For too long, the films of Woody Allen have been interpreted as expressions of deconstructionism, nihilism, and postmodern angst. In this pathbreaking new book, distinguished writer Mary P. Nichols challenges these assumptions by arguing that Allen's entire body of work, from Play It Again, Sam to Mighty Aphrodite, is actually an attempt to explore and reconcile the tension between art and life. As witty and complex as its subject, Reconstructing Woody shows why Allen, despite his recent personal turmoil, is immensely concerned with human ethics, goodness, and virtue. Ardent fans and strident detractors will view Woody Allen's films from an entirely new perspective.
Reconstructing Woody
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Editorial Reviews
Review
It's about time we had the kind of in-depth study Nichols has written, with such rewarding insights. (Vincent Canby )
Reconstructing Woody is an important contribution to the field of film criticism because few critics delve into the philosophical underpinnings of Woody Allen's scripts—and Nichols does this masterfully, with great perception, care, and depth. (Ronald Schwartz )
Reconstructing Woody is an important contribution to the field of film criticism because few critics delve into the philosophical underpinnings of Woody Allen's scripts—and Nichols does this masterfully, with great perception, care, and depth. (Ronald Schwartz )
All film collections should include this title. (P. H. Stacy Choice )
What began as a diversion provoked a larger revelation. In both works Nichols discovered a writer mocking the pretensions of philosophers whose words prove to be empty as, well, clouds. Is this similarity enough to make Manhattan's Allen a modern-day Aristophanes? Her focus is always on Allen the filmmaker and never on Allen the home-wrecker. More importantly, it is her conviction that Allen's real on-screen preoccupation is not his sex-life, but the interrelationships between art and life. (Chalberg, John C. Crisis, March 1999 )
Miss Nichols' approach to the topic of Woody Allen is peculiar, as she is a professor of political science, not film studies. What she brings to Mr. Allen's films is a way of thinking and analyzing that is unavailable to the run-of-the-mill film studies professor or critic. (Pia Nordlinger Washington Times )
Is full of valuable insights, especially in the way it examines the philosophical nature of a number of Woody Allen's films. Offers the reader a strong foundation on which to build an understanding of Allen and his work. (Rocky Mountain Review )
Reconstructing Woody is an important contribution to the field of film criticism because few critics delve into the philosophical underpinnings of Woody Allen's scripts—and Nichols does this masterfully, with great perception, care, and depth. (Ronald Schwartz )
Reconstructing Woody is an important contribution to the field of film criticism because few critics delve into the philosophical underpinnings of Woody Allen's scripts—and Nichols does this masterfully, with great perception, care, and depth. (Ronald Schwartz )
All film collections should include this title. (P. H. Stacy Choice )
What began as a diversion provoked a larger revelation. In both works Nichols discovered a writer mocking the pretensions of philosophers whose words prove to be empty as, well, clouds. Is this similarity enough to make Manhattan's Allen a modern-day Aristophanes? Her focus is always on Allen the filmmaker and never on Allen the home-wrecker. More importantly, it is her conviction that Allen's real on-screen preoccupation is not his sex-life, but the interrelationships between art and life. (Chalberg, John C. Crisis, March 1999 )
Miss Nichols' approach to the topic of Woody Allen is peculiar, as she is a professor of political science, not film studies. What she brings to Mr. Allen's films is a way of thinking and analyzing that is unavailable to the run-of-the-mill film studies professor or critic. (Pia Nordlinger Washington Times )
Is full of valuable insights, especially in the way it examines the philosophical nature of a number of Woody Allen's films. Offers the reader a strong foundation on which to build an understanding of Allen and his work. (Rocky Mountain Review )
About the Author
Mary P. Nichols is professor of political science at Fordham University and an avid fan of Woody Allen. She lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
Mary P. Nichols is professor of political science at Fordham University and an avid fan of Woody Allen. She lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
Mary P. Nichols is professor of political science at Fordham University and an avid fan of Woody Allen. She lives in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good review of the artistry of Woody Allen,
By
This review is from: Reconstructing Woody: Art, Love, and Life in the Films of Woody Allen (Hardcover)
As a big Woody Allen fan I really enjoyed reading Mary P. Nicols "Reconstructing Woody". Nicols is a professor of political science at Fordham University, and this book is basically her in-depth study or "thesis" on the cinematic art of Woody Allen. She digs deeply into 12 of Allen's films, namely "Play It Again Sam", "Annie Hall", "Interiors", "Stardust Memories", "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", "Zelig", "The Purple Rose of Cairo", "Another Woman", "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Manhattan Murder Mystery", "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Mighty Aphrodite". She looks at the artisty and craftsmanship of Allen's works and gives her own interperetations as to their deeper meanings, uses of symbolism, and Woody's obvious homages to classic art and literature. She also points out what I've told people all along...that whether he is using comedy or drama as his vehicle, Woody Allen is master storyteller who creates characters of great depth! The chapters on "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Stardust Memories" are especially intriguing and enlightening, so much so that Nicols has actually deepened my appreciation of those films. (Not that they wern't favorites already!) I would have liked to have seen what she had to say regarding "Manhattan" or "Broadway Danny Rose", but for some inexplicable reason they were not included. Now that four more Woody Allen fims have been released since the publication of this book, it would be nice to see Nicols do a follow-up which could cover "Deconstructing Harry", "Celebrity", "Sweet and Lowdown", "Small Time Crooks" and some of the older titles that were overlooked here. If Amazon ever offers such a book, I'll be the first here to buy it!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A profound and provocative meditation on life and art.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Reconstructing Woody: Art, Love, and Life in the Films of Woody Allen (Hardcover)
Professor Mary Nichols's "Reconstructing Woody" is a profound and provocative meditation on life and art that gazes at these issues through the lens of Woody Allen's films. Nichols's treatment is unique for its insight and readability. Moreover, she succeeds in establishing three truths in her book: 1. That film is as complex, philosophic and insightful a medium for reflecting upon life as any other literary genre, combining especially the novel's ability to recreate a detailed world and drama's ability to have visual impact. 2. That the literary/dramatic reflection of life in art is not simply "reflective" or "passive," but instead represents the artist's ability to see the world through "a" world. If that artist is thoughtful and talented enough, then we do ourselves a service by trying to enter into his or her lens to view our own world. Nichols persuasively demonstrates that Allen is an artist of that rank. 3. That (and this is a very old issue in the Western world) the "sophisticated criticism" of certain intellectuals may, in fact, be less profound than the art it tries to explain. Allen himself has clearly and funnily portrayed this in his films, and Nichols, by presuming that Allen has something to teach her and us, has produced an intellectual commentary that does not distort or render shallow his dramatic corpus. In short, in confronting Allen's art through Nichols's book, the reader will emerge with a greater ability to appreciate a worthy artist's work and the world that that work represents.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thesis,
This review is from: Reconstructing Woody: Art, Love, and Life in the Films of Woody Allen (Hardcover)
Nichols has basically written the equivalent of a term paper on the films and life of Woody Allen. That is not to say that the book is dull or only a collection of non-emotive facts about Allen. It delves deep to examine the many facets of his life and the films that he has created. For anyone who really appreciates Woody Allen's films, this would be the book for you.
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