Two Actresses & World's Leading Woody Allen Expert Analyze "Hannah and Her Sisters" | ArtiFact #71

Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" remains an undisputed classic in the director's filmography, yet just like "Manhattan", "Interiors," and "Annie Hall," it is often misunderstood. The film's ending, for example, is not what it appears to be, while Woody Allen's fixation on death masks an even darker fixation on the meaninglessness of his own life.

In ArtiFact 71, the world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet, is joined by actresses Christina Behnke and Jacklyn Collier to discuss the film's daring use of music, psychoanalyze the dynamics between characters, and touch on separating the artist from the art. You can also watch this discussion on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JrO8BrjR9s

Read Alex Sheremet's essay on "Hannah and Her Sisters": https://www.automachination.com/greatness-woody-allen-hannah-sisters/

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Follow Jacklyn Collier on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacklyncollier/

Follow Christina Behnke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_behnke/

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Timestamps:

0:00 -- Woody Allen's fixation on death

0:54 -- introduction; Alex Sheremet's book on Woody Allen's filmography; when Woody Allen was cool; culture vs. posture; perception vs. reality in "Hannah and Her Sisters"; Woody Allen as didactic art; how Alex got over his initial "dislike" of the film

8:29 -- the three sisters dynamic in Woody's films; Christina: this was my first experience of female dramatic complexity on film; 3 siblings means ever-shifting partnerships; illusions in "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Manhattan"; how Woody Allen makes you root for bad behavior and characters

15:15 -- is Hannah actually a benign character; Hannah as the resented caretaker; Jacklyn: the scene that wrecked me!; marital dysfunction in Hannah's relationships; poor relationship dynamics are always co-created; psychoanalyzing the parallels between Elliot & Hannah / Frederick & Lee

27:40 -- Woody Allen's use of humor in "Hannah and Her Sisters"; everyone catastrophizes except Hannah; how the nerdy, short, confident guy can be extremely charismatic; Woody Allen LIES about his own artistic achievements; Woody Allen's death-fixation is constantly made fun of, for good reason

34:25 -- Woody Allen's awareness of human nature; Dianne Wiest's cab scene with the architect (Sam Waterston); competition between women over men; the film's great use of music across 3 scenes; the film's faux happy endings; Dianne Wiest vs. Woody Allen chemistry; how characters talk about each other out of earshot

45:35 -- Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" plays with the Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman marriage, just like "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Husbands and Wives" tackles Mia Farrow/Woody Allen's real lives; dysfunction in the Mia Farrow household; does Woody Allen critique Mia Farrow in "Alice"

54:00 -- why are women so tolerant of Woody Allen's art; will Woody Allen be remembered for his misdeeds or his art; film is too cumulative to erase everyone's contributions; separating the art from the artist; Alex: Woody Allen films improved my sense of self and moral compass

1:04:03 -- more humor in "Hannah and Her Sisters"; Woody is so Jewish that he doesn't understand Christian iconography; Woody Allen's Nazi jokes; Jacklyn: exploring art is exploring the self; the girls debate whether we've ever lightly & innocuously stalked anyone

1:12:55 -- how realistic are the film's rivalries; Alex: my grandma's frenemy

1:16:46 -- is there artistic value in bad decisions; how "Annie Hall" gets perceived by young immature men; Elliot's happy ending is only self-serving; support REAL podcasting!!!

Tags: #HannahAndHerSisters #WoodyAllen #FilmAnalysis