Probably one of the most successful and controversial directors in film history is Woody Allen. While Woody Allen has had some personal controversy in his life there is no denying that his body of work is not only extensive but also praised by many. He has been working in film for more than 6 decades and has come out with a movie almost every year. Allen has been nominated for 24 Oscars and recently he has won a Oscar for his film "Midnight in Paris" as a best original screen play, this was his 3 award for best original screen play and he also recieved an award for best picture with his movie "Annie Hall". Allen is known for his comedic abilities. When watching a movie directed, acted, or written (sometimes even all three) by Woody Allen there is always a unique flair consisting quirky, bumbling, neurotic characters they seem to be almost a reflection of Allen himself. Often pulling from his life in some of his movies such as radio days which revolves around a boy in a tight nit family in the 1940's not unlike Woody Allen's growing up. In terms of collaboration with others we see that he does what Uzi and Spiro hypothesize works best. While Allen does often work with similar people he also brings new people in as well avoiding group thinking. Some common collaborators with Allen who have starred in multiple movies of his include Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow, Alec Baldwin, and Scarlett Johannson. This, however, does not mean he solely works with these people often bringing in famous outsiders including Cate Blanchett who starred in "Blue Jasmine" and won an Oscar for her performance Owen Wilson in "Midnight in Paris". It is interesting to note the way that Allen is said to interact with the actors in his movies as it is often portrayed as very stand offish. Owen Wilson once said in a interview that during the entire time he was filming "Midnight in Paris" he had only one time interacted with Allen face to face. Allen has been quoted to say that he believes that an actor know better how to portray a character then Allen knows how to tell them. Allen thinks that the actors need to put themselves into the role. This standoffish approach gives actors freedom that they often don't have and may be one of the reasons he is able to get such big named actors in his films. Another thing that is interesting about Allen's process as a writer is that he has been said to have a nightstand draw full of ideas for movies. It has been said that when Allen finishes a movie the first thing he does is go through this draw to look for another movie idea that he wants to make. This may explain why he is so capable of coming out with new movies almost every year, he is unable to control his urge to move on to his next idea. Allen not only writes and directs movies but he also acts in them. When Allen is acting he often comes off as the same oddball neurotic character that bumbles similarly to the way Allen himself does in real life. Allen has dedicated his life to movies and through this has produced countless masterpieces and has created a style in his work all his own.
When I watched Midnight in Paris (in highschool), I was baffled by how interesting the plot and journey was. I really appreciated how Allen was able to think of dialogue between artistic greats of that time, like Dali and others that I cannot currently remember at the present moment. I would be very interested in learning about Allen’s creative process, and what he did to develop his interesting plots. I would also want to know more about what Allen has pioneered, and what directing or cinematographic styles that he is proficient in. From my current knowledge of Allen, it seems like he has a very quick mind, one that can produce a high quantity of movies. I was also surprised and interested at how removed he was during the filming of Midnight in Paris. Overall, great artist and great post!
When I watched Midnight in Paris (in highschool), I was baffled by how interesting the plot and journey was. I really appreciated how Allen was able to think of dialogue between artistic greats of that time, like Dali and others that I cannot currently remember at the present moment. I would be very interested in learning about Allen’s creative process, and what he did to develop his interesting plots. I would also want to know more about what Allen has pioneered, and what directing or cinematographic styles that he is proficient in. From my current knowledge of Allen, it seems like he has a very quick mind, one that can produce a high quantity of movies. I was also surprised and interested at how removed he was during the filming of Midnight in Paris. Overall, great artist and great post!
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