“ALLEN’S 9-1/2”

By Raymond Benson

If one facetiously counted the number of films Woody Allen made beginning in 1969 and throughout the 70s, there would be eight that he wrote and directed (seven of which he also starred in), plus a movie that he only wrote and starred in—Play It Again, Sam, for which I’ll count as 1/2, making Stardust Memories number 9-1/2. Appropriately, this film seems to intentionally pay homage to Federico Fellini’s own masterwork, 8-1/2 (1963), which was about a filmmaker who didn’t know what movie he wanted to shoot next. Stardust Memories, released in 1980 after the huge successes of Annie Hall and Manhattan (with critically-acclaimed Interiors in-between), is also about a filmmaker in search of the picture he wants to make.

It wasn’t well-received at the time. I recall leaving the theater in anger. How could Woody be so contemptuous of his audience? It was as if his character, the rather egotistical and unlikable filmmaker Sandy Bates, hates his fans, especially the ones who clamor for his “earlier, funnier movies”—and of course we couldn’t help but superimpose Sandy Bates with Woody Allen. And that’s where audiences misinterpreted the picture. Bates is no more Allen than Marcello Mastroianni is Fellini in 8-1/2. While Allen (and Fellini) may have infused their “alter-egos” with autobiographical aspects of themselves, the characters were indeed fictional representations.

It’s no secret that Allen often likes to mimic European filmmakers he admires—his love of Ingmar Bergman is evident in several pictures. This time, with Memories, Allen does invoke Fellini and that director’s signature stream-of-consciousness and non-linear storytelling with flights of fantasy and surrealism. Filming in black and white for the second time in a row, Allen, like Fellini, throws in outdoor circus scenes, grotesque and freakish extras, radical editing techniques, and meandering love affairs. Instead of coming off as mere imitation, though, Allen’s picture succeeds on its own merits. It’s a challenging, highly intellectual piece of cinema that must be viewed more than once to fully appreciate. Allen himself has said that Stardust Memories is one of his favorite films that he’s made. I’d place it in the upper third of his by now numerous works.

The story follows Sandy as he attempts to please his producers, the studio, the fans, and himself—all the while haunted by the failed and tragic relationship he had in the past with Dorrie (luminous Charlotte Rampling). Along the way there are dalliances with other women (Jessica Harper and Marie-Christine Barrault). The dream sequence at the opening of the film, in which Sandy is trapped on a morbid, claustrophobic train from hell, while looking out at another train where inside there’s a lively party going on (and young Sharon Stone blowing kisses at him through the window), is one of Allen’s most memorable set pieces. The whimsical middle, in which Sandy and Harper’s character escape a film festival to watch magic acts in a field is pure effervescence. The jump cut close-ups of Rampling’s face during a breakdown toward the film’s end is one of the most powerful sequences Allen ever shot.

Then there are the many familiar and unusual cameos that pop up—Tony Roberts, Laraine Newman, Daniel Stern, Amy Wright, Brent Spiner, and even Allen’s ex-wife and co-star Louise Lasser... Gordon Willis’ spectacular cinematography... Dick Hyman’s wonderful adapted score of Cole Porter and other old-school tunes... it all adds up. There is much to savor in Stardust Memories.

Twilight Time’s limited edition (only 3,000 units) Blu-ray sports a 1080p High Definition picture that looks wonderful, along with a 1.0 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. The only supplements, sadly, are an isolated music score, a booklet with liner notes by Julie Kirgo and the original theatrical trailer.

Stardust Memories was a divisive movie for Allen fans, but time has been kind to it. Give it another go—you may be surprised by how masterful and engaging it really is.

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