I always believe that a good movie,
other than being a mere form of entertainment,
always provides audiences with some points to reflect on.
Manhattan, a 1979 romantic comedy by Woody Allen,
is all about entangled relationships
which takes place in the city.
It relates to common weaknesses
in interpersonal relationships.
Firstly, we tend to stereotype people
especially when it comes to attaching a negative trait.
When Isaac is dating Tracy,
he always assumes that Tracy
knows nothing about love since she is only seventeen.
So he never really takes her seriously.
On another incident,
just because he disagrees with Mary
on a few points regarding artists,
he comes to the conclusion that
she is a “pseudo-intellectual garbage”.
On a deeper level,
when stereotyping turns ugly,
it transforms into prejudice.
Isaac does not believe in homosexual relationship.
So he always treats the homosexual partner
of his ex-wife with hostility,
and would never accept the fact that
his son, Willie will grow up healthily
in a family with two mothers.
In any form of relationship,
as long as stereotype and prejudice still exist,
things will never work out.
When people are facing crisis in their relationships,
they will most probably put the blames on others.
When Emily and Yale break up,
Emily blames Isaac for introducing Mary to Yale.
But in fact is that Yale and Mary
have been seeing each other long ago,
even before Isaac knows Mary.
She could have suspected something fishy
has been going on earlier
and do something to save their marriage.
Sometimes,
we just could not easily jump into conclusion
and point our fingers at others
because the situation may be
way complicated as it seems to be.
Additionally,
we can see how people take things for granted
and make statements quite casually
as if they do not really care.
But later on,
when things happened as the way they have predicted,
they come to realize
they couldn’t cope with it at all.
When Isaac is dating Tracy,
he always asks her not to be hung up with him
and should go on to explore relationships with more guys around
and encourage her to further her studies at London.
However, in the end,
when Tracy is really leaving for London,
he is suddenly all devastated
and wants her back in his life.
Last but not least,
this movie educates that there is no formula
which assures that a relationship will go on well all the time.
Extra matrimonial affair, return of ex-partner,
just to name a few, can ruin a relationship overnight.
Just like Isaac,
he is witty and smart,
yet he has failed twice in marriage
and the subsequent relationships.
Anything can immediately
bring two persons together
and at the same time,
to tear them apart too.
In short,
the movie mirrors the ups and downs of relationships.
The interaction process among human being
would not shift with the change of time and setting.
So long as one falls in love,
he will find himself in similar situations again.
But Tracy has said at the very end of the movie:
not everybody gets corrupted;
you have to have a little faith in people.
Manhattan / 1979 / trailer
