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Manhattan (1979): The Alibi That Looks Like Love
The review of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” critiques its portrayal of relationships and moral complexity through stunning black-and-white cinematography. The film follows protagonist Ike Davis’s misguided romance, notably with the uncorrupted 17-year-old Tracy. It explores how aesthetics shape narratives, ultimately revealing ethical blindness in the pursuit of beauty and sophistication.
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Frances Ha (2012): Someone Else’s New York
Noah Baumbach’s film Frances Ha explores the life of Frances Halladay, a twenty-seven-year-old dancer navigating her identity in New York post-friendship. Shot in black and white, it contrasts her vibrant, chaotic journey against a nostalgic aesthetic, revealing the tensions between her personal experiences and the filmmaker’s cinematic homage to male-dominated narratives.
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The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985): The Cycle Continues
Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) examines the relationship between cinema and those who seek solace in it. The film portrays Cecilia, a waitress who finds escapism in film, ultimately facing disappointment when reality intrudes. Its poignant conclusion, while beautiful, reflects the same escapism it critiques, revealing the bittersweet nature of both fiction…
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Paths of Glory (1957): The Officer’s Trench
Kubrick made the most morally certain film of his career. That certainty is also the film’s most precise limitation. — Distance Château to the front line 4.3 kilometres Defendants’ table to judges’ bench 12 metres Execution post to the courtroom wall 400 metres Camera to Kirk Douglas’s face, courtroom 18 inches Camera to Corporal Paris’s…
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The Hero Who Wasn’t
Five Easy Pieces, directed by Bob Rafelson and featuring Jack Nicholson, centers on Bobby Dupea, whose alluring self-narrative of running away masks deeper issues of self-destruction. The iconic diner scene belies his failure, revealing a protagonist who sabotages relationships and evades genuine emotion. The film critiques the romanticized heroism of Bobby’s story, portraying him as…