On Wednesday’s seminar class we watched our first New York film. It was Woody Allen’s Manhattan (certainly a fitting title for our class). What intrigued me about this film was how similar it was to another film I have seen, also directed by Woody Allen called Husbands and Wives. Both films starred Woody Allen and both dealt with issues of infidelity. During the film I took notes to help answer questions similar to the ones we did for homework the class before. That homework, I should note, was quite enjoyable for me. I love analyzing a film and seeing how it could mean so much more then the plot thanks to the use of a director’s cinematic devices.

1) Throughout this film I would say the camera deviated quite a bit from classical cutting. At some moments the camera would be placed off to the side rather then with one central image and many times it captured the characters in the shadows, for example, when Yale tells Isaac about his affair their discussion is cast in the shadows. And when Isaac and Mary go to the museum the entire image is distorted and brought in the shadows. The camera stays in one position in most scenes of the film, it does not move from character to character when a dialogue begins. It stays stationary instead of showing the other people/person’s reactions.

2) In many of the scenes the director does not frame the characters in dead center of the camera. Instead it could be canted to the right or left and at times only the actors dialogue can be heard over a still image such as a diner. Some shots were also wide angle and depicted the entire setting of the characters rather then just the characters themselves (like with Isaac and Tracey in the large apartment).

3) The fact that this film was in black and white in my opinion adds to the New York image. Most of what makes up NYC is in black and white in its colors and the people that inhabit the city are what bring it life. It could have also been used to have the audience focus on the storyline rather then the colors of the characters and setting. Using black and white also creates many shades of grey, and with issues like infidelity some things really are never black and white.

4) The clips seem to last for a few minutes and they then transition to another clip.

5) The dialogue in this film is sarcastic, intelligent, and at times simple-minded (and even contains some profanity). This multi-dimensional dialogue of these characters is a great representation of the great diversity in only one set of people in New York City.

6) The costumes in this film speak to the theme of black and white and all of the people involved. No one really wears anything extravagant or noteworthy in the course of the film. Again perhaps to highlight the plot, and to represent how it is about working people trying to succeed in New York.

7) The music in this film is at times exuberant and is most utilized when it drowns out the dialogue of the characters. For example when Yale takes his son out, the music gets louder and louder and becomes almost a silent film—where, through the glass of the store window, we see Isaac’s movements exaggerated to display emotion.

8)The set of the film is New York City and it is meant to show the best aspects of it, the museums the parks the streets and the apartments. Shots of the city with fireworks and the pumpkins can be inferred as use of the set to display the passing of time (from the fourth of July, perhaps, to the Fall).

Ultimately, I enjoyed the ending and the analysis of my second Woody Allen film. I can definitely say that I now get a sense of his oeuvre in his films.