CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS
US, 1989, 107 minutes, Colour.
Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Anjelica Huston, Mia Farrow, Claire Bloom, Sam Waterston, Caroline Aaron, Alan Alda, Joanna Gleason.
Directed by Woody Allen.
Crimes and Misdemeanours was acclaimed as one of Woody Allen's best films. It has two plots. The comic plot, focusing on Allen himself and Alan Alda and Mia Farrow, is superb: a satirical look at a documentary film-maker in New York, a successful Hollywood TV producer, relationships and frustrations. It is perfectly written with wit and insight. The second plot is more serious: a focus on Martin Landau as a successful ophthalmologist who has betrayed his wife in an affair, is in a dilemma with the clinging mistress and eventually succumbs to having her murdered. He has to face his guilt. The main focus in this story is Landau, Claire Bloom as his wife, Jerry Orbach as his brother. Between the two stories is a saintly Jewish rabbi who is losing his sight. He is a patient of Landau, he is a brother to Alda. He is played by Sam Waterston - almost too, too good to be true.
In this story, the dialogue is often rhetorical, exploring the meaning of responsibility, guilt, God and moral and ethical questions. There is another motif throughout the film - the Allen character is doing a documentary on a Jewish philosopher. On video film, this philosopher explores the meaning of religion, life, love in the Jewish tradition. However, he eventually suicides.
Thus the film is a blend of the comic and the serious. The title is derived from Dostoevsky and, of course, implies questions of crime and punishment. The irony is that the punishment does not come - and much has been written as to whether Allen is offering any solution to questions of God and morals or is merely being detached, even cynical. The film, like Hannah and Her Sisters, goes back to Jewish traditions (more explicitly than in any other Allen film) and to family bonds.
The cast is generally excellent. Landau stands out in the serious section - although Anjelica Houston's mistress is somewhat strident and melodramatic. The acting in the Allen section is particularly good, Alan Alda never better, Mia Farrow most sympathetic as a television producer.
All the Allen ingredients are there - a film to be seen again and discussed.
1. Woody Allen's contribution of writing, directing and acting? The place of this film in his canon of movies? His skills, insights, wit?
2. The New York settings, the sweep of the city? The focus on Jewish groups and individuals, intellectuals, people involved in culture and professions, the media? New York Jewish religion? The landscapes, interiors? Reality and unreality? The musical score and the use of songs? The use of movies to make comment on the action?
3. The structure: Judah's story, Cliff's story, the two different worlds, the parallels in relationships and handling of them, Ben as the bond?
4. The title and the reference to Dostoevsky? Serio-comic? The variations? Allen's skill in comic writing, his skill in serious writing, rhetoric and drama?
5. The world view of the film: the background of the Jewish religion, the image of the Jewish scripture God, his eyes on the world, the response of Jews to the eyes of God and to God's justice? Questions of justice and truth? Judah's father and his preference for God over truth? Ben as the rabbi, his sincerity, the action of grace, the moral foundation for life and behaviour? The professor and his discussions of religion, responsibility, decisions and love? The irony of his suicide? Themes of order and the transcendent? The banality of evil? How cynical Allen's perspective on crime, punishment, guilt? The resolution in ordinary values, conscience, family? The focus on the blind Ben dancing happily with his daughter at her wedding?
6. Judah and the introduction to him: the dinner and the tribute, his loving wife and family, his status, his hard work? His work with eyes, memory about the eyes of God, helping people to see, unable to stop Ben going blind? The letter from Dolores, the flashbacks and his memory of the affair? The reasons for it? Del and her passion? The meetings, his wanting to break, his having led her on, questioning his motives, trying to cope? Her phone calls? His birthday and her passionate call, the family supporting him? His lies, her clinging to him, the gifts? Emotional blackmail? The reason for the appeal to his brother, talking to him, his horrified reaction about the contract and her death? The temptation, his calling his brother, making the decision on the phone? The effect of the news of her death, aghast, going to see her, no sight in her eyes? Taking incriminating documents? His collapse? His talking to Ben in his surgery, ethical questions, the Jewish tradition? Sitting in the night, unable to sleep, and imagining Ben, the argument about killing Dolores? Remembering his family, the flashbacks and his looking at his free-thinking aunt, listening to his father, the discussions? Their reaction to him and his behaviour? With Jack, nervousness about the crime? His outbursts to his wife? Finally talking to Ben, being quiet, the discussion with Cliff? Resignation, memory fading, the banality of evil? Rejoining his family, forgetting, living with his crime, any forgiveness? The portrait of Miriam? Her support and love? Place in society? His children?
7. Dolores and her passion, her needs, the letter, wanting to talk to Miriam, the meetings, her apartment, the desperate phone calls, the service station? Gifts? Her desperation, the murderer arriving, the pathos of seeing her dead? (How much did the audience share Judah's relief that she had died?)
8. Miriam and the family, her perfection, society, support, concern?
9. Jack, the black sheep of the family, his place in the family, rejecting the tradition? His talk with his brother, discussions about the contract, the criminals, doing favours? The phone call after the job? His concern about Judah and his confessing to the police, threatening him? Living by the criminal code?
10. Ben as the link between the two stories? The eyes of God, his deteriorating eyes, his going blind? Yet his vision for life? The good man, the sympathetic listener, kind? The contrast with Lester? His wife and family, love for his daughter? Meeting Cliff and the rest of the family, at socials? His appearing to Judah and his wise advice? The rabbi, the tradition? His blindness, his behaviour at the wedding, the dance with his daughter? A solution for life?
11 Woody Allen as Cliff? Humour, one-liners, the proneness to depression, the variation on the Allen characters from other films? His work, making movies about leukemia, the festivals and prizes? His marrying his wife, the estrangement, the lack of sexual rapport? Discussions about the rest of their family? The irony of her eventually leaving him, with another man? His social life, having to meet Lester? His envy of Lester, rudeness to him and about him? The offer to make the movie? The arguments? Doing the job? His attraction towards Hally? Genial, together, sharing, ridiculing Lester, his love for her, changing, jealousy, behaviour in the restaurant, the phone call at midnight, his disappointment in her? Watching Singing in the Rain and sharing so much? Her looking at his documentary, interest in the subject, the possibility of showing it on television? Her leaving, going to London, the letters, her return, his dismay about her marriage to Lester? His taking his niece to the movies? His love for movies, especially during the day? The importance of philosophy, the documentary, the sharing of ideas, the admiration for the professor? The shock at his suicide? His showing Lester the movie, his skill in making a mockery of Lester, his laughing at it, being fired? Separation from his wife? Going to the wedding, his feeling out of the mood, sitting alone, meeting Judah, the strong talk about crime and punishment, guilt and conscience? His dismay - his future?
12. Hally, attractive, skilful at her work, on the documentary? Divorced, getting over it, her relationship to Lester? Friendship with Cliff, interest in the documentary, outings with him, sharing, Singing in the Rain? Discussing her opportunity in London? Her ambitions? The arrival at the wedding, with Lester, marrying him, her defence of Lester as a nice person?
13. The range of movies that Cliff and his niece watched and their comments on the action, even of the Judah story - Last Gangster, This Gun for Hire, Betty Hutton singing `Murder He Says', and watching Singing in the Rain?
14. The character of Lester and Alan Alda's skill? Success, his place in the family, the Hollywood TV persona, his way of talking, his programs, meeting guests, doing deals? The cast and the glamorous actresses (including Daryl Hannah)? His philosophy of life, courses at colleges on his TV programs? His ideas and talking them onto tape recorder - and the implied insults? His discussions about comedy, tragedy and the time factor, whether comedy bent or not? His rudeness, his performance for the camera, talking about his philosophies, rehearsing and reshooting? The restaurant scene with Cliff and his wife, with Hally? The contrast with Ben? The documentary and his being ridiculed? Arriving back for the wedding, with Hally? Seeming more genial?
15. Cliff's sister and her problems, her divorce, her picking up the men, the gross sexual behaviour, her talking about it, Cliff's shock? The flashback for this encounter? Her settling down, presence at the wedding? The niece, her friendship and understanding, going to the movies?
16. The film's focus on Jewish traditions, Allen's sympathy for them, religion, world view? New York Jews?
17. Comedy, serious? Crimes and judgment, punishment, misdemeanours and their effect? New York appeal? American appeal? Universal appeal?
