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Woody Allen: David Lean Lecture Transcript

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Woody Allen: David Lean Lecture Transcript British Academy of Film and Television Arts The 2005 David Lean Lecture given by Woody Allen TranscriptT Introduction Transcript Princess Anne Theatre Mark Kermode: Good evening ladies and gentlemen. of minutes just lavishing praise on the British film I’m going to talk to Mr Allen for about 40 minutes, and industry and how good it is. 195 Piccadilly, London then he has very kindly agreed to take 20 minutes of questions from the audience. Let’s start by talking about Woody Allen: Well, I can. I was trepidatious 17 December 2005 Match Point. It’s your first film in the UK, in London. when I first came here because I made all my What brought you here? How much was London an movies in New York. The sudden thought of influence on the story? living in a different environment for an extended period of time and not being in my own bed and Woody Allen: I shot it in England because that’s having all my little habits within arm’s reach was who gave me the money, that’s really the story. frightening to me. I had no idea what it would In the United States they are perfectly willing be like working with English crews but I found to bankroll my films but they want to participate. it to be a delightful experience. Everyone was The studios like to participate. They don’t like wonderful; there is a great pool of enormously to be thought of as “just bankers,” that’s their gifted actors and actresses. In Match Point, every phrase. They want to read the script before they one-line part, every tiny bit part, is beautifully invest their money, they want to talk about the played. I mean it’s just impeccably played, which casting and they want to generally give input. was really something I appreciated. I have never worked that way and can’t work that I fell in love with the London weather. way – not out of any arrogance or ego – I just am For me, it’s a treat. You know, if you have a not comfortable working that way and I’ve never melancholy disposition, this is a wonderful climate. had to do it. In the United States industry, this And I do. I sometimes wait for days on end for The David Lean Lecture is named in honour of way of doubling Woody’s chances for a date on is required more and more. clouds and overcast conditions in New York City. a man who was not only one of the UK’s finest a Saturday night at the movies? I hope that tonight In Europe, and in England in this particular Also in the summer, when I usually shoot, New directors, but also a key member of the group we’ll learn the truth. case, it’s not a studio system. The artist is able to York is very hot. In London, it was cool and the of famous British filmmakers who nearly 60 years Drawing Woody out is a man who, in work more freely and is less encumbered. I was skies were grey all the time and this was wonderful ago established the British Film Academy. The addition to being a BAFTA member, is the film able to come over here and work for people that for photography. I found London very obviously David Lean Foundation, an educational charity critic for Radio 5, a writer for The Observer, respected all the artistic idiosyncrasies that I have, cosmopolitan, like New York, full of action and established in 1997 with funds generated by David’s contributing editor to Sight And Sound, and a so it was a pleasure to come and do the picture. culture, full of theatre and museums and restaurants. films, shares many of the objects and aspirations regular contributor to the BBC’s Culture Show and Originally I created it for New York City and My family had a wonderful time here, so it was of our Academy, and we are very grateful to the Newsnight Review, Mark Kermode. Thank you had to Anglicise it, but this was not as hard as a great, great experience on Match Point. I came foundation and to its trustee, Anthony Reeves, very much to Mark for taking on the enjoyable but one might think. There were a number of changes back the following year and did another film for joining with us five years ago to establish and important job of asking the questions. I had to make but they were basically cosmetic because I kind of looked forward to spending support this annual lecture given in David’s name. And now, because we know from Woody because London is not that dissimilar from New another summer here and shooting. It was that Each year, 213 privileged members of the that “eternity is a very long time, especially towards York City. Although it’s more tacit, a class pleasurable the first time around. British film industry – in fact as many of you as we the end,” I think I’d better move on. We are going structure exists in the United States. In England, can cram into our Princess Anne Theatre – gather to kick start the evening with a short compilation it’s out in the open, spoken about more. In Mark Kermode: Many members of the audience will to hear from someone who has made a major of clips from Woody Allen’s career. America, there is the sense of a very equal have seen Match Point, and some of them won’t. Is it contribution to the artistic development of the film democracy but, the truth of the matter is, there possible to describe the basic outline of the film for those form. Tonight, that description rings especially true. Duncan Kenworthy OBE is a great class system; the story worked very well who haven’t seen it yet? We are obviously absolutely delighted that Woody Chairman of the Academy for New York. I could have done it there, but Allen, a man who needs no introduction to this it was a fairly easy transition to London. I had Woody Allen: I don’t want to give anything or any UK audience, has come to the Academy a very nice time making the picture here – such away, but it’s simply the story of a young man to speak about his work. All the more so because a nice time that I returned last summer and shot who is a tennis instructor. He gets a job teaching after 40 years of making movies that, whatever else another film. another young man who comes from a very they are, are always love letters to Manhattan, he wealthy family. He is taken in by that family and seems to have fallen for London. Naturally we are Mark Kermode: Since we are here at BAFTA, and starts a relationship with the young man’s sister. all aflutter, enormously flattered but afraid to take since you said that you had such a good experience The family is very good to him but he also gets anything for granted. Is it the real thing, or just a working here, I wonder whether you could spend a couple involved with the young man’s fiancée and finds 01 02 himself in a terrible dilemma. He’s involved deeply Citizen Kane all the time and then I make the Woody Allen: “I fell in love with the London weather. with his good friend’s sister and his good friend’s picture and it comes out to be, you know, not as fiancée. And this leads to an agglomeration of life- good as I had hoped. So I’m very critical of most For me, it’s a treat. You know, if you have a melancholy threatening situations and harrowing adventures. of my films. This picture, as I say, just came I was very lucky because I got this great cast together beautifully. I take some credit but a lot disposition, this is a wonderful climate. And I do. I to play it. I got Scarlett Johannson for the girl and of it was just good luck. So I watched it, but I don’t the British cast comprises everyone else in the film. like to watch [movies] after I make them because sometimes wait for days on end for clouds and overcast I was able to get Jonathan Rhys Myers, who is this when you go back and look at your old films you conditions in New York City… In London, it was cool incredibly beautiful, tortured, sensitive actor. It only see the mistakes. There is always a weak spot was a pleasure to work with him because all his or a mistake, at the very minimum, that you know and the skies were grey all the time and this was emotions are on the surface. It is nothing for him you could make better because time has elapsed. to call up the deepest kind of conflicts and he has So I don’t like to look at them again because wonderful for photography.” these big sensual lips and Scarlett has these big I become anxious and depressed and think “Oh sensual lips and so you can imagine the chemistry God, I did this so poorly, if only I had another between them. It’s physics, not chemistry. 10 million dollars I could correct that.” But of Matthew Goode was a young British actor course, I don’t have it. that I didn’t know but when I saw him on tape I just thought he was born to play his part.
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