Will this be Woody Allen’s last love letter to New York? From “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan” to “A Rainy Day in New York”

Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “A Rainy Day in New York” was released in mainland China today, which is also his first film in mainland China.

For such an 86-year-old director who has created many classics, it is indeed a bit late for his work to officially meet us now.

From the New York Museum in “Annie Hall”, the Queen Bridge in “Manhattan”, Coney Island in “Wonder Wheel”, to the streets of New York in “A Rainy Day in New York”, Woody Allen, a Jewish boy born in New York, departs from New York , went round and round and returned to New York several times.

He tells the romantic stories in the city with his words, wit, philosophy and humor.

With more than 50 years of film career, nearly half of the high-yield creation of an average of one film each year takes place in New York.

New York is not only an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Woody Allen, it has long since become a character in his films.

This city gave birth to Woody Allen’s film style, and also influenced the audience’s imagination of New York, so that movie fans who are familiar with this little old man will think of New York when he mentions him, and will naturally think of Woody Allen when they mention New York.

Forever ‘Yorker’ filming just 30 blocks from home

Black-rimmed glasses, a frown, and a bitter face, Woody Allen, whose real name was Allen Stewart Konigsberg, was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York.

He lives and works in New York, from a small wisecracking writer, to a stage playwright, an actor, to a world-famous director who is regarded by the French as “the only intellectual in the American film industry”. On the deep “New York traces.”

Woody Allen, 86, has made nearly 50 films since his screen debut in 1966.

The prolific Woody Allen, whose work is almost exclusively directed and written by himself, sometimes starred.

Among them, the stories of most of his films take place in New York, inspired by personal experiences, and the protagonists seem to be people he would pass by on the streets of New York on weekdays.

New York deserves to be the hometown of Woody Allen’s creative life.

When it comes to New York, perhaps what most people have in mind is the concept of the largest economic, cultural and financial center in the United States, as well as the bustling and modern urban beauty.

But in New York under the lens of Woody Allen, in addition to high-rise buildings, Statue of Liberty and other architectural objects, the main thing is his emotional memory and unique understanding of New York.

In his films, through the capture of ordinary streets and pedestrians, people can feel the fireworks atmosphere of New York’s humanity.

Together with Martin Scorsese and Packy Lee, Woody Allen, known as the “New York Trio” (who both likes to film in New York), is different from Martin Scorsese and Packy Lee, who focuses on social chaos, who prefers gangster themes. His films set in New York often revolve around middle-class intellectuals, revealing his self-reflection and mockery of love and human nature in dense lines and humor.

After a small achievement that year, he moved from his birthplace of Brooklyn to Woody Allen in Manhattan. When filming, the filming location was generally selected within 30 blocks from home, and the limit was South Street Seaport or Chinatown.

From his Manhattan suite, the 360-degree view of the New York streets brings him a steady stream of inspiration from all directions.

No wonder Woody Allen once said, “I don’t want to live in people’s hearts, I want to live in my apartment.”

As a Jew who grew up in New York, Woody Allen has a mixed understanding of the city.

On the one hand, he is an American citizen, and his temperament to pursue freedom and individual liberation is evident in him; on the other hand, due to the origin, history and character of the Jewish nation, he has a lot of different understandings of New York.

The little old man who is “merciful” everywhere starts from New York and returns to New York

1977’s “Annie Hall” was a turning point in Woody Allen’s film career. The film won four Oscars, but he didn’t go to the scene to accept the award, but he performed the clarinet in a club.

The story takes place in New York, and Ivey, played by Woody Allen, was born in Brooklyn, New York after World War II, and grew up under a roller coaster.

Since he was a child, he would worry about the expansion of the universe and have no intention of doing his homework, which established his somewhat neurotic characteristics when he grew up.

Because of the similarities between the protagonist and Woody Allen’s experiences, the film is often considered a semi-autobiographical film by Woody Allen, although he denies this claim.

In the film, Woody Allen’s presentation of New York does not have those iconic era buildings such as the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center, but loves time-sensitive places such as Washington Square, the carousel and boardwalk of Coney Island in Brooklyn.

These ordinary urban beauty exudes the unique elegance and romance of this city.

After the great success of “Annie Hall”, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton went on to release the black-and-white film “Manhattan” in 1979.

The film is directly named after New York’s famous urban area “Manhattan”, the theme is still love, and tells the emotional entanglement of several intellectuals in Manhattan.

The film opens with Gershwin’s warm and romantic music, Woody Allen on the wide screen in black and white, showing the charming scene of Manhattan: the Brooklyn Bridge, the night scene of Broadway, the Fish Market, the Yankee Ballpark, the upper The view in front of the West End Apartments…

Woody Allen portrays Manhattan as romantic as possible, spending up to three minutes making a “confession” of love to the city.

There is also a classic scene in the film, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton sitting on a bench under the Queen Bridge, admiring Manhattan’s skyscrapers, talking all night.

In addition, in real life, the Elaine restaurant, which Woody Allen and Diane Keaton often go to, has also become an exterior scene in the film.

When the film was released in the United States, the poster slogan was “Love song to the city”, and “Manhattan” was also a “Ode to New York” in Woody Allen’s heart.

Through the lonely individuals in the love world in the film, Woody Allen expresses a deep love and complex emotions for the modern urban life of New York.

After that, in 1989, Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola co-directed the romantic film “New York Stories”. Such a collection of short films in the name of “New York” naturally cannot lack the figure of Woody, a native of New York.

Woody directed the segment “Oedipus Wrecks,” a story in which his earlier cinematic style resurfaces while also giving a sense of his unique understanding of his home city.

In 1993, when Woody Allen was at his lowest ebb, he wrote, directed and starred in the crime comedy “Manhattan Murder Mystery”.

This film, known as “Back to New York”, allowed Woody Allen to regain a relaxed narrative style and was recognized by critics as “Allen’s return to the level of work”.

But entering the new century, American investors and audiences seem to no longer buy him.

After filming “Melinda and Melinda” in 2004, due to economic considerations, he began to move to Europe to make films, and made a series of urban films, which has been out of control since then.

This makes many New York fans feel like they have been abandoned by old lovers.

Woody Allen, who is always “sympathetic”, has previously made films such as “Everyone Says I Love You” with Venice as the background in exotic films, but since 2005-2007 “Match Point” “Scoop” “Cassandras Dream” “London Trilogy”, and later “City Postcard Trilogy” composed of “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” “Midnight In Paris” “To Rome With Love”, Woody began a long stay in a foreign land, walking in major cities around the world The street square tells the romantic story there.

Although Woody Allen had a great yearning for Europe, Europeans also particularly love the literary retro atmosphere revealed in his films.

But he admits that every time he leaves, he misses New York deeply, so he always comes back there.

To paraphrase the opening line of “Manhattan,” “New York is his city and will always be.”

In 2009, Woody Allen returned to New York to film “Whatever Works” after five years, and started his best black humor romantic comedy.

For this film, Woody Allen once said frankly: “After returning from Europe, I was able to shape this strange old man (the film’s protagonist) in New York with the mentality of a homecoming wanderer, so I did not hesitate to put a lot of my The idea is put into the character. In fact, this character is the epitome of my 40s.”

Nostalgic tones, afternoon sunshine in New York, classical music and oldies on CD…

The film “Whatever Works” continues the style of “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan” and becomes another expression of Woody Allen’s New York complex, but this time it is separated by 30 years.

40-year-old New York complex, 86-year-old Woody has not yet “lyed”

Starting from New York, Woody Allen, who went around and returned to New York, used films to record the appearance of New York in different periods and corners.

The style of New York, the hypocritical indifference of New York, the civilization and depravity of New York are all hidden in his nostalgic camera lens and rambling humor.

In 2017, Woody Allen returned to his hometown – Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York with the movie “Wonder Wheel”, and unfolded a Woody-esque 1950s movie on the island’s beach. love story.

This time the hero and heroine are Kate Winslet, who he has been inviting for many years and finally met the schedule, and Justin Timberlake, who is a singer.

The film was called by critics at the time Woody Allen’s best work since “Midnight In Paris”.

At the end of the same year, Woody Allen finished filming his 48th film “A Rainy Day in New York”. Following “Manhattan”, a “black and white love letter” to New York, the old Woody gave it to New York again after 40 years. Another romantic love letter.

However, due to the influence of the #Metoo anti-sexual assault movement, this “love letter” was not “sent” smoothly.

The film’s release road is full of twists and turns, and the controversial Woody Allen has been betrayed by many people (a number of co-stars have announced their separation from him, and they have also been broken by the distributor, Amazon).

Until now, the film has not been officially released in North American theaters.

The film stars Timothée ChalametTimothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez and several Hollywood stars, telling Yong Love through Yong People.

In one day, a couple’s trip to New York, a series of emotional stories unfolded on a romantic rainy day in New York.

The scenes of New York landmarks such as Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum make the romantic atmosphere of the city more and more intense, and New York on a rainy day is more suitable for love.

Unlike “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan” who focus on the love between middle-aged men and women, the 82-year-old Woody chose a college-age youth love in his old age to discuss the complex emotions between the two sexes.

Although it is a young story, it can see the shadow of Woody Allen when he was young.

In the film, the male protagonist Gatsby played by Timothée Chalamet, whether it is in retro colors, wearing a sweater under a shirt, or a hunchback when walking, as well as his witty conversation, sneering and witty comments, etc., seems to be old Woody. Substitute your own performance.

In fact, since Woody Allen stopped starring in his own films, we can often see his shadow in the male protagonists of some films.

Now, after experiencing the impact of the scandal, the prolific director who keeps making one movie a year and still hasn’t stopped creating, will he be able to continue filming after his 49th movie “Rifkin’s Festival” in 2020? Created his 50th film, unknown.

This “Yorker” who wrote a love letter to New York all his life, teasing himself “I’m in my 80s and I’m going to die soon”, is there still a chance to make a film in the United States, in his hometown of New York, to burn out his film talents , now it seems to be a luxury.

Fortunately, Europe is more tolerant and still welcomes Woody Allen with open arms, allowing us to see the possibility of his new work being born.

However, his complicated emotions and lifelong complexes towards New York, as well as the love stories that happened in the streets, squares, bridges, museums and other places of New York, may only remain in his heart in the future, and it is difficult to share them with us on the screen. .