Cinema of Woody Allen

Cinema of Woody Allen

“To love is to suffer. ... Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy.”  Woody Allen

Woody Allen at 81 and perhaps counted in few intellect US film directors today celebrating his birthday.

Woody Allen, who has niche audience; in one of his interview from UK Guardian he said, “My intention was people would pay their money and have some kind of human experience.” 

Woody Allen started his career as a comedian in1950s, wrote jokes and scripts for television and publishing books. In 1960s, Allen began explored his hand in stand-up comedy, this world of comedy shaped his persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful nebbish.

Allen started writing and directing films in 1960s, So far he has directed over 40 films are Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In 2007 he said Stardust Memories (1980), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Match Point (2005) were his best films.  Critic Roger Ebert described Allen as "a treasure of the cinema."

Allen won four Academy Awards: three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director (Annie Hall). He also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the "101 Funniest Screenplays."  In 2011, PBS televised the film biography, Woody Allen: A Documentary, on the American Masters TV series.

I remember his film Melinda and Melinda, I watched all his film in theaters or archives but this film was very rare to his fans. This film did not make a good fortune on box office and fetched no awards to him. I was curious to watch this film as this film is a discussion about life, the 4 people who sit on dining table talk about a fictitious character Melinda and takes her life ahead, one say, life is a comedy and show Melinda journey it turnout to be a black comedy and one say life is a tragedy and shows Melina journey but it turns out to be comedy. They conclude, ‘it is our perception what matters and not the situation’.  

 “I'm probably more interested in eternal human feelings and conflicts. If I make a good film, it will always be good. The same feelings and problems will persist 5000 years from now. Like the Greek tragedies which still touch us today, which still work.”

Woody Allen SPIGEL TV interview June 20, 2005 

It was the first time when I searched all VCD stores of town and accidently got the VCD in gray market. It proved to be a trove for me. Today on the birthday of Woody Allen I am offering my greeting through this article. I am sure he will touch 100 if not 150 and he will make more film which talks on life.