Review of The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) by Devon B — 10 Aug 2010

Movies have always been used as a form of escapism, especially when times are tough (such as during the Great Depression), but what happens when the movies themselves desire escape? That's what happens in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo", Allen's tribute to the golden age of cinema.

The film is indeed appropriately set smackdab in the middle of the Great Depression, where lonely Cecilia struggles hard to make ends meet. Inbetween slaving as a waitress in a diner and taking care of her domineering and abusive husband (the excellently creepy Danny Aiello), she frequents the local movie house.

She must go there often as she's on a first name basis with all the employees. Sure, during the day her life may suck, but for a few hours each week, she can be transported off to exotic locations and expensive night clubs, experiencing the fleeting affairs and romances of beautiful movie stars.

She especially enjoys the new film, "The Purple Rose of Cairo", taking in several matinees. One character, the "aww shucks", all around good guy and egyptologist, Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels), especially catches her eye.

She apparently also catches his eye, as one day he turns to her and begins speaking to her from up on the screen. Moments later, he steps down off the screen and the two run off together, bringing scene to a halt.

The characters in the movie don't know what to do without Tom there, and so just sit and wait for him to return, much to the chagrin of the audience in attendance (they begin to heckle the screen, and the people in the movie begin to heckle the members of the audience in return).

Word quickly spreads of this strange phenomenon and soon the town is bustling with hollywood agents looking to put an end to the "bad publicity". Meanwhile, Cecilia and Tom grow acquainted and of course like any old time movie character, Tom almost immediately proclaims his love for her.

Cecilia seems more concerned with just catching her breath after all the supernatural goings on, but she's entirely sympathetic to the idea. Much like her fantasies of leaving her husband, her fantasies of running off with Tom seem like they are so very possible.

The craziness only heightens when the actor who portrayed Tom Baxter in the movie, Gil Shepherd, comes to town to try and save his career in hollywood (just suppose this living incarnation of his performance commits some crime or "rapes some woman", as his agents so often remind him).

He too, meets and becomes attracted to Cecilia, who is then caught in a sort of love triangle between a movie star and his character. It's a quaint little film that still manages to give us a bit of melancholy near the end, as per Allen's more serious films.

The Tom Baxter character is the stand in for Woody this time, fulfilling Woody's usual role of being an outsider looking in (or is it an insider looking out?). He makes no bones about his feelings about anything: love, religion, society.

The character is the perfect man as invisioned by Woody. And yet, he's also a very apt tribute to the great film characters of the early days of cinema. In fact, the Purple Rose of Cairo is a love letter to the golden age of film.

The care put forth into creating a 1930s film, from the lighting and film type, to the music and make up, it all looks authentic. The Purple Rose of Cairo is a film that aims small, but hits big.