Two Sundays ago (September 9), the film salon reopened, screening Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," which I hosted. "Annie Hall" is Woody Allen's most commercially successful film and is a comedic take on love. Although it is about love, it isn't one of those light and romantic love stories. In this movie, Woody Allen tells a more realistic love story, even though the director uses many surrealistic techniques. True love cannot last forever; it's not always sweet and passionate but instead filled with joy, doubt, excitement, resentment, and pain. Woody Allen expresses his attitude through an experienced old woman in the film: "Love fades," meaning that love will lose its luster over time.
The male protagonist, Alvy Singer (played by Woody Allen), and Annie Hall go through the process of meeting, falling in love, living together, suspecting each other, breaking up, reconciling, and then breaking up again — precisely the process of love fading. During this process, Annie Hall transitions from being a young girl unsure of her life direction to finding opportunities for career development, while Singer remains stuck in his ways, unwilling to embrace change or a new lifestyle.
While the portrayal of the true state of love, experimental filming techniques, and Woody Allen's humor are all important reasons for the film's great success, including winning five Oscars (not just five nominations?), for me, what makes this film most appealing is the successful creation of Annie Hall as a lovable comedic character. Diane Keaton won the Oscar for Best Actress because of this role (incidentally, Annie Hall is also her real name). It's unbelievable that someone in the film salon didn't like her.
Let's explore how the character of Annie Hall touches us. From their first encounter on the tennis court, where Annie clearly has feelings for Alvy Singer but appears somewhat awkward due to lack of experience, insecurity, and nervousness, she is still endearing. Later, when Annie drives Alvy home, her poor driving skills yet fearless attitude reinforce the comedic traits of her character. When Annie invites Alvy to her home as a guest, both are clearly very nervous, unsure of what to say, which can be seen clearly from the subtitles — another example of Woody Allen's humor.
During a date by the riverside, Annie Hall utters her most classic catchphrase: "Ladida, ladida." This catchphrase makes the character of Annie Hall even more endearing and relatable. The kitchen scene where Annie and Alvy engage in a "lobster battle" is one of the most lively and down-to-earth moments in the film, further solidifying the comedic personas of both characters. After their first breakup, when Annie asks Alvy to come over and help her deal with a spider, it makes Alvy's intellectual image more comical and portrays Annie as more vulnerable and pitiable.
In the final scene, years after their breakup, Alvy and Annie meet again in New York and chat warmly like old friends, sharing everything without restraint. This scene moved me deeply, leaving me with countless thoughts but no one to share them with. Love may not last forever, but friendship might be something worth cherishing even more. As classmate Sisi said, life isn't just about love; there are many more important things.