Shadows and Fog

Woody Allen
1991
Second Viewing

I saw this picture on cable sometime in the late 90's and didn't think too much of it at the time, but was pleasantly surprised when this reviewing proved rewarding. Made a year or two before Allen's eventually ill-fated partnership with Jean Doumanian "Shadows and Fog" takes the ubber-nebbish's love of classic cinema, philosophy, and existentialism, all themes he'd explored before, and remixed them in a fresh, engaging, and thoughtful way. In a quasi London, replete with the eponymous mood setters, Allen's meek clerk tries in vain to meet up with a vigilante mob bent on cowing an at-large serial killer, while simultaneously keeping his nose clean. During his misadventures around the city Allen meets up with a comely sword-swallower (Mia Farrow) who's coming off a bad fight with her main squeeze man/clown - the two find safety in numbers. Thanks to the exaggerated backdrop of mannered lighting and gorgeous sets some of Allen's more frustrating intellectual impulses feel right at home in this fabricated world of ideas (he even cleverly tackles anti-Semitism). The great casting and wide range of interesting actors and celebrities is no surprise for a film made during the director's established period but it's never any less of a treat to see such lavish ensembles. "Shadows and Fog" offers nothing daring, nor does it offer anything new in his ouvre, but it's a pleasant reminder that a fresh coat of paint can go a long way.