Annie Hall, released in 1977, is considered Woody Allen’s greatest movie. It tells the story of a failed romance and stars Woody Allen himself and Diane Keaton, representing Allen’s personal experiences. Unlike his other films, which are typically comedic, Annie Hall takes a different approach by exploring love, the necessity of effort in relationships, and the resulting failures in a comic way that elicits emotional responses from the audience, potentially bringing them to tears by the end of the film.
Annie Hall is a film that combines self-absorbed humor and romance, highlighting the insecurities of both main characters. Alvy Singer, portrayed by Woody Allen, is a Jewish comedian who reflects Allen’s own experiences as a comedian. Throughout the movie, Alvy’s sexual insecurities and Annie’s insecurity about her intelligence strain their relationship, ultimately leading to its downfall. The film begins with flashbacks to Alvy’s childhood, providing the audience with a deeper understanding of his character and setting the stage for a story that enriches the overall plot.
The flashback establishes him as a pessimist who has consistently had difficulties in relationships and sexual encounters. This indicates his low self-esteem, pessimistic outlook, and lack of success in love from the outset of the film. The introduction of Alvy and Annie as a couple immediately sets the stage for the audience to witness the deterioration of their relationship. However, it is important to note that the film predominantly focuses on Alvy’s perpetual loneliness rather than exploring the theme of love.
The relationship between the characters is delicate and filled with insecurities. In the movie, Annie displays her anxiety and nervousness from the start. A specific scene occurs on a balcony where they share a drink, and Annie’s internal dialogue reveals her fear of taking action. When they are together, both characters demonstrate frustration and sadness through their facial expressions and body language, including quick hand movements.
The movie was filmed with a monotone mood, representing a lack of new routines and freshness that kept the relationship healthy. This absence caused tension and a bump in their togetherness. The tension rises when Annie accuses Alvy of doubting her intelligence, implying that her intelligence is equal to his. Alvy’s narcissism is then revealed, portraying him as intelligent, self-centered, and anxious.
All these characteristics are considered after Annie’s initial attraction to Alvy, which stemmed from his superior intellect. However, this attraction also caused her insecurities as she believed he didn’t want to commit because of her intelligence. As Annie realizes that Alvy underestimates her, she gains confidence and increases her self-esteem. Alvy’s pressure and reinforcement of her insecurities regarding her intelligence contribute to this growth.
We can observe that Alvy played a role in enabling Annie’s personality to flourish, leading her to the conclusion that she no longer requires his presence. According to Knight, Annie, endowed with newfound assurance from her exposure to a different set of principles, attains a level of self-governance and self-reliance that was previously inaccessible to her. Once Annie resolves to end their relationship, Alvy experiences an immediate loss of power, and despite the finality of their breakup, he struggles to come to terms with her newfound independence.
Throughout the movie, the main character holds the belief that happiness can be attained through a romantic partner. However, his attempts to mold Annie into his ideal image of perfection ultimately lead to the failure of their relationship. Woody Allen employs various filmic devices to convey and illustrate this situation. Firstly, the setting of New York, which holds a special significance to the protagonist, reflects his own personality traits. New York is portrayed as a socially detached and oppressive environment, mirroring Alvy’s demeanor.
Allen employed specific photographic techniques in the movie to create a deeper sense of intimacy for the audience. These techniques included the use of unbroken shots, which made the camera feel like an additional character following the actions and resulting in spontaneous dialogues. Additionally, Alvy, the main character, had control over the narrative, allowing him to revisit past events and create a more idealized version of reality through art. Sayad further argues that these techniques, along with Alvy’s depiction as a stand-in for Allen himself, infused elements of Allen’s biography into the fictional storyline, making the diegesis vulnerable to reality.
Utilizing a variety of methods, he employed animated editing techniques to portray himself as an animated version of Alvy and Annie as the Snow Queen. This infusion of fantasy elements adds an element of unpredictability as Alvy attempts to enhance life. Additionally, the use of subtitles during a balcony conversation serves as another tool, unveiling their true thoughts since neither possesses the bravery to vocalize them.
In another scene, the audience is shown what is happening between the characters in the bedroom. They are having sex when suddenly Annie’s spirit gets up and sits by the bed, indicating Annie’s boredom with their sexual interactions. Another technique used to engage the audience is when Alvy speaks directly to them during certain scenes. As he plays his role, he switches and addresses the audience directly. All of these visual effects are employed by Allen to immerse the audience in the movie and depict the characters in the most effective way possible.
Freud’s ideas are clearly evident in Annie Hall as Alvy mentions him multiple times throughout the movie. The plot revolves around Alvy, a man who uses humor as a defense mechanism but secretly wishes he didn’t have to. This creates a shifting tone in which the film transitions from addressing serious subjects to revealing comedic perspectives. Ultimately, the movie is not entirely serious as its primary goal is to entertain and bring laughter to the audience.
Allen ensured that he completed this task while also incorporating quick jokes, using visual effects as a means to do so. One instance of visual effects occurs when he portrays a Jew, depicting how Annie’s family sees him. In accordance with Griggs’ statement, “Jokes are comparable to dreams, as Freud suggests, for they allow unpleasant elements to be expressed that are typically kept out of one’s consciousness.” Put simply, Alvy used jokes as a method of evading the truth and constructing his own perception of reality, including his view of Annie.
The film suggests that Alvy’s tendency to overanalyze should be viewed as entertainment rather than a serious matter. It seems that Allen used the movie as therapy to delve into his unique relationship with Diane Keaton, which deviates from traditional romantic comedy narratives that typically end in marriage. The bittersweet ending of Annie Hall serves as a reminder that life can be difficult, unpredictable, and emotionally distressing.
