Shadows and Fog

source: Shadows and Fog

Murder mistery, german expressionism, kafkaesque characters, comedy, philosophical questions about existance, love and death. Shadows and Fogs has all this things and even more. A must see for all those who loves great cinema. Chapeau, Woody!

This wasn't such a bad movie, if you enjoy good scenery in black and white film. It's also hilarious watching Kleinman (Woody's character) wander around and get harangued by practically every character in the film (except for the university student and Irmy). However, the plot was sort of listless. Aside from the killer stalking the streets and scaring everyone senseless, the movie basically consisted of people wandering around and falling into conversation. It probably would've worked if the circumstances were different. (**)

Shadows and Fog is a movie that I really want to like. Its in black and white, the cast is fantastic, and the initial conceit of bumbling Woody Allen being tasked with tracking down a murderer and not being told what he's supposed to do make it seem quite compelling. I also get that this is a homage to German Expressionism. The problem is that the whole thing just gets bogged down under too many characters, shallow explorations of love, infidelity, murder, 19th century antisemitism, and lots of other ideas that sort of get brought up and then forgotten. If you like Woody Allen, then you may just enjoy this movie as an exercise in how Woody Allen's mind works, but its just too rough to be recommended.

This movie needs to be watched with the idea of taking each scene alone and all by itself. Don't worry about the overall plot and you won't mind that it's so odd. Like so many Woody Allen movies it needs to be viewed twice before you decide about it. Personally I hated it on first viewing now it's one of my favorite "Woody's". It's worth a try. Make that two tries.

Hadows and Fog isn't Woody Allen's most celebrated work, in fact it barely gets a mention but I liked the film. Its setting is a circus in some town in Eastern Europe and the film is brimming with marquee names like John Malkovich, John Cusack and Jodie Foster to even Madonna. The jokes and gags are funny though not in a direct way and there is a bare plot so to speak. The decision to shoot in black and white is sound as the cinematography is a highlight even detractors of this film speak well of.

Shadows and Fog isn't Woody Allen's most celebrated work, in fact it barely gets a mention but I liked the film. Its setting is a circus in some town in Eastern Europe and the film is brimming with marquee names like John Malkovich, John Cusack and Jodie Foster to even Madonna. The jokes and gags are funny though not in a direct way and there is a bare plot so to speak. The decision to shoot in black and white is sound as the cinematography is a highlight even detractors of this film speak well of.

When I saw this at the cinema, I was very disappointed. Woody based it on an old Kafkaesque play he had written in the '60's that I had read in one of his books. I think it was called "Death- A Play". It seemed to be a weak revisiting of material that was so-so in the first place, and I believe Steven Soderberg's film Kafka had been released not too long before, which I felt was a quite good vision of Kafka's writing compared to "Shadows...". Seeing "Shadows..." again (with very low expectations), I was surprised how much I quite enjoyed it. There is a lot of good dialogue, some fine performances, and some great camera shots. I'm not saying it's one of his best films, but in my opinion, it has gone from being a dud to one I can gladly revisit every once in a while.

I have been a fan of Woody's films since the days of Bananas, and have been fascinated by the evolution they show over the years. I haven't been able to keep up with his more recent material so this is one I had not seen, but the cast was so full of known players that I had to check it out. Pleasant surprise, and I was not expecting to learn that the critics disliked it. It's really quirky, but in a way escapist, and in the present times, it was just what I needed. Maybe going in with no particular expectations and an open mind is best.

Shadows and Fog is funny and, at times, atmospheric homage to German expressionism. This was probably the best tribute made to the era made by somebody other then Tim Burton. Woody Allen does a good job recreating the chilling atmosphere of early horror movies. Like the title suggests, he makes good use of shadows and fog, with atmospheric black and white cinematography. He combines this with his trademark witty dialogue, making for an unique movie experience. Although the movie had a creepy atmosphere, it wasn't as suspenseful as Woody Allen wanted it to be. You know who the killer is very early in the movie so that takes away any possible mystery surrounding the murders. And it even though it was funny, it wasn't quite as funny as it could've been. If you're a Woody Allen fan, or enjoy old horror film noir, you might enjoy this film.