Violence in Allen films


I have seen a bunch but have yet to see a violent act shown on screen. In this one and Match Point and others its all offscreen, while the shooter is shown. Is this a Bergman or Fellini trick I dont know about or just Allen's style?

Goo Goo G'Joob!

reply

[deleted]

Even though it's done off screen, the murder in Crimes & Misdemeanors is chilling.

reply

I think that in Bananas the dictator is shot on screen to commentary by Howard Cosell.

reply

I have seen a bunch but have yet to see a violent act shown on screen. In this one and Match Point and others its all offscreen, while the shooter is shown. Is this a Bergman or Fellini trick I dont know about or just Allen's style?


Anthony Hopkins' character receives a vicious, mostly off-screen beating in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger but we do see the results of it.

I don't know if it's because I am unaccustomed to seeing violence in an Allen film because it is often handled so well, but I was similarly taken aback by Cheech's shooting of Olive in Bullets Over Broadway.

reply

Just watched this, probably haven't seen it since it was first released 20 years ago. I liked how Allen handled the shootings - no teasing, no drawn out death scenes (except Cheech's at the end, and that was funny). They were frank and straight forward.

Loved the black comedy in the first mob shooting - "What are you waiting for? Kill 'em!". Then the shooters talk about their plans for the evening.

"Push the button, Max!"

reply

This is something I noticed in his last film 'Cafe Society' where two people get shot in the head, a significant departure from Allen's violence shown on screen on his classic films.

reply