HANNAH AND HER SISTERS

US, 1985, 106 minutes, Colour.
Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey, Diane Wiesst, Sam Waterston, Woody Allen, Carrie Fisher, Maureen O’Sullivan?, Lloyd Nolan, Max Von Sydow, Lewis Black, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Drefuss?, Daniel Stern, Joanna Gleason,
Directed by Woody Allen.

Hannah and Her Sisters is considered by many to be Woody Allen's masterpiece. It combines many of the themes of his previous films, from the comedy of such films as Take the Money and Run to the more solemn reflections of films like Love and Death to the presentation of human nature in Annie Hall and Interiors, with the pokes at art and artiness (especially in New York) with Manhattan and Stardust Memories. It won an Oscar for best original screenplay and Oscars for its supporting stars, Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest.

The film has a very strong cast, led by Allen himself, with Mia Farrow in yet another different portrayal for Allen. Her mother, Maureen O'Sullivan, appears with Lloyd Nolan in his last film. Barbara Hershey adds to her list of impressive performances.

The setting is New York, the focus is a family, the relationship between three sisters, centred on Mia Farrow's Hannah). The film reminisces about the past, looks at relationships, looks at sadness, looks at redemption - and has a comparatively happy ending. (The Marx Bros, Duck Soup, are to be thanked in part for this.)

Allen went on to make Radio Days and September immediately after Hannah and Her Sisters.

1. The appeal of Woody Allen films? Style? Subject? The acclaim for this film? Oscars? A piece of Americana, Woody Alien's sensibility, humour? Perceptions on relationships, life, truth, hope?

2. The importance of New York City as the location? the city? David's tour of the buildings and his New York lifestyle? Manhattan as a character? The camera roaming around? ironic explanations?

3. The score and the songs and their insertion, especially 'You Made Me Love', 'Bewitched'? The music of Kern and Porter? The classics? Moods and characters associated with the music?

4. The structure of the film: the various chapters, captions, voiceovers? The intermixing of different focuses on the characters? The different perceptions commenting on one another? The glimpses of characters, continuity? Audiences changing their identification with characters and making comparisons?

5. The title and the focus on Hannah, her central role, her relationship with her sisters, with her parents, with Mickey Sachs?

6. Hannah and her strength, age, children; the first marriage and the flashbacks, The break? Her career, acting? The children? Her place in the family, her looking after by mothers and father? The Thanksgiving Dinner? Her father, his bitterness, memories? Piano-playing and singing? her relationship with Elliott, love, tensions, sensitivity? her suspicion of something wrong? Her relationship with Lee and Holly? the different attitudes? The scenes of conversations - in the kitchen, the meal at the restaurant? Always busy, coping? Elliott? Trying to console Lee - and the irony of her relationship with Elliott? The puzzle about Holly's stories? their reuniting? The final meal - and hope for the future? Hannah's strength in herself and what she gave to others?

7. Lee as attractive, the stories of her past, her relationship with her sisters, parents? Her presence at the meals? Her relationship with Frederick and living with him? Being moulded by him? His paintings? Stifled? Her love, yet the attraction towards Elliott? The break with Frederick, guilt? The pursuit by Elliott, the rendezvous, the affair and its effect on her? Her covering? The truth? Embarrassing? ee cummings' poetry? the break with Elliot, her independence, Columbia University, her marriage?

8. Holly and her instability, drugs, the need for money, tensions, friendship with April and catering with her, the rivalry? Her collapses? The clash with Nicky? meeting David? The dates, the opera? April and jealousies? her auditions and singing? Failure? Trying to settle down? Her asking Hannah for more money? Writing - and the source of her stories? Meeting Mickey, the change, her self-confidence, the marriage, her pregnancy?

9. Elliott and the voice-over, his age, Michael Caine's style, marriage, success, work, the infatuation with Lee and his comment on it, the farcical aspects? His setting up devices to encounter her? The voice-over and self-deprecation? Crises and moods? With Hannah? Socially meeting Lee, following her, the book, the bookshop, the affair and his reaction? Self judgment? The passing of time, the break? With Hannah and change, love for Hannah yet betraying her? With Lee, the break? Reuniting with Hannah?

10. The parents: the memories of the past, acting, singing, the mother and her drinking, the father and his bitter words and clashes? An image of marriage? Love, souring?

11. Frederick and his art, the overtones of Ingmar Bergman films with von Sydow? His skills, remarks, patter? With Lee, wanting to mould her and influence her, her moods? Modelling her, painting her? Art and his tantrums? relationship with Elliott - the visit of the rock and roll star and the reaction to the art? Separating from Lee?

12. David and his meeting them at the party, dates, with April and Holly, the opera, playing off tie two against each other? April warning his? April's character, friendship with Holly, their work catering together, acting auditions, dates with David?

13. The glimpse of the rock singer, his wealth, wanting art, patter talk, being brought by Elliott, the humour of his interaction with Frederick and Lee?

14. The sequence with Tony Roberts as his ex-partner - driving to California and having success with all programmes? The flashback and the discussion about artificial insemination and Hannah's pregnancy, his reaction, the reaction of his wife?

15. Woody Allen's portrayal of Mickey: his various chapters, the voiceover? Woody Alien's persona, the clown, wit, insights? As television mark and the various crises? His preoccupation about his health, the visit to the doctors, thinking he was deaf, worried about the tumour, the test? The help of his secretary and her common sense? His magnifying things? His past relationship with Hannah, in love, the children, artificial insemination? with Hannah and the family? His religious quest, the search for God, the discussions with the Catholic priest and the indications of Catholic theology, the enquiry with the Hari Krishna? His parents, memories? Relief after his search? The visit to Duck Soup and the antic humour of the Marx Bros? The encounter with Holly, at peace with each other, marrying her, her pregnancy? Comic character, intercut with the others, his contribution to the impact?

16. The importance of the city background, the family background, guests, celebrations? Special occasions for growth Within the family?

17. The background of the professional world of television, of medicine, of art?

12. Themes of the American family, values, breakdown, hope? insights - particularly American, universal - and the perennial Allen themes of love, death, sex, art?