Comments on: Greek, Roman, American Affectation in Woody Allen’s Interiors (1978) http://www.mutuallyoccluded.com/2009/03/greek-roman-american-affectation-in-woody-allens-interiors-1978/ media & film, design, philosophy, politics Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:06:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: joneilortiz http://www.mutuallyoccluded.com/2009/03/greek-roman-american-affectation-in-woody-allens-interiors-1978/comment-page-1/#comment-107 joneilortiz Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:12:13 +0000 http://www.mutuallyoccluded.com/?p=1051#comment-107 <blockquote>"Is Pearl, in fact, the Ugly American who saves the grand European soul, embodied in Eve but now transferred to Joey? Maybe there is a kind of continuation between the two (or three rather) forces in the movie, the American, Apollonian, and Dionysian?"</blockquote><br><br>I like this reading a lot. The plot may revolve around a divorce, but in the end, paradoxically, continuity between traditions is affirmed.<br><br>But I wonder if the moment when the 'soul' is transferred from the European to the American begins a little before the drowning scene (which seals it). After Joey delivers that final harsh condemnation of her mother (which sets Eve running for the sea), but before she realizes her mother has left (and before we as an audience are sure that the mother is actually in the house and not simply imagined), Pearl steps out of the darkness into Eve's place, at which point Joey says, "Mother?", and Pearl, thinking that Joey is finally recognizing her, responds "Yes", which sends Joey running ... Usually these kinds of 'misrecognitions' come off trite or heavy-handed, but here I think it works perfectly, and plausibly.<br><br>Joey's re-birth also seems to unblock the dam, and in the final moments we see her writing what can only be the screenplay of the film we just watched. Somehow this kind of meta-self-reflexivity seems very American (and very Modernist).

“Is Pearl, in fact, the Ugly American who saves the grand European soul, embodied in Eve but now transferred to Joey? Maybe there is a kind of continuation between the two (or three rather) forces in the movie, the American, Apollonian, and Dionysian?”

I like this reading a lot. The plot may revolve around a divorce, but in the end, paradoxically, continuity between traditions is affirmed.

But I wonder if the moment when the 'soul' is transferred from the European to the American begins a little before the drowning scene (which seals it). After Joey delivers that final harsh condemnation of her mother (which sets Eve running for the sea), but before she realizes her mother has left (and before we as an audience are sure that the mother is actually in the house and not simply imagined), Pearl steps out of the darkness into Eve's place, at which point Joey says, “Mother?”, and Pearl, thinking that Joey is finally recognizing her, responds “Yes”, which sends Joey running … Usually these kinds of 'misrecognitions' come off trite or heavy-handed, but here I think it works perfectly, and plausibly.

Joey's re-birth also seems to unblock the dam, and in the final moments we see her writing what can only be the screenplay of the film we just watched. Somehow this kind of meta-self-reflexivity seems very American (and very Modernist).

]]> By: David Hahn http://www.mutuallyoccluded.com/2009/03/greek-roman-american-affectation-in-woody-allens-interiors-1978/comment-page-1/#comment-105 David Hahn Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:31:10 +0000 http://www.mutuallyoccluded.com/?p=1051#comment-105 Stimulating piece. I'm glad to see Pearl brought in; she really does change the entire movie. I read some of her scenes, especially the squealer one, as a very dark movie's only form of comic relief: sometimes it seems like Pearl knows she's being ridiculous, and some of the characters (especially the husbands of the daughters) almost guffaw. But she is also mystical: re, the tarot card readings. What do you make of that?<br><br>Mostly, though, I'm curious as to how you might read the final scene, in which it is Pearl who saves Joey from drowning by administering some kind of CPR? <br><br>Importantly, Joey had just gone to save Eve (any resonance with that name?) from drowning herself. But only Joey emerges from the water, not breathing. Joey's husband drags her out of the water but it is Pearl who definitely takes control in that moment and saves Joey, breathing in her mouth until the water spurts back out. <br><br>Is Pearl, in fact, the Ugly American who saves the grand European soul, embodied in Eve but now transferred to Joey? Maybe there is a kind of continuation between the two (or three rather) forces in the movie, the American, Apollonian, and Dionysian? Stimulating piece. I'm glad to see Pearl brought in; she really does change the entire movie. I read some of her scenes, especially the squealer one, as a very dark movie's only form of comic relief: sometimes it seems like Pearl knows she's being ridiculous, and some of the characters (especially the husbands of the daughters) almost guffaw. But she is also mystical: re, the tarot card readings. What do you make of that?

Mostly, though, I'm curious as to how you might read the final scene, in which it is Pearl who saves Joey from drowning by administering some kind of CPR?

Importantly, Joey had just gone to save Eve (any resonance with that name?) from drowning herself. But only Joey emerges from the water, not breathing. Joey's husband drags her out of the water but it is Pearl who definitely takes control in that moment and saves Joey, breathing in her mouth until the water spurts back out.

Is Pearl, in fact, the Ugly American who saves the grand European soul, embodied in Eve but now transferred to Joey? Maybe there is a kind of continuation between the two (or three rather) forces in the movie, the American, Apollonian, and Dionysian?

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