1979 in Film: Manhattan

It’s very difficult not to watch this movie without thinking: “What the fuck Woody?”. For those that have seen this film before, you know what I’m talking about. For those who don’t, well, let me tell you a story. The thing about Manhattan, undoubtedly one of Woody Allen’s best film and released amid the successes of Oscar winner Annie Hall (1977) and Interiors (1978), is that it’s too magical. I mean, sure, movies are essentially a magical act, but they are not free of real consequences.

This film begins with a beautiful sequence highlighting iconic places, at night, of Manhattan. Gordon Willis, the brilliant cinematographer of this film, literally gets the title of the film photographed too, in neon letters camouflaged in black and white. In that game of lights and shadows we finally get to an interior scene. There we meet two couples: Yale (Michael Murphy) with Emily (Anne B. Hoffman), and Ike (Woody Allen) with Tracy (Mariel Hemingway). The latter couple is composed of a 42 year-old man and a 17 year-old girl. Let that sink in.

Since we already sunk, let me tell you how shocked I am at the normalization of this and how the other couple reacted at the good news of Ike’s relationship with Tracy. I don’t know if it was a normal thing for a teen to hang out with a middle-aged man back in the 70s, but it’s weird, and I cannot imagine this being allowed now (even though there are rare cases). The again, he apparently loves her and we have to accept that for the story to continue.

“There’s no doubt of Allen’s talent as a director, but above all, as a writer.”

After that icky discovery, we also learn that Yale, the other man, is having an extramarital affair with a woman named Mary (Diane Keaton). This woman is going to be responsible of some of the best exchanges between characters throughout the film, since Ike will get an interest in her too. That storm that forms between Tracy and Ike, and Mary and Yale, and even Ike’s ex-wife, Jill (Meryl Streep), is the true brilliance of this movie. There’s no doubt of Allen’s talent as a director, but above all, as a writer.

There are so many memorable moments in this film. Like the first exchange between Mary and Ike at the museum, where she disliked everything he liked. Nonetheless, there are three scenes that stayed with me that I want to talk about in detail. In these sequences I will highlight the acting and the dialogue, since I think those elements are what makes these scenes so great. For those who haven’t watched it, some SPOILERS ahead.

The first scene I want to focus on is the one when Ike ends the relationship with Tracy to be with Mary. This, and the ending scene, carry so much emotional weight that I somehow forgot this film is mainly a comedy. Much of this weight is put on an almost rookie Mariel Hemingway, and she commands the scene flawlessly. The way she delivers the line “You do?” after Ike reveals to her that he’s seeing someone, is heartbreaking. Allen has the cleverness to stay with her, giving us a raw and natural reaction followed by a more heartbreaking: “You met someone?”

“Much of this weight is put on an almost rookie Mariel Hemingway, and she commands the scene flawlessly.”

How do you not feel this? After a few exchanges, the final blow is delivered without seeing Hemingway’s face, but you can hear the pain and the sadness in her breaking voice: “I can’t believe that you met somebody that you like better than me.” I’m mad that this relationship existed in the first place, but this scene is so good. Hemingway, deservedly so, got nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, and I have no doubt this was her Oscar scene.

The second scene in question is the one when Ike confronts Yale after he learns Mary and he are back together. For me, this dialogue exchange must be the funniest of the whole film, because the situation is so absurd and both men have proved to be so immature, that the nature of the conversation feels like something that could happen to any fuckboy friends out there.

My favorite fragment is the one when Ike tells Yale that he was responsible for matching him with Mary. To which Yale responds: “Well, I thought you liked her?” and Ike says: “Yes, I do like her, now we both like her!”. Then Yale delivers one of the funniest lines in the whole film: “Yeah, well I liked her first!” to which Ike responds with something funnier: “’I liked her first’? What are you, six years old? Jeezus!” I was rolling on the floor because I couldn’t believe two adults were having this kind of exchange, but as I said before, I can see it happening.

“On a technical level, what makes this movie shine so much, is the cinematography by the great Gordon Willis.”

The last scene I wanted to highlight is the ending of the film, when Ike realizes he really loves Tracy and goes towards her before she leaves for London to study. The sequence is a little uncomfortable to watch, especially when Ike talks. There’s a point where you feel so mad at him, at what he’s saying and asking Tracy to do (to leave college and stay), that you want to throw the whole TV set apart. He’s so selfish and immature and an asshole, but somehow Tracy sees some good in him and sees him for what he really is: an insecure, old, and lonely man that doesn’t trust anyone, not even himself.

The last line is the more revealing one and the one that summarizes what this film is about. Tracy says to Ike: “You have to have a little faith in people.”, to which Ike smiles in realization that there’s more to life than being mad at humanity for not acting the way you desire. This ending is beautiful and it’s one of the reasons I like this film, besides the chaotic beginning of the sequence and the nature of the relationship.

On a technical level, what makes this movie shine so much, is the cinematography by the great Gordon Willis. I already mentioned the first sequences of images of the film, but I would also like to give a shout-out to the very famous bridge scene near the half point of the movie. That shot is one of the most iconic shots in film history and it almost wasn’t done. Thankfully, the government of New York allowed for Willis to do the shot – and the rest is history.

“Overall, Manhattan is a great film, that’s been more and more difficult to watch the more we know about Woody Allen’s past.”

Willis also did a tremendous job playing with lights and shadows, especially when trying to imply motifs. Shadows are used mainly to represent conflict, as for light is used to represent that things are okay. There’s a clever shot when Mary and Ike are coming home from dinner where a DON’T WALK sign is at the corner of the frame. Probably warning Ike (or Mary?) that they shouldn’t be walking together (end in a relationship), but they do it anyways. Props to both Allen and Willis for this.

Overall, Manhattan is a great film, that’s been more and more difficult to watch the more we know about Woody Allen’s past. His relationship with famous model Christina Engelhardt when she was only sixteen years old, a kid, is supposedly the inspiration towards this film. Even though she has admitted no regrets towards being with Allen, I can’t help but think how much these powerful people in Hollywood, especially men, have been able to escape unharmed of such negligent conduct.

What saves this film is Gordon Willis’s photography, George Gershwin’s music, Hemingway’s sincere acting, and Allen’s ability to direct his writing masterfully. I just wish there wasn’t so much mud in this… Anyways, we have to have faith in people, right?