Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) is writer/director Woody Allen's darkest, most somber movie. The comedic existential drama took a long, provocative, and ultimately downbeat look at morality with its ensemble cast. Its main subject matter was about disintegrating marriages and marital infidelities, the symbolism of the "eye motif," and the question about whether there was a moral structure to the universe.
The film was an obvious tribute to Swedish director Ingmar Bergman (in addition to using Bergman's Swedish cinematographer Sven Nyquist), and similar to the dilemma facing the main character(s) in Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1866 novel Crime and Punishment, the Biblical Book of Job, and Shakespeare's King Lear.
The film's dramatic elements included:
Woody Allen's career began with a series of light-hearted comedies that were capped by two late 1970s hits Annie Hall (1977) and Manhattan (1979) . His film output was prolific in the 1980s, featuring (to name a few) Stardust Memories (1980), Zelig (1983), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), his highly-successful Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and Radio Days (1987).
The critically-beloved tragi-comedy drama - an examination of morality - was impressive for its literate and provocative questioning about God's existence and life's meaning, and for the complex structure of its plot. Shot entirely on location in the New York City area, it had a unique multi-layered story with interwoven and interconnected segments: one serious, and another more light-spirited.
The main characters, as in many of Allen's films, were two contemporary-day Jewish Manhattanites (a struggling documentary film-maker and a successful eye doctor), with each of their tales composing about one-half of the film. The film-maker's scene were accompanied by jazz music, while the doctor's scenes were associated with classical music. The two were tangentially connected by a mutually-related character - a religious man named Rabbi "Ben" (Sam Waterston) who was going blind and being treated by the doctor.
Allen's masterpiece received three Academy Award nominations, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Martin Landau), and Best Original Screenplay (Allen), with no wins. It was up against stiff competition from Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and My Left Foot (1989). On a budget of 19ドル million, the critically-acclaimed dramedy made only 18ドル.25 million.
Plot Synopsis
Honors For Dr. Rosenthal at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, With a Troubling Flashback:
In the opening scene after the white letters on a black background title credits (viewed with 1930s Cole Porter jazz music), tuxedo-wearing Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau), a wealthy, highly successful, law-abiding, well-respected, middle-aged ophthalmologist was being honored at a NYC dinner by a Testimonial Speaker (Bill Bernstein) for his philanthropic efforts to fund a new medical center (and ophthalmology wing named after him); he was in attendance at the elite gala event at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue with his wife of 25 years Miriam (Claire Bloom) and family members.
Earlier in the day in a flashback, he had looked through a stack of delivered but unopened letters on a coffee table in their home, and realized that he had intercepted a hand-written letter addressed to his wife Miriam; it was from his ex-mistress and flight attendant Dolores Paley (Anjelica Huston) of over two years; the contents of the letter were heard in Dolores' voice-over, asking for contact and a meeting:
"This must be faced, as there are so many ramifications and complications. Many promises were made, etc. I need an open exchange with you to clear things. For all three of us to go on, the situation has got to be confronted in some fashion."
Now as his former lover, Dolores had became obsessed with him (and was still "deeply in love" with him); to cover up the dilemma facing him, Judah burned the incriminating letter in his fireplace.
Back at the hotel event during his honorary event, in a short speech, Judah recalled his strict Jewish upbringing and his frequent skepticism as a scientist, seen in a flashback of the lessons of his father:
"I remember my father telling me: 'The eyes of God are on us always.'"
Judah recalled a recurring image of two Jewish priests in a temple seated in prayer on either side of a menorah; in his speech, Judah described the eyes of God: "Unimaginably penetrating, intense eyes"; he mentioned the strange coincidence that he had specialized in the science of eyes.
Dr. Judah Rosenthal's Confrontation with His Ex-Mistress Dolores:
The next day, Judah visited privately with Dolores in her apartment; he confronted her about her intercepted letter that threatened to divulge and publicize their scandal and ruin his established marital life; she explained her rage and the motive for the letter after she realized that Judah was never going to be leaving his wife to marry her: ("I gave up things for you, business opportunities...and there were other men who wanted me...I can't go back to the way things were").
Judah tried to defend himself: "I've lived with her 25 years. The roots are very deep. I can't go on leading two lives," although she insisted on meeting with Miriam; Judah asked her to calm down for a few days so that they could "work things out" and "not do anything rash."
Two new characters were introduced watching a 1941 film in the Bleecker St. Cinema house - a Greenwich Village movie theatre that was in the midst of a Classic Film Festival (of 30s, 40s, and 50s films)
[Note: The next scene began with a "film within a film" (one of many clips in the film) - the movie excerpt commented upon the current plot, taken from Alfred Hitchcock's romantic comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941); it portrayed an argument between a couple (Carole Lombard as Ann and Robert Montgomery as David).]
The two patrons watching the 1941 movie and eating popcorn were:
Cliff returned home to his wife Wendy Stern (Joanna Gleason) who mentioned that her successful and rich brother Lester (Alan Alda) (no last name given), a Hollywood TV sit-com producer, was in town; Cliff revealed his long-standing distaste and resentment for his superficial, pompous and vain brother-in-law, calling him a "pompous ass." Cliff told how he much preferred Wendy's other brother Ben.
Cliff and Wendy agreed to get together and met up that evening with her brother Lester at a cocktail party held at the famous Tavern on the Green (at Central Park West and 67th Street); Lester introduced everyone to his blonde sit-com star Lisa Crosley (Daryl Hannah) in a new TV series to be shot in NY; also at the gathering was Wendy's other brother Ben (Sam Waterston), a "rabbi" who was slowly going blind and was being treated by Dr. Rosenthal; Ben was also accompanied by his wife Carol (Zina Jasper).
The egotistical Lester revealed his unappealing character by pulling out a small tape recorder to dictate to himself one of his own great ideas for a TV show:
"Just give me one second. Idea for series: A wealthy high-profile builder who is always trying to realize grandiose dreams a la Donald Trump, to be shot in New York."
He then spoke to Cliff privately and mentioned how PBS wished to do a TV documentary on him (for their "Creative Minds" anthology series), and that Cliff had been recommended by his sister; at first, Cliff deflected the offer from his despised rival, mentioning how he was already shooting a similar documentary piece on an obscure, elderly philosophy teacher - Professor Louis Levy; Lester tempted Cliff with "the chance to earn decent money and reach a big audience," and said he was offering "poor loser" Cliff the job as a favor to his sister Wendy (Cliff's wife); on second thought, due to his debts and expenses related to his own film, Cliff reluctantly agreed to the lucrative job.
Judah Confiding About His "Trouble" With a Patient - Rabbi Ben:
The next day in his eye-clinic office, Dr. Rosenthal (after experiencing a flashback to how he first met flight attendant Dolores on an airplane) was treating the religious Rabbi Ben for a serious eye condition; disturbed by the "trouble" in his own life ("shameful deceit"), Judah asked if he could confide in his patient, and then briefly mentioned his dilemma:
"I've done a foolish thing. Senseless, vain, dumb. Another woman. Maybe I was flattered, vulnerable. Maybe because she was helpless and alone. Now my life's about to go up in smoke....She's young. She's very unstable. She's an hysteric. And vindictive. And it's my fault. I instigated it. I prolonged it."
The Rabbi advised that Judah had wisely seen the reality of his situation:
"We realize the difference between what's real and deep and lasting versus the superficial payoff of the moment."
He further suggested that Judah had no choice but to come "clean" and initiate a confession of his wrong-doing to his wife Miriam: "You have to confess the wrong and hope for understanding." The Rabbi compared their two very fundamental and different world-views - he spoke of his own belief in a "higher power" (and "a moral structure with real meaning and forgiveness") as the only way that he could keep on living, compared to Judah's logical and scientific view of the world as "harsh and empty of values and pitiless."
Dolores Adamant About Revealing the Affair:
Judah met up with Dolores again, admitting to feeling "rattled"; he tried to convince her that their affair was over: "We had a wonderful few years. We both knew it couldn't go on for ever"; Dolores suggested that they get away for a weekend but he thought she was being unrealistic; he offered her money if indeed she had "missed opportunities" due to him, but she refused any reimbursement, compensation or pay-off.
Dolores kept insisting: "I want to speak to Miriam.... I want her to know the truth....I think she should know her husband is a liar and an embezzler"; although Judah did admit that he had questionably diverted funds as 'loans' from his own charities and philanthropies to cover his losses, he claimed he hadn't stolen anything: ("Every cent was accounted for, with interest"); he was astounded about how she was planning to ruin his life:
"So this is what you plan on doing? You're gonna hold on to me with threats, right? Stupid threats and slander. This is your idea of love, right?...Think what the hell you're doing to me, will you?"
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