Love, sex, death, and the meaning of life: Woody Allen's comedy

by Foster Hirsh

Woody Allen has carved out a unique place for himself in American movies, becoming our national auteur as well as the most prolific director in the country, and creating a singular world with each film he has released since his first movie in 1969. Foster Hirsch analyzes and celebrates that world in this expert study of the themes, visual style, and acting in each of Allen's films. With the addition of a new introduction and chapter covering the eleven movies Allen has made in the last decade, from Alice to The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, this is a vital book for Allen fans and students of film alike.

Genres: Film

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Seth Kenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two of my three film studies courses during film school were with Professor Hirsch; Wide-Screen Cinema and Film Noir. We watched Manhattan in the former, and so when I found out that he'd written a book, I eagerly purchased and read it. Professor Hirsch is a master at film analysis and critique.

[Peg - The History Shelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are an Allen afficionado and can't get enough of his earlier work, this book is a must-have addition to your collection. Wonderful insights and snippets into the early maistro, the MAN, the one and only WOODY ALLEN.

[Shreya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book when thrifting (they were giving books away for free because no one was buying them and these books would have been recycled anyway). It was definitely an interesting read, and I got this particularly because at that time, I was personally very fascinated with the canon of Jewish American art and literature. I got this book with the hopes to learn more about film and finding some more films to watch. Having never watched a single Allen film, and only having knowledge about the abuse allegations, I read the book to learn more about his artistry and why people still love his films despite his reputation. However, that might have been the mistake that I made, because much of the book goes into deep detail on Allen's comedic inspirations and influences, as well as the patterns in his filmography, and I think this actually requires knowledge of his work beforehand. So this book wasn't totally easy for me to read. Regardless, I have now added some films to my watchlist to see if they're really worth the hype (his older stuff obviously).

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A good reminder of which Woody films I need to see/revisit, but overall trite and poorly written criticism.