Entertainment - Reuters

'Failed Artist' Woody Allen Talks Up European Film
Sat Oct 26,12:18 PM ET
By Luke Baker

ROME (Reuters) - Quirky comedy director Woody Allen (news) dismissed
himself as a failed artist on Saturday and described American cinema
as a sink-hole of mindless entertainment where everyone was obsessed
with money.


Reuters Photo



"If I had to describe myself in three words, I would say: A Failed
Artist," a deadpan Allen told reporters in Rome, where he is
promoting his latest film "Hollywood Ending."


"I don't know how to act, I mean, I'm not an actor like Dustin
Hoffman (news) is an actor or Jack Nicholson (news) is an actor, and
I don't have enough talent to be a jazz musician. I'm very, very
mediocre. In fact, I'm less than mediocre."


While characteristically self-deprecating, Allen was also full of
criticism for U.S. films, and for Hollywood in particular, a place he
had appeared to court in recent months, even making a first-ever
appearance at the Oscars (news - web sites) in March.


"I've always had a very critical attitude to Hollywood. Essentially,
it's a place where people spend a huge amount of money and yet make
very few, if any, decent films," he said.


"If I compare U.S. films to the European films I saw as a child, the
European ones were so much more original, rich and imaginative, and
they really contributed to the development of cinema as an art form.


"I've never really seen the same thing from Hollywood, which always
has one eye focused on entertainment and money."


While Hollywood may have produced masterpieces such as Orson
Welles' "Citizen Kane," Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory" and John
Huston's "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," Allen said overall it
was small beef next to Europe's output.


"If you look at European films, there's no question that they are
deeper works of art. You look at something like "The Bicycle Thief,"
or "Grand Illusion," or Fellini's "8 1/2" -- there's no comparison."


"JUST SILLY PICTURES"


While Allen's withering criticism may come as no surprise to those
familiar with his laments, he seldom heaps scorn on his home
country's film-making, and has certainly done so less since
DreamWorks started producing and distributing his films.

But he seemed almost indignant on Saturday about American
shortcomings.

"You know, it's got to the stage in the States that you struggle to
find something to watch on a Saturday night -- it's all just silly
pictures.

"Sometimes, like I did last Saturday night, you find a theater
showing a European film and it can transform the evening. We watched
Pedro Almodovar's movie and it was a great experience. It's an
intelligent and very, very fine film."

Asked whether the lack of quality entertainment back home made him
want to move to Europe, Allen turned evasive, however.

"Well, it's not easy to just pull up your life and move to Europe.
It's something that I have at times considered, but it's not an easy
thing to give up your home and your language," said the director, who
has lived all his life in New York city.

"I would happily come and make movies in Rome, or Paris, or London,
or Berlin if I had an idea that worked in those places, but it's
having the idea that's difficult.

In the end, he said he would do whatever his wife, Soon Yi, whom he
secretly married in Venice five years ago, decided.

"My wife likes to come to all these places in Europe. Whatever makes
her happy makes me happy, so I'll do that."