If you’re a fan of Woody Allen’s films you most likely have favorites that strike a chord with you more than others. Now that I’ve seen the majority of his work one film in particular I like to revisit the most is Stardust Memories (1980).
One Last Look
Sandy Bates (Allen) stands alone in the theater gazing at the silver screen after his film ends. The house lights, like so many stars slowly fade out as he leaves.
I actually saw this film before Fellini’s 8 1/2 which it’s obviously inspired by. I can say personally as much as I respect Fellini’s surreal masterpiece and realize its status in the world of cinema, I could easily watch Stardust Memories anytime and get alot more enjoyment out of it. The main reason I watch Woody’s films is his unique sense of humor and the way he deals with character interaction. Like several of his films this story concerns an entertainment figure, in this case Allen plays Sandy Bates a famous director who is attending a film festival that is holding a retrospective of his work. When Bates arrives at the festival we immediately see a group of anxious fans waiting to greet him with odd looking Fellini-esque faces. Sandy wades through the crowd as they ask for his autograph and give him scripts to read. He is at once flattered, annoyed and overwhelmed by the crazy reception. One interesting detail Woody makes a point of addressing (even though he has stated that this film is not autobiographical) is the fans’ preferences for Sandy’s early funny comedies over his more serious dramatic work. It is something Allen is indeed familiar with in his own career. This film probably moreso than any of his other work also deals with the world of celebrity and how ridiculous the whole ‘entertainer as God’ notion really is. Sandy does his best to talk with his fans and thank them (there’s some great comic quips throughout the ordeal) but he also needs to get away from the turmoil and be in a normal environment. Luckily he meets a musician named Daisy (Jessica Harper) and her boyfriend who invite him to go out with them to a club to relax. While Sandy gets to know Daisy, he also invites his French girlfriend Isobel (Marie Christine Barreault) to join him so he won’t be alone with his nutty fans. He’s in love with her, but has to contend with her strange personality and her bratty kids. The scenes at the festival are juxtaposed with memories of Sandy’s youth as an aspiring magician and past relationship with Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) a woman with deep emotional problems but who he was truly in love with.
One of my favorite small details in the film is how Woody uses imagery in his apartment to convey his state of mind. Note the large portraits on the walls behind him: a photo of Eddie Adams’ iconic photograph of the prisoner being executed on the street during The Vietnam War or the image of Groucho Marx (one of his heroes) with a woman looking extremely happy.
The film deals with many of the reoccuring themes in his work such as neurosis, existentialism, religion, fame, strained relationships with women and does it in a beautifully cinematic, surrealistic and humorous way.
FURIOUS FILM GEEK TRIVIA
– Look for an early appearance by Sharon Stone as the woman Sandy sees on a train in his dream at the opening of the movie.
