. This film is more along the lines of the last number of films we've watched that delves deep into characters by viewers listening to the characters open up. - Chris Krombach
Dan Boville
The direct address to the camera stood out in my mind the most. The address confirms what is going on for the characters as Woody Allen steps aside for a second and ‘vents’ if you will. I feel this confirmed a lot of the tension that was going on and solidified the conflict of the scene (no to mention funny as well). In most of the romantic comedies put out in the last 20 years, it seems that you have two troublesome individuals meet one another through the course of some unlikely happenings, and then madly falling in love with each other. In Annie Hall, Woody Allen addresses most of his life, and the ups and downs of their relationship; we see when they first meet, first break up, etc. I think this adds to the characters which we feel more attached to in the end.
I think the thing that stood out in my mind the most Annie Hall is mostly dialogue driven, like many of the movies we’ve seen lately. Mind you there are some visual sequences that are important too (the Alvy as a kid sequence, the cartoon sequence). As many previous bloggers pointed out, having a strong female character emerges as a common theme during this time, which in turn paves the road for movies later to come.
An innovative narrative convention that was used in Annie Hall was that the main male character would talk to the camera drawing in the attention of the audience. Another thing was the characters themselves. Both of the main characters have a realistic personality that the audience could relate themselves to. They have flaws and are not the typical idealistic characteristics.
Annie Hall was different from the other films that we have viewed in class because it was a comedy film. There was a lot of dialogue through out the movie but it appealed to the realistic sense of humor such as the way that the two characters talked and how the main male character’s relationships with his women seemed realistic to the normal people during the time. I think that Chinatown in a way had this kind of humor where the male character makes little settle jokes. Annie Hall is somewhat like All the President’s Men because of its dialogue based movie with little action at all.
Annie Hall was a very influential movie. Some of the things that Woody Allen did that was ground breaking for a romantic comedy was breaking the fourth wall. The characters directly talk to the audience. In a film that is realistic (set in reality) Allen takes moments to step outside this reality to have his characters directly address the movie watching audience. The characters are also commenting on events or people in the movie. The fourth wall had been broken before by filmmakers but usually in comedies or musicals.
Annie Hall
Aliya Shah
Annie Hall featured some very interesting innovative qualities that made this film enjoyable to a viewer. Some interesting aspects were the points where characters directly spoke to the camera and acknowledged the audience personally. Although within the film they were thinking and acting as they were, they stepped out to let the audience know what was going on within their minds. The flashbacks to Alvy’s childhood gave the audience a glimpse of why he was as paranoid as he was. The flashbacks provided a good sense of the comedy within the film. The flashbacks allowed the audience to relate to the fears he had and what made this particular character that he was. I really enjoyed the split screen effects as both Annie’s proper, content, and classy family was having dinner at the table as was Alvy’s angry, twisted family. It provided humor for the audience to notice such a vast difference between the stereotypical Christian versus stereotypical Jewish family tradition.
Annie Hall is seeped within the 70’s culture as it represents drugs and sex as the culture focused on. However, its approaches as more comedic and emotional attract the audience as the romantic comedy gives a lighter mood and pleasurable viewing experience as opposed to gruesome depressed moods we have felt with some previous films as the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Chinatown”, etc. This film shares similarities with “All the President’s Men” as it once again used the split screen effect to include the audience in both scenes at one time.
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