Mighty+Aphrodite


 * 1. For this assignment, think about some of the thematic, and stylistic motifs that you've seen in the four previous films by the director that you've watched. What do you notice in this film that fits in with this director's body of work?**

One motif that has occurred in many of Woody Allen’s films is the motif of transformation. In almost all of the films, the main character or the person he is in a relationship with goes through a transformation, and usually there is another person involved in pushing that transformation. In Mighty Aphrodite, it is Linda that goes through the transformation. She goes from being a hooker with no future to getting married and having a child. There is also a motif of relationships that occur in almost all of Woody Allen’s films. The main character (usually Woody Allen himself) tends to have a lot of relationship problems, and the reason being that they aren’t as stable, mainly in the beginning. At the end of the film, he manages to find stability in his relationships In Mighty Aphrodite, the sequence is a little different. In the beginning, Lenny has a pretty stable relationship with Amanda. As time goes on, however, he starts to lose that stability. As Linda comes into his life, he drifts further and further away from Amanda, and his world goes “off balance”. But once he realizes that Amanda is the one that is right for him, his world goes back to normal, and he finds stability in his relationship with Amanda again.

There are also a lot of references made to literary classics in Woody Allen's films. For example, in Annie Hall, Alvy made a reference to Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood'. In Mighty Aphrodite, he bases it off of the Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex. One way the Greek play was interconnected with Lenny's life, was when Tireseas was portrayed as a blind homeless man on the streets. Tireseas was known in the play to be the blind man with eyes: he could see what everyone else couldn't. The homeless man tells Lenny that his wife has been cheating on him. This interlaces with the blindness because the homeless man could see what Lenny couldn't.


 * 2. What are some of the most iconic director's choices that you've seen in any of the five films you've watched? What directors choices stood out the most to you? These examples don't necessarily need to be repeated in multiple films, but have helped define the director's image. For example, Kubrick might be known for the iconic scene of Danny riding his bike in one continuous steady-cam shot, or the most famous match cut of all time in //2001: A Space Odyssey// (which we will talk about later). Both of these examples are inherently 'Kubrick' moments, even though they don't have 'echoes' in his other films.**

1) Non-diegetic elements: 2) Constant rambling/Speaking awkwardly In all of Woody Allen's films there is awkward talking or rambling. Whether is from the main character or any of the side characters, it is always there. The purpose of this is probably to show off the awkwardness of a situation, particularly when the main character is trying to flirt with his love-interest. Having rambling and awkward talking also makes the whole situation seem more natural rather than scripted out.
 * ANNIE HALL
 * On the plane ride from Los Angeles to New York, Alvy and Annie are having a conversation. But what they are saying and what they are thinking are completely different. This provides more insight into the characters, and we can see the different view points on the situation without any social pressure.
 * When Alvy was describing his childhood in school, he showed up in his present form and came into defense of his younger version. When younger Alvy kissed a girl, the girl complained to the teacher, and the teacher started scolding Alvy. Older Alvy comes to younger Alvy's defense. This suggests that Alvy wished that someone had come to his defense. It also gives a more clear insight of what Alvy was thinking at that time, since younger Alvy didn't say anything when his teacher was scolding him
 * MIGHTY APHRODITE
 * Members of the chorus often appear in Lenny's head whenever he is about to make "a wrong decision". An example of this is when Lenny first makes the phone call to Linda. A member of the chorus appears and tells Lenny that this is a bad idea and urging him not to do it. The member of the chorus represents a part of Lenny's mind, where he knows that this might be a bad idea. That part of Lenny's mind is urging the rest of his brain to stop making such decisions. Through this, we know the two conflicting sides of Lenny's mind, and what they are thinking.
 * The members of the chorus also set the mood for the scene (as they do in Oedipus Rex). An example of this is them singing when it is a love-related scene to provide a more romantic feel. For example, when Linda is going out on her date with Kevin.
 * MIGHTY APHRODITE
 * When Lenny first sees Linda, he gets so stunned by her beauty that he starts stuttering and looking very tense and nervous. Shows that Lenny isn't the most smooth, ladies man kind of character. But rather more of the awkward, geeky, un-used to being around women kind of character.
 * Lenny goes to find Ricky because he is threatening Linda. Lenny gets intimidated by Ricky's build, and immediately starts stuttering. This again shows that he is nervous, and it also brings out the cowardly side of him.