Ricardo Alvarez
English 313
Professor Wexler
October 14, 2008
Response Paper
There are complex films with dense plots, but all can eventually be placed within a certain genre. Each film seems to follow a formula close to historical make-up of these films. In order to examine the structure of a film genre, one must know the history of film and how it incorporates the social climates of the current times. In McDonald’s Romantic Comedy, he states both of these factors as contributors to the direction of the genre. In examining the film, Annie Hall, there were several factors that could have placed this movie into an awkward grey zone. Woody Allen has a style that can umbrella over several genres, but Annie Hall elucidates a need for love and relationship with aspects of the Sex Comedy, gender role reversal, and social commentary.
McDonald states there are several elements needed to call a film a sex comedy, such as people suffer under their intoxication— passion or emotion— behave like idiots. In Annie Hall, Woody Allen’s character, Alvy, is intoxicated with Annie. He is falls in love with her extreme contrast in personality and loses his cynical guard that he employs in his everyday life. Due to Allen’s intoxication, his character goes through some typical high jinks trying to express his love for Annie. This film was made in between the high points of the genre. Its 1977 release date places it in the middle of the birth and resurgence of the genre. The film does not fit all of McDonald’s criteria for a film to be considered a Sex Comedy, but this is mainly due to the strong gender role reversal.
In Annie Hall, the view is greeted with Woody Allen speaking directly to the camera giving a social commentary. His character is neurotic and very cynical, but is always thinking of female counter-parts. In contrast the film has Annie, she appears to be a free spirited woman who is enjoying all aspects of life and does not have as many personal conflicts as Alvy does. As the film plays out, the couple has trouble in their sex life. Annie coupes with her sexual frustration with drugs as Alvy plead for her to refrain from drug use and see a therapist like he does. Men are usually the one expected to be carefree and do haphazard things in order to make life easier. The character of Annie is secure with herself as a person and feels she is enjoying life as thoroughly as possible, somewhat taking the typical male role in a relationship. Alvy on the other hand is nervous and concerned the relationship will end due to their differences and seeks help from a therapist. Simone de Beauvoir writes, “thus humanity is male and man defines women not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being.” With in this film, Alvy’s character would not fit in as a “typical” male due to his passiveness of the females in his life. He had two ex-wives and Annie also seems to grow tired of Alvy and no longer needs him in her life; she is independent of any need for him in her life. All of these women are not defined by Alvy as a man, but contrast his passive unusual male characteristics.
In all media, viewers see influences of the social climate interweaved into the usual criteria for its genre. In Annie Hall, there is a lot of commentary of life being cruel and art allowing life to play out more happily. Alvy’s character is distressed throughout the entire film due to his uncertainty with himself in a changing world, and contrast between the world he is accustoming to and the evolving world. His struggles led him to the point of loneliness and he begins to see the contrast of locations more drastically. Annie leaves to live in Los Angeles and Alvy goes after her to win her back. He finds the environment fitting to Annie’s personality, but he thinks that New York is a better place for them. There is also a heavy influence of drugs in the film. At the time of the film, drugs are past its taboo and are integrated into the movie to express the contrast of people who use or don’t. Annie uses drugs to enhance her sensation of freedom, but Alvy refrains due to his concern of his self-image as “unhip” or too old. The time frame of this film is right at the beginning of the free living cocaine 80’s that are depicted in the Los Angeles scenes.
Annie Hall is a classic film that incorporates several factors of the Sex Comedy, gender role reversal, and social commentary. Woody Allen is well know for his cynical outlook on life and humanity, and utilizes this in his films mood and direction. Viewers are invite to view life through the lenses of a cynic, but also find his belief that art can allow life to play out as one may hope. Allen uses humor to guise pain and confusion, but this scenario may be as organic a human condition as possible.
Work Cited
Allen, Woody. Annie Hall. MGM.1977.
De Beauvoir, Simone. The Second Sex. Vintage Books. 1949.
McDonald, Tamar Jeffers. The Romantic Comedy: Boy Meets Girl Meets Genre. Wallflower Press.2007
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