Annie Hall

I really enjoyed this film. I thought that the plot was very comical. Like the movie Manhattan, Woody Allen uses his unusual filming style, which causes the audience to enjoy more than just the film’s plot! There were many picturesque shots of New York and he used many photographic techniques, like the rules of thirds and leading lines, to capture the beauty and magnificence of the city. Allen also used a couple of his trademark techniques of talking off picture and also talking to the camera (audience) which leads the audience to focus on the actual picture and notice other small details within the shot. It was an interesting style that not only worked but I thought added to the film’s entertainment value. One theme that I saw throughout this movie was the subject/idea of psychology. Both characters could be described as quirky and odd, and all of the references to Freud and his principles reinforced the fact that they were unique. They briefly brought up Freud’s concept of the unconscious mind. The movie also talked about the latency period, which is another concept that was created by Freud. There were also a lot of references to psychologists and the role they played in the characters lives. It seemed that the “analysts” were a key part to helping fix the characters personalities. I also picked up on a lot of references to certain psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, narcolepsy and other neurological disorders. Another aspect that I found intriguing was the presence of drugs in the movie. Throughout this movie people used drugs for many reasons. Some used them for self-medication purposes like relaxing the body and reducing stress, while others used drugs for recreational use. People were shown using drugs at parties and other social gatherings. This casual reference to drugs seemed to indicate the growing popularity and acceptance of drugs during this time period. I felt that there were also some discriminatory comments towards Jews and women. These statements were meant to be jokes because he was a comedian, but I wonder if others took these jokes personally. Overall I thought this movie was not only entertaining but very insightful. I enjoyed the realistic plot and the montage that this film had to offer. It is a movie that is quite symbolic of the times and gives the audience a look at the issues of that era!