Review of Shadows and Fog (1991) by Stuart K — 02 Sep 2011
Woody Allen wanted to do something different after Alice (1990), and he made this tribute to the German expressionist cinema movement of the 1920's and 1930's by Fritz Lang, G.W. Pabst and F.W.
Murnau. Despite it's bleak look and European feel, the result a good Woody film, with an excellent cast and mixing humour and suspense. It has lowly clerk Max Kleinman (Woody) being awoken from a deep sleep by a mob of vigilantes who are looking for a killer known as The Stranger.
However, no-one tells Kleinman what is going on, or what part he's playing in their plan, leaving him to go through the night clueless, looking for someone who knows what's going on. Meanwhile, circus performer Irmy (Mia Farrow) and her clown boyfriend Paul (John Malkovich) have a row when Irmy discovers Paul is having an affair with tightrope walker Marie (Madonna).
Irmy runs away, and finds herself with a group of prostitutes (Lily Tomlin, Kathy Bates and Jodie Foster), and Irmy has a fling with rich student Jack (John Cusack). However, she ends up with Kleinman, and he ends up being suspected as being the Stranger, and they go on the run.
It's a well made film shot in a stark, sharp black and white, with some good humour and design on display. It's one of Woody's better films of the 1990's, coming after a few duds in the 1980's.
This has a good supporting cast including Kenneth Mars, Donald Pleasence, William H. Macy and John C. Reilly.
This review of Shadows and Fog (1991) was written by Stuart K on 02 Sep 2011.
Shadows and Fog has generally received positive reviews.
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