There are two
love affairs at play in Woody Allen's brilliant dram-edy Manhattan (1979); the first between two couples with opposing viewpoints
about practically everything, and the latter (and more meaningful) between
Allen and the isle from whence the film derives its title. Undeniably, this is
Woody Allen's most personal masterwork; an intimate celebration of the New York
he knows so well and worships at every possible chance he gets. Allen is Isaac,
a middle aged, angst ridden TV comedy writer who is currently indulging a
May/December whirlwind with 17 year old music protégée Tracy (Mariel
Hemmingway). Outwardly, Isaac's friends, Yale (Michael Murphy) and Emily (Anne
Byrne Hoffman) support his relationship. Inwardly, they feel he is making a
terrible mistake - one that can only end in disastrous heartbreak.
The wrinkle
here is that even as Yale professes to be in a stable relationship he is having
an affair with journalist, Mary (Diane Keaton). Yale confides the affair to
Isaac and asks that he check Mary out to garner his approval. But Isaac and
Mary's first casual meeting goes hopelessly awry. She's too opinionated, too
bold in her criticisms and too grating on his nerves. Or maybe not. An
accidental reunion without Yale reveals to Isaac that Mary is just as
vulnerable as he is. She just happens to shield her insecurity from the world.
Isaac, on the other hand, wears his awkwardly on his sleeve.
Isaac decides
to convince Tracy that he is all wrong for her so that he pursue Mary for
himself without feeling guilty. But he cannot betray Tracy's naive sweetness,
even if it's for her own good. So far, the plot of Manhattan sounds about as
close to cliché as the romantic comedy can get. That is, of course, if the
movie had been written and directed by anyone other than Woody Allen. The most
engaging aspect of any Woody Allen film in general, and this one in particular,
is its seemingly effortless use of dialogue; so natural and unassuming that it
appears to be happening with a magical spontaneity as the film plays on.
The
conversations these characters have with each other are never anything but spot
on truthful. Allen is at his most wonderfully sardonic when he suggests to
Tracy that he believes in mating for life "like
pigeons and Catholics". But the humor peppered throughout this wordy
excursion is only part of the dialogue's charm. There is something else at play
here - a sort of reality apart from the world of artificially crafted narrative
film. It goes without saying that Allen's delivery of each line carries with it
a weight of comedic genius. But again, that's only a fragment of the sparkle
that Manhattan delivers in spades virtually from its first frame to its last.
One aspect of
the film that sets it apart from virtually all others in Woody Allen's canon is
its spellbinding B&W cinematography from Gordon Willis. Above all else, Manhattan is a story of that tiny
little isle where all of these lives playfully and occasionally
self-destructively intersect. The usually introspective Allen makes no apology
for creating a character out of this vast cityscape. In fact, he revels in
peeling back the layers to get to the heart of what makes New York...well...New
York. We are first introduced to 'Manhattan'
with a flourish of Gershwin's Rhapsody in
Blue and an eclectic series of shots that take us from the Bronx to the
Battery and everyplace in between.
Yet these
opening images are not presented as a travelogue per say. Rather they are an
exaltation of Manhattan as a place where the nostalgia of our collective
memories collides with the more sumptuous and imaginative daydreams we all
share. Clearly, Woody Allen has imparted his love of the city on Gordon Willis
(or perhaps Willis shared it all along). Either way Manhattan - the movie is a visceral journey to the very heart of
love and life embodied in the flawed human beings attempting to find their own
happiness within its tight borders. Isaac, Mary, Yale and Tracy may be
imperfectly matched, but Manhattan - as seen through Woody Allen's eyes, is as
close to perfect as cities and motion pictures get.
MGM/Fox's
Blu-ray easily bests MGM's old SD DVD from 2002. Here at last is Manhattan as we ought to have seen it
all along; with its sumptuous deep focus image revealing a startling clarity
and multitude of fine details even during its darkest scenes. The gray scale
has been impeccably rendered. Blacks are velvety deep. Whites are pristine.
Film grain is ideally preserved for a very theatrical experience. There is a
razor sharpness to the visuals that reveals more fine detail and background
information than ever before. Love, love, LOVE this 1080p transfer! The audio
is DTS 2.0 and really does justice to the many orchestral offerings scattered
throughout the film. Dialogue sounds crisper than I recall and although
obviously manufactured, will impress like never before. The one disappointment
is in the extras. There are none. Just a theatrical trailer. But I digress. Manhattan on Blu-ray comes highly
recommended!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
5
VIDEO/AUDIO
4
EXTRAS
0
No comments:
Post a Comment