Woody Allen isn’t the only American director who still makes films for adults, but as Peter J. Bailey writes in the preface to the revised edition of The Reluctant Film Art of Woody Allen, “he is certainly the most consistent producer of them.” Like a director in a golden age Hollywood studio but without the supporting infrastructure, Allen has been on a one movie per year schedule for decades. Most directors could never maintain such a pace—or consistently recruit so many A-list actors (much less raise the funds).
Allen has added to his filmography in each of the 15 years since the first edition of Bailey’s book. Remarkably, following his spotty work the ‘90s, they include some of the best he has ever directed. Aside from workaholism, Allen admits to beilng driven by a need for “compensation” for the cruel truths he sees at the heart of existence. For him, filmmaking is an escape into worlds of his own creation, where he can hide for a few months from the reality outside. At his best, Allen has put that outside world—especially the psychology of its inhabitants—under a strong magnifying light.
