I revisited Hannah and Her Sisters today for the first time in a few years and loved it even more than ever. Woody Allen is capable of bringing so many emotions out of me, and I think this is him undoubtedly at the peak of his craft. The fullness that he brings to these characters is so extraordinary, in less than two hours he brings more complexity to a wide array than even most television shows are capable of doing in entire seasons. Each person feels like they are a living, fully realized person and there's so many of them, each with their own full interactions and relationships. It's powerful stuff.
I think at his best Allen's ability to create genuine characters is almost unparalleled, and this is the best example of him doing just that. Of course that doesn't come alone and he's aided by one of my favorite ensemble casts ever. Every single one of them takes his words from the page and brings those characters to life in such powerful ways, transcending character and becoming entire human beings. I honestly can't think of a film that so effortlessly, fluidly brings together comedy and drama, the way that naturally occurs in life. Perhaps that's the best word for the film and it's ensemble cast; natural. Whether it's Barbara Hershey bringing me to tears, Max Von Sydow putting me in stitches of laughter or Michael Caine doing both at the same time, each member of the cast excels in every single scene. It brings me to such highs and lows, from the joy of Caine and Hershey in the bookstore to the devastation of the breakup scene.
The use of voice-over is marvelous, bringing us further into these character's heads, again aided by the appropriately expressive cast. It's always intuitive without ever being overly reliant. Throw in some heavy themes revolving around life, death, love, religion and everything that comes along with them, which Allen weaves in seamlessly without allowing them to overshadow the characters, and Hannah and Her Sisters is one of America's finest filmmakers at his absolute pinnacle.
I think at his best Allen's ability to create genuine characters is almost unparalleled, and this is the best example of him doing just that. Of course that doesn't come alone and he's aided by one of my favorite ensemble casts ever. Every single one of them takes his words from the page and brings those characters to life in such powerful ways, transcending character and becoming entire human beings. I honestly can't think of a film that so effortlessly, fluidly brings together comedy and drama, the way that naturally occurs in life. Perhaps that's the best word for the film and it's ensemble cast; natural. Whether it's Barbara Hershey bringing me to tears, Max Von Sydow putting me in stitches of laughter or Michael Caine doing both at the same time, each member of the cast excels in every single scene. It brings me to such highs and lows, from the joy of Caine and Hershey in the bookstore to the devastation of the breakup scene.
The use of voice-over is marvelous, bringing us further into these character's heads, again aided by the appropriately expressive cast. It's always intuitive without ever being overly reliant. Throw in some heavy themes revolving around life, death, love, religion and everything that comes along with them, which Allen weaves in seamlessly without allowing them to overshadow the characters, and Hannah and Her Sisters is one of America's finest filmmakers at his absolute pinnacle.