The Films of Woody Allen: Critical Essays Annotated Edition

General essays explore Allens Jewish background as a religious and cultural facet, his apparent love affair with New York City, and his relation to various strains of humor—particularly American film humor, but also Allens broad use of such traditional comic tropes as irony and parody. The essays on individual films include examinations of some of Allens most significant work including Love and Death, Annie Hall, Interiors, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Hannah and Her Sisters, Manhattan, and Shadows and Fog.

A number of the articles collected here were originally published in now hard to locate places, while others were selected from journals not usually associated with film studies. The result is an anthology of essays that presents an overview of the central issues raised by Allens body of work as well as a close examination of fourteen individual films that convey these larger themes. A wide-ranging exploration of one of Americas most innovative and productive modern directors, this book should appeal to both professionals and students of contemporary film comedy.