Shadows and Fog (1991)

I can't help but wonder what everyone finds so confusing about this film. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of knowledge to enjoy this well crafted ode to (and let's face it: spoof of) German Expressionism: a little Nosferatu here, a dash of Caligari there, a couple of slightly less obvious flourishes (the "Sniffer" with a divine gift, the Circus, the mobs and the general atmosphere) and you've got all you need. Of course, this is the most basic level in the film (I won't dig into Philosophy and message in a commentary but by all means it's there and worth musing over) but it's already enough to justify seeing it.

The idea of the confusing "shadows and fog" of Expressionist cinema filtered through Allen's off-kilter character world view is exactly what makes the film so hysterical. The entire film is done in a beautiful black and white recalling the source material and the city's mob are all played perfectly deadpan... except for Allen who manages to bumble his way through obstacle after obstacle trying to at least get a grip on the situation. If this pile of nerves moving through a dark sordid city doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what to say.

The film DOES falter in some aspects however. Mia Farrow is passable as the necessary sympathetic female lead, but in the end her presence doesn't fit in with the rest of the film's ambiance and one would have rather seen more of femme Fatale Lily Tomlin. Likewise, John Malchovich's Clown (while obviously referential) sticks out like a sore thumb. It's a shame that Allen had to add these elements which end up detracting from the overall film, but one couldn't hold the film alone and Farrow manages to at least be a proper target to bounce lines.

In the end, a very strong film and one that entertains properly, but obviously not one made for the uninitiated. However, for those who're on the inside of the "plan" (and furthermore, on the inside of the philosophies) it's a tremendous bit of fun.

Recommended.

Fmovies: A stellar cast, lovely B&W cinematography, funny dialogue (mostly taken from Allen's play "Death"), a wonderful score of the music of Kurt Weill, a mild satire of Kafka, etc. Reviled by many -- I loved it.

Shadows and Fog

starring: Woody Allen, Michale Kirby, Mia Farrow, and John Malkovich

In a small european like town, lives a very nervous clerk, who out of nowhere is awaken by a group of Vigilantes who are after a serial killer in the town who strikes in the fog at night. Klienman on the way meets a dark adventure with twists, turns, suspenseful encounters with the killer himself, a few lusty whores, a female sword swallower wanting a family, a Gifted investagator using primitive techniques, and a drunk but effective magician.

Coments: I feel that this film is very UNDERrated. It is a very good film in my opinoin. Here Woody Allen creates a totally new type of meaning to the words: Adventure and Nostalgia. With a whole ensemble of celebrites, and a dark mood and setting, this is one of Allens greatest films. ****

Shadows and Fog fmovies. 'Shadows & Fog' is, for me, all that which makes a perfect picture. I've seen all Woody Allen's pictures, and none affects me in the same way that 'S&F' does.

The film is set in the early part of the 20th century somewhere in Eastern Europe. The opening scenes set up what will become the basic plot (and believe me, it is basic) of the film. Allen plays Klieinman, a simple clerk who is awaken by a lynch mob hell-bent on catching a killer who has taken to strangling (or slitting the throats, nobody seems sure) of the townsfolk.

As Kleinman leaves his flat in reluctant search of the killer, we are introduced to the fog swept streets of the village. It is here that we find the real character of this film. Allen uses the simple story of the hunt as a means to introduce us to us to true beauty in the night. He uses lighting and canted angles to produce a surreal setting unlike any film produced in the last half-century. Note the way light filtering through the spokes of the circus wagons reflects of the fog in a way so beautiful and haunting that it's easy to forget we're watching an 88min comedy shot on sound stages in New York.

Setting the mood as such, Allen walks us through the streets and offers a brief glimpse of the characters who inhabit the night. It seems as if the whole town is up searching for the killer, and each of them is given a short moment to offer a bit of insight and then move on. However brief, each character brings us further into the shadows and we soon feel a chill as the night air seems to fill the room.

The scene eventually shifts to a whore house where we are privy to a spectacular scene. Five women sit at a table discussing relationships, fascinating stories given that most of them are whores. Instead of cuts, Allen simply places a camera in the center of the table and revolves as the ladies converse. It's a scene reminiscent of the opening sequence of 'A Touch of Evil' of the Copacabana scene in 'Goodfellas'. Amazing.

There's so much more to say. Brecht's score is wonderful, the cast is literally one of the best of the 1990's (Cusack, Malkovitch, Foster, Macy, Riley, Shaw, Bates, Tomilin, Kavner, Pleasence), and the jokes are hilarious.

Above everything, see this film for it's namesake ... Shadows and Fog. If ever there was a homage to night and all its mystery and beauty, it's 'Shadows and Fog'.

I just saw `Shadows and Fog' for the first time this weekend, and while I can't say that it immediately became my favorite Woody Allen film, I did find it a very thoughtful and interesting film (not really a comedy), and an exceptionally beautiful film to look at.

I know this is frowned upon at the IMDb, but a lengthy and very negative review on this page of `Shadows and Fog,' along with a critique of Woody Allen in general, has gotten my dander up, and I felt like putting in my two cents. Why on earth should I, or any film lover, care about how successful a film is financially? Why should I care if a majority of movie patrons like a director's films or not? From my perspective, some of the stupidest trash makes the most money and sells the most tickets. Sure, I liked Jurassic Park -- saw it several times at the cinema, bought the video -- but not because of how much money it made, or how many other people were going to see it. It was because it was fun, and I liked it. Does that mean I should damn more esoteric directors (like Woody Allen) to oblivion? There are directors whose work I don't always understand, but God bless them, if they have the opportunity and the drive to get their cinematic vision realized, more power to them. I don't necessarily have to like their work, or go to see it. But on the whole, I'd rather be talked-up-to then talked-down-to, and being a little confused by a film has never permanently damaged anyone, so far as I know.

So calm down out there, you art-house-haters! It's just entertainment. Read your 20th century history. Limiting entertainment to its lowest common denominator has been tried and tried. No good has ever come of it, to my knowledge.

And incidentally, if you have a predilection for Woody Allen films, and like the look of old black and white expressionist cinema, give `Shadows and Fog' a look. It would maybe kill you?

I made the big mistake of avoiding this for years based on all the garbage I'd heard slammed against it, and as a result it was one of the last Woody Allen movies I got around to seeing. Well, it was worth waiting for, as it turned out to be a real treat. This is one of Allen's strangest works, probably his signature stab at a horror spoof. The black and white moody photography is compelling, modeled after the dark German expressionistic films of Murnau and Fritz Lang, as well as a hearkening back to those delightful old horror and Sherlock Holmes films from Universal Studios.

The action is set in an un-named village in an unknown time and place, but it's patterned after the early 20th Century, with a hint of Germany or even London. True to form, Allen plays a dweeb who is awoken at midnight by an angry mob demanding that he assist them in tracking down a Jack-the-Ripper-like serial murderer who's prowling the streets. He half-heartedly gets dressed and ventures out into the moonlit fog, unsure of just what's expected from him while he manages a few good one-liner's in his apprehension ("they say the killer has the strength of 10 men; I have the strength of one small boy -- with polio").

There are guest stars galore, some of whom have very small parts but are fun to watch anyway. A traveling circus in town consists of a female sword swallower (Mia Farrow) and her clown husband (John Malkovich) who is having an affair with the Strongman's pretty wife (Madonna). When Farrow catches the two of them in a caravan together, she storms out alone into the dark and is taken in by a street walker (Lily Tomlin) who lets her unwind inside her brothel with the rest of the whores (two of which are played by Kathy Bates and Jodie Foster). Some of the finest moments in the film come within the whorehouse, complimented by philosophical discussion and interesting camera-work. It's there that a wealthy young patron (John Cusack) fancies Mia and coaxes her into bed for one night. Her ultimate guilt over the encounter leads her back into the dense fog, until she meets up (predictably) with Woody. Also in small roles are Donald Pleasence in good form as a mad coroner who wants to analyze the essence of the killer's "evil" (possibly playing on his involvement in the HALLOWEEN films) and a wasted turn by Fred Gwynne (don't blink or you'll miss him) as one of the villagers.

SHADOWS AND FOG is flawed to be sure (there are a lot of loose ends remaining untied for one thing) but it's visually appealing and rich in atmosphere and the language of the night. I enjoyed it. *** out of ****