In an unprecedented television program last year, Woody Allen spoke to
the camera for the first time about the entire range of his work, in an
interview with Richard Schickel, the distinguished film critic and
historian. Mr. Allen talked about how he does it, why he does it, its
roots in his early life, and his current thinking about the state of his
art. The result Woody Allen: A Life in Film, was one of the most popular
and critically acclaimed programs in the history of Turner Classic
Movies. But the presentation contained only a small fraction of Mr.
Schickel's four-hour interview with the famed writer-director-actor.
This new book reprints the complete conversation between the two men and
includes a long essay of introduction by Mr. Schickel, which places
Woody Allen's entire career in critical perspective. Readers will find
Mr. Allen's reflections on his major preoccupations--the battle of the
sexes; the conflict between reality and fantasy in his major films;
mortality, religion, and the role that chance plays in the unfolding of
our lives. The book also offers insights into Mr. Allen's working
methods as a writer and the growth of his skills as a director, as well
as his assessment of himself as an actor and his surprising views of his
long life in the public eye. Brief but sharply honed, Woody Allen: A
Life in Film is an essential book for anyone seeking to understand the
life and times of one of the most important and least understood
American filmmakers of our era.
