Siskel & Ebert Review Manhattan (1979) Woody Allen

[@artlover1477]

Let's face it, either you are a Woody Allen fan or you are not. There is no middle ground here.

[@freddyfurrah3789]

Not.

[@teodelfuego]

I think I’m in the middle ground.

[@ricblessing3400]

People’s responses to various periods of Woody Allen films are always interesting, especially as audiences loose historical perspective, but I honestly don’t know how anyone could reject Manhattan’s ending.

[@sallybrown4947]

Always a Fan.

[@tutonelylesnaranjo6311]

In this film my heart goes crazy with a love of New York City as only can Woody can visualize it and with that Gershwin sound track that puts me on edge and fumbling for words to express my true endearment to his style, always unexpected, poignant, taking me somewhere I’ve never been in a new comprehension of what is transpiring. I will always be indebted to Woody for his highly creative stories painted through his lens alone.❤️

[@BishopWalters12]

I wouldn't say this is my favorite Woody movie, but it's very well made, and I think it's his best movie from the 70s.

[@sallybrown4947]

Let's see did you see JAWS, Star Wars, American Graffiti, The Godfather, Close encounters of the 3rd kind, the Good-bye girl, Annie Hall, etc, etc etc, Guess not.

[@BishopWalters12]

@@sallybrown4947 I guess you didn't understand that I said Manhattan is my favorite Woody Allen movie released in the 70s. I never said it was the best movie of the decade.

[@natejordan9723]

This is a genuine example of what it means to live as a true New Yorker

[@patrickshields5251]

Here's a fun fact about the film's home video release. This is actually one of the first films released on video in the letterbox format, which preserves the original widescreen image by placing bars on the top and bottom. Siskel and Ebert's review is the only time the film was panned and scanned for TV.

[@JasonBagherian]

Awesome that Woody Allen had the power to do that. It's his best film I think.

[@patrickshields5251]

Jason Bagherian In 1988, they did an episode on what's right and wrong with home video. One of their complaints is the panning and scanning of wide screen movies on VHS tapes. So they defended wide screen movies on Laserdisc from The Criterion Collection like Blade Runner, The Graduate, and The Hidden Fortress, which inspired the Star Wars franchise.

[@TheLiveMusicGroup]

only time? can't be

[@gheller2261]

It's not talked about often, but the scenes with Meryl Streep are a portrait of a cold hearted, selfish, vindictive woman and she played it brilliantly. You can just see that this is a person with whom nobody should become intimately involved because the moment she becomes unhappy, regardless of the reason, she will make you pay.

[@BishopWalters12]

Meryl is a c@@@ in real life and this character fit her well.

[@bookiester]

"The film is shot very effectively in black and white" is a bit of an understatement.

[@thrillington2008]

It's well filmed and people need to learn how to separate the art from the artists more.

[@artlover1477]

You could not have said that better.

[@cooltalktalks4944]

Art can be subversive and when too many pieces of art normalize immoral or objectionable behavior, it can be called out.

[@Lunchladydoyle]

And grown ups should understand it’s up to us to make sure kids and teenagers are allowed to maintain their innocence as long as possible. when all things are acceptable inexcusable things happen. Angelica Huston admitted she knew Polanski was up to no good with a 13 year old girl but she didn’t intervene because the same thing happened to her in Hollywood and she figured it was the norm. That’s why we segregate artists who abuse the vulnerable. especially those artists whose art is obviously sympathetic towards deviant behavior.

[@michaelperkowski641]

A very entertaining movie. I like Woody Allen style directing of New York City. He truly loves this city. One of the better films by Allen.

[@jarthur5094]

This is a great movie. Woody Allen is a tremendous talent. Mia farrow is a kook. But one wishes he was dating someone at least 21. It is uncomfortable.

[@AlanSenzaki]

rest in peace siskel and ebert. but i realize we do'nt need "critics". we can make sense of it ourselves in relation to our own lives!

[@Jeph629]

For decades, Allen aficionados had 'Annie Hall' as his best---but I knew when I saw this when first released it exceeded Annie's greatness. Only 'Midnight in Paris' compares. Two superior creations! Too bad this S & E review was so edited!

[@mikedbigame3398]

I agree. Both Manhattan and Midnight in Paris are better than Annie Hall ... But Crimes and Misdemeanors is much better than all of them.

[@bcmteacher]

Great film!

[@N_Loco_Parenthesis]

Boss, you've done a beautiful thing.

[@jamesafenton]

Wow. "An uncomplicated, but lovely relationship with a 17-year-old girl" Siskel says with a straight face

[@nyeahgarner2420]

There was a period in time, before I was born, where it was acceptable for a man between thirty and fifty to date teenagers in America. This has also been repeated throughout all of history. Moral and ethical balance has always been shifty.

[@k.t.5405]

You voted for Donnie J Dump! WTF you talkin about! 🤫🤫

[@65g4]

great movie

[@mollkatless]

So, no one takes issue with the fact that he portrays a man in his 40's having a romantic relation with a teenager, a minor? Not to even mention how art copies reality? no one?

[@Paulco67]

It’s so obvious it doesn’t need to be pointed out. Odd thing is he is still with Soon Yi

[@johndalton3180]

Nope. Don't care. I'm not a pinched faced scold. Sorreeey!

[@k.t.5405]

you voted for Donnie Dump! WTF you talkin about! 🤫🤫

[@mollkatless]

@@johndalton3180 "pinched face scold? You have to be at least in your mid sixties, right? Which would you say is a worse thing to be a pinched face scold, or a pedophile?

[@Lunchladydoyle]

@@k.t.5405Nice attempt to change the subject. Go ahead defend Woody Allen seducing the 15 year orphan daughter of his wife. I dare you.

[@beckydoesit9331]

Do they not even mention that Woody is dating a 17 year old? Was this acceptable in the 80's?

[@JasonBagherian]

I can only guess that an age gap was not as big of an issues in the past as it is today. Manhattan has always been regarded as a classic and the film making is first class. I believe Woody's character is going through some sort of midlife crisis.

[@tellemstevedave5559]

I think at the time people just assumed it was a story. Now we know it's just his life.

[@beckydoesit9331]

@@danielklos1 That's not really the argument. My question is that was it acceptable in the 70's for an adult man to date a high school student?

[@kev0802]

@@beckydoesit9331 It wasn't as shocking as it is today. However the world was also populated by adults who understood that a film is a piece of fiction.

[@beckydoesit9331]

@@kev0802 Murder is illegal. You saw in Godfather II the senate hearing where one of the hitmen answers questions about Michael ordering hits. "Yeah, there was a lot of buttons". But what disturbs me is no one is appalled that Woody is dating a high school student. Not just in the movie that he wrote, but that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert don't even mention it. I mean, Roman Polanski left the country because he did something like this. It just seems to me that Woody Allen is trying to normalize dating someone underage and everyone goes along, including you. Just weird.

[@michaeltischuk7972]

This was a great movie, it's a little like praising Roman Polanski though, so, yeah, feel guilty about watching it.

[@AdAstra78]

Except it's not, because Polanski was guilty of a heinous crime and Woody wasn't.

[@michaeltischuk7972]

@@AdAstra78 'to me a heinous crime is not decided by the court system, remember our court system thought slavery was a good thing, abortion of no prosecutorial consequence, OJ was innocent, the many peaceful protests in large and small American Cities, the 'insurrection of Jan 6 where many are still in jail witht he swift justice of our court/political system, and let's not forget the orange marvel of politics today and what the court system is trying to do to him... What Woody did to the minor living with him, well, that was a crime, to me and many others by the way.

[@AdAstra78]

@@michaeltischuk7972 You mean what Woody 'allegedly' did...? Whilst I take your point about regular injustices, that's also not really fair. So, because there have been some bad calls, therefore Woody must be guilty..(?) Furthermore, I'm not just reliant on the outcomes of the legal investigations, but having personally scrutinised the ordeal and put in hours and hours of impartial research, I also believe he is innocent. I honestly don't understand how any rational mind could think otherwise. Woody was a victim of a woman scorned. A woman who promised Woody that she was going to ruin him and take away his daughter. Which...is exactly what transpired. Woody and Soon Yi is a slightly different matter. Perfectly legal and they've been happily married for twenty five years, but that was still icky and morally questionable. However, to apply a 'where there's smoke there's fire' logic to it all is extremely short sighted.

[@michaeltischuk7972]

@@AdAstra78 Thanks for this, while I admire Woody's talent as a film maker the 'icky and morally questionable' thing is exactly what disappoints me, which is also the problem in the Movie itself, which makes it a 'guilty pleasure to watch' . Personally, Woody reminds me of a much milder version of Raskolnikov, in the movie his character, the crazy writer greatly suffers from his choices, this is the redeeming quality of the movie. I don't know the real Woody and if I had a choice, I wish I never knew about his 'icky-ness'.

[@AdAstra78]

@@michaeltischuk7972 I agree, the situation with Soon- Yi certainly doesn't work in his favour when it comes to the allegations about little Dylan. Although, to play devil's advocate, that's probably another reason why Mia Farrow pushed ahead with the made-up story, because she knew the public already thought he was a creep. The only 'justification' for me to remain a fan and keep watching his work is because him and Soon Yi went on to marry. If it was some kind of fling then it would have just been gross. However, for better or for worse, they're very much in love, so as unconventional and weird as it may be, at least it's 'real' and has genuine substance. In summary, I think Woody is aloof, self-centred and a little weird. However, with every fibre of my being, I do not believe he's a molester. I am 99% certain of that. Anyway, good conversing with you. You've made some very good points and I do very much understand your conflicts.

[@MrJacMac1968]

Two nerdy film critics

[@markblunck2692]

Two of the most knowledgeable and respected film critics in cinema history. Ebert earned a Pulitzer Prize for his film criticism in 1975. Yes, really nerdy. You are a schmuck.

[@artlover1477]

Siskel and Ebert would be apalled by all the crap posing as movies these days. And for the record, I am a movie nerd too.

[@MrDomputt]

not bad for inventing the movie critic.

[@fatty_filmnarthoe6972]

I like the style of the film a lot, and the love for new your city that it's capable of transmitting. Despite that I can't really enjoy it cause I hate Woody Allen's character and the fact that he dates a minor.