The many petals of Danny Rose

Yesterday, CineVerse screened Woody Allen's "Broadway Danny Rose," which provoked an interesting discussion. Here are some of the highlights of that gab-fest:

HOW IS THIS FILM A DEPARTURE FROM ALLEN’S PREVIOUS FILMS, ESPECIALLY IN HIS 1970S PERIOD?

·       This one is sentimental, like Manhattan, but in a different way. How is it sentimental?

o   First, it’s shot in black and white to give it a timeless look and evoke a bygone era

o   Second, it employs a framing device whereby secondary characters tell the story of the main character in flashback mode

o   Third, it seems wistful of a dying era, that of the vaudeville act and late night club circuit talent who could eke out a living on the Catskills circuit and occasional variety and talk show appearances

·       Allen plays a nervous, fast-talking character as he had in other films, but he isn’t so self-absorbed and nebbish; he’s more of a lovable loser here who is sweet and morally right

o   as movie critic Glenn Erickson said in his review of the film: “Broadway Danny Rose is special because, perhaps for the first time, Allen allows genuine affection for his characters to drive the action. Danny…is a caring professional interested in something more than himself. His concern for his woeful clientele is genuine. This makes him infinitely more likeable than most of Allen’s other roles.

·       This film doesn’t attempt to delve into deep philosophical, existential, psychological and sexual themes like his previous movies did, and Allen isn’t preoccupied with introspection, pessimism and self-doubt

·       Broadway Danny Rose is more of a straightforward comedy romance that is actually a stronger study of three characters than it is a laugh-out-loud comedy

·       Like other crazy one-day adventure comedies, including Dazed and Confused and American Graffitti, most of the story concerns a single day that starts out ordinary and eventually spins into mayhem

·       The movie is a romance at heart, although it doesn’t use any romantic conventions: there is no steamy lovemaking scene, no onscreen fireworks or even sparks between the romantic leads, and little to suggest that these opposites will end up together

IF THE FILM HAS A MORAL MESSAGE, WHAT IS IT?

·       It concerns the conflict between Danny’s values and Tina’s values

o   Tina believes in carpe diem, selfish motives, everyone out for themselves, opportunism, and exploitation

o   Danny, by contrast, is loyal and espouses acceptance, forgiveness and love

·       Arguably, this movie is about the power of guilt as a positive moral force and a person’s responsibility to those who rely on him or her

·       There’s also an optimistic theme inherent in the picture: Danny remains optimistic and hopeful throughout, despite all the misfortunes that happen to him

·       In this film’s cosmology, people without morals succeed (like Lou) and nice guys finish last (like Danny; or do they? Danny gets the girl in the end, doesn’t he?)

DOES THIS FILM MAKE YOU THINK OF ANY OTHER FILMMAKERS, AUTHORS OR ARTISTS?

·       It has Fellini-esque images of clownish, unattractive characters

·       It recalls the style of Damon Runyon, who would write about Broadway-bound characters who were often loveable losers trying to make a buck, escape the mob, make amends with friends after double crossing them, gorgeous showgirls and other types.

·       It’s sweetly sentimental and romantically touching in the way many Chaplin movies are