Written and directed by Woody Allen, Zelig (1983) was a technically innovative landmark in cinema, created a generation before it's time. Using blue screen shots, Woody Allen was able to insert himself into vintage film footage alongside historic figures. Old cameras and sound equipment were used, and Allen and his cinematographer, Gordon Willis, added spots, scratches, crinkles and distress marks by hand to give an authentic feel. They accomplished this more than a decade before CGI effects became commonplace, making such effects easier to do. In Zelig, Woody Allen plays a "human chameleon" that involuntarily changes his physical appearance in order to be accepted by those around him in the 1920's. Shot in documentary style, the film is a riveting masterpiece. Mia Farrow is great in her supporting role. Historic figures portrayed include Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Charles Lindbergh, Al Capone, William Randolph Hearst, Charlie Chaplin, Bobby Jones, Josephine Baker, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Carole Lombard, Tom Mix, James Cagney, Pope Pius XI and Adolf Hitler.
Zelig. 1983. Woody Allen
Zelig. 1983. Woody Allen
Zelig. 1983. Woody Allen
Zelig. 1983. Woody Allen
Zelig. 1983. Woody Allen
Zelig. 1983. Calvin Coolidge, Woody Allen and Herbert Hoover
Co-written, directed by and starring Woody Allen, Manhattan (1979) further spanned the bridge between comedy and drama. Woody Allen, himself, described Manhattan as a cross between his previous two films, the comedy Annie Hall (1977) and the drama Interiors (1978). Shot in beautiful black & white cinematography, New York City shines throughout with a delectable George Gershwin soundtrack playing along. The story focuses on a 42-year-old man with two failed marriages behind him, who is dating a 17-year-old girl, but drifts away and finds new love with his best friend's mistress. The cast is great, including Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Wallace Shawn, Michael Murphy and Anne Byrne.
