European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse T hey Are neurotic and sexy and smart Woody s women. They Are the sort of women who can appreciate the sort o Man who talks about the meaninglessness of Hie adenoids ulcers Sec Ial Socrates masturbation Nietzsche and the Marx Brothers often in a single breath. As a writer Woody Allen creates rare female roles and As a director he draws rare actresses and makes them look warm original and arresting. Carrie Fisher who worked with Allen for the first time in his new movie Hannah and her Sisters which opened recently was asked How he achieves this special rapport with women. Through intimidation she says archly. That certainly makes me feel More More seriously she replies he seems to like women. And he likes them Lor Good reasons rather than their figures and stuff. Although he likes those too. Around someone like Woody Allen and there Are not Many people like him you want to be at your Best. It must be some sort of organic Allen has always been fascinated with women and their relationships with each other and their men. He explored the lives of three Sisters n is first screen drama interiors in 1978. And he has done it again with More comedy in Hannah and her Sisters. Allen thought of the title of his new movie first he says and then he wrote around n. I thought h would be fun to work on Sisters he says. It was Only As an Atter though that i started to put my character the movie his 14th. Brings Allen Back on screen in All his neurotic glory. I had a great time he tells a Date who drags him to a new wave club. Uke the Nurnberg it features the largest cast of established actors he has Ever directed including Fisher. Mia Farrow Barbara Hershey Dianne West Maureen o Sullivan Michael Calne Lloyd Nolan and Max von Sydow. His ladles quare dance through the emotional terrain of his favorite subjects life death love lust jealousy and guilt. They re both mean and supportive to each other . It s sort of human. They do terrible things behind each other s backs and then they re very Sweet to each i have a tremendous attraction to movies or plays or books that explore the psyches of women particularly intelligent ones says the director their feelings their drives their problems and strengths Are always very interesting to me. When Mary Mccarthy wrote the group i could t wait to get my hands on it or the Richard Yates novel easter Parade. " he says he enjoys directing women and writing for them More than he does men. I think of things in terms of female characters he says. I very rarely think in terms of male characters except for myself Allen said he also sees himself in most of his female characters asked How a Del opt such Strong Anima he suggests that it May be because i was the Only male in a fall of Many Many women. 1 had a sister female cousins a Mother with seven Sisters. I was always surrounded by Alto Farrow Barbara Hon hey end Tenn it Star in Hannah and Holt a. Mia Farrow who plays the title role in the movie and is Allen s companion off screen feels that he is a Strong director for women because he does not find them either inscrutable or intimidating. I think Woody understands and cares about the Way that a woman says Farrow As she sits on the floor of Allen s East Side cutting room with her adopted infant daughter Dylan o Sullivan Farrow. At 39, the Mother of eight and Star of Allen s last Lour movies has the kind of Gossamer blonde Beauty usually found atop Christmas Trees. You la get action directors men s directors who Deal with a lot of car chases explosives spy stories things like that she says in her soft elegant voice. Woody s movies tend to be More about people and the Way they behave and the Way they think and that includes women to an interesting degree. One of my kids quoted Sylvester Stallone to paraphrase that the perfect movie would be where you would t have to say anything. Maybe that s one Way of looking at it but it would t necessarily be Woody s Farrow s Mother Maureen o Sullivan who plays her Mother n the movie compared Allen favourably with George Cukor who was renowned in Hollywood for his Talent in directing actresses. O Sullivan was directed by Cukor in the 1935 film David Coppert Leld. In which she played Dora. George had a preconceived idea and he made you do his concept of what he wanted she recalled. I liked working with Woody More because i Felt he would find out in you what you could do and let you do it. He s not intrusive he never nags never annoys never pushes himself on you. But he has a gentle Way of bringing out what you can Sullivan i in Mother a Boozy old flirt with a filthy Mouth As she describes herself. Farrow plays 3 Hannah the eldest sister a successful actress who in the View of her siblings disgustingly perfect " plays Holly the sister who is jealous of Hannah because her own love life and acting career Are floundering Hershey is Lee the third sister who a an affair with Hannah s husband. Carrie Fisher is a Friend who desperate Lor a single Man who does not took Ichabod Crane co opts Holly s Boyfriend. The heart As Allen s character puts it is a very very resilient Little ,. I in interviews the actresses in Hannah talked about what it is like to work with the director who has an american icon. The first thing he says is if you re not comfortable change it says Dianne West in her breathy Imie or voice. So that s a big thing right there. Nothing big Little nudge things like changing the verb and the noun or adding on a you know you know Farrow says Woody does t talk very much a his ideas or playing the characters he has re expected to come up with the initial package and then f you re going astray hell be Quick wow it out. He s very specific when you re going wrong. If you re right he just leaves you to Mother agreed. With lots of directors you us silly questions like shall i hold a Glass Here or sit Down Here but with Woody you just do it. I wants you not to do it hell Tell Fisher describes his style As this zen thing a Loop Aucon is q Winner with women _ by Maureen Dowd new York times Page 14 the stars and stripes
