Saturday 12 January 2013

Manhattan (1979 Woody Allen)

  

The contrasty, beautiful, steady, and artfully composed images of "the Prince of Darkness" Gordon Willis did not even garner an Oscar nomination. It is one of his finest achievements. The opening on its own would make an award-winning short. Then there's the marvellous darkness of the planetarium, the bridge at dawn etc. etc.

Keaton is brilliant - notice her face in the party scene with a pretentious guest.

Great use of classic shot / reverse shot with Allen and wonderful Mariel Hemingway to powerful effect. Close up of her crying always makes me cry too.

 



And the ending, when he contradicts everything he's said to her before, and she tells him "You've got to have a little faith".

Maybe his most perfect and focused film and probably Woody's best performance as well.

It was the first film Susan Morse edited, and she worked on Woody's next 21 films, but really I feel as more of a sort of assistant, as he is very much involved in the film and music editing..

Written by WA and Marshall Brickman (nominated). Michael Murphy plays the friend.

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