Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary
devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.
Stereotypes
The use of cultural stereotypes in the film pokes fun
at the politically correct climate of 1970s
New York. As a Jewish comedian, Alvy (like Woody Allen) has a vested
interest in labeling himself and others for comedic purposes. The
film plays around with stereotypes, treating them both seriously
and ironically, using them as a tool to quickly label characters
but also revealing the limits and cruelty of such labels. Annie
Hall invokes stereotypes to reinforce and dispel prevalent
cultural stereotypes. Alvy’s Jewishness is one example. In a conversation
with Rob, he bemoans a remark he heard at lunch that he interprets
as anti-Semitic. Later, at dinner with Annie’s family, he momentarily
transforms into a Hasidic Jew, full beard and all, representing
visually the Jewish stereotype that Annie’s family seems to hold.
The film also uses stereotypes to define Alvy’s ex-wives quickly
and cleverly and to reinforce the idea that L.A. is full of superficiality,
as all Californian characters live up to the stereotype. Interestingly,
Annie is the only character in the film who actively resists being
stereotyped, defending her Midwestern upbringing and attraction
to L.A. when Alvy uses them to attack her character.
Transformation
In its heavy reliance on fantastical elements, Annie
Hall features numerous instances of transformation, both
visually and within the narrative. There are obvious examples, such
as Alvy’s Hasidic Jew experience and the brief cartoon sequence,
but other more subtle examples are scattered throughout the film.
Annie transforms significantly during her relationship with Alvy,
blooming from blushing wallflower to ambitious artist. She is open
to new experiences and comfortable with the transformative experiences
that drugs allow, using marijuana during sex so that she can, in
a sense, perform better. Rob, too, transforms, moving to L.A. and
embracing its lifestyle. Alvy, on the other hand, is apparently
afraid to change. He refuses to use drugs, claiming they make him
“unbearably wonderful,” and clings to his city and his life as though
an upheaval would drastically harm him. Indeed, even his brief visit
to L.A. results in physical illness. Nonetheless, though Alvy is
resistant to change in his real life, he adopts it often in his
art, riffing on life in his jokes and revising events in his play
to fit his desires.
Performance
Performance is important to Annie Hall,
especially in terms of its comedic aspects. The film is framed between
two humorous monologues, suggesting that the film itself should
be regarded as an entertaining performance rather than taken too
seriously. Fundamentally, the film is a comedy and therefore intended
to induce laughter; indeed, at its most basic level, it is simply
a number of brief comic sketches pieced together. Performance is
important not just for the viewer’s sake but also for the main characters,
who occupy performative roles. Alvy is a comedian; Annie, a singer; Rob,
an actor. By emphasizing performance as a career and as the function
of the film, Annie Hall suggests that all social
interaction, particularly as pertaining to romantic relationships,
is performance. Surely, Alvy’s constant jokes, even in casual conversation,
are a form of performance. And of course there are the scenes involving
sex, failure to have satisfactory sex, or failure to have sex at
all. Alvy avoids having sex with Allison because he simply can’t
fake it anymore; Robin blames New York noise for preventing her
successful performance; Annie needs pot to enjoy sex; Alvy is insecure
about his performance generally, and after his first time with Annie,
lavishes their coupling with praise. Sex is treated as a performance
that can go very well or very, very badly.
