Number 896 on the top 1000 films of all time is Woody Allen's 1997 black comedy 'Deconstructing Harry.'
Harry Block (Woody Allen) is a neurotic academic and writer driving to his alma matter to receive an honourary degree. En route, he imagines himself interacting with many characters from his work, as well as flash blacking to the most important parts of his life. Tobey Maguire, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Jennifer Garner, among many others, all co-star.
Reportedly, Woody Allen was highly influenced by the work of Ingmar Bergman, in particular Wild Strawberries. Wild Strawberries is about an old man having an existential crisis while driving around. Deconstructing Harry has a similar plot albeit with a lot more sexual humour. Thankfully it also has a lot less introspection, silences and dead space than Bergman's work. But it also contains an important question: why? What is the point of all this? Why do I care?
I remember thinking the same when I watched Annie Hall. Yes, it was funny and witty, but, at the end, I couldn't help, wondering what was the point of it all? Sure, the set-up is great, but what's the punchline? Great comedies don't just make us laugh, but they make us think too. There is no doubt Woody Allen is a funny man. This was a comical film. The gag of Robin Williams being out of focus was hilarious to watch, but I'm not sure of its importance.
It's another aspect of Harry that we need to deconstruct. But why should I care about Harry? He's just another of Woody Allen's highly neurotic characters. And I do feel like neuroticism is the only role Woody Allen can play. Yes, he does it well, but it becomes quite one-note after a while.
There is no doubt Deconstructing Harry is a funny film, but beyond its comedy, how much substance does it have? What's the point of it all? What is the punchline?
It is a funny film. But like James says it's also rather pointless. We've all seen Woody Allen portraying the same neurotic guy many times before.
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