WOODY ALLEN: A LIFE IN FILM
Monday 21 April 2003 9pm-10.30pm
The film critic Richard Schickel scored something of a coup when he convinced the notoriously press-shy Woody Allen to sit down for his first extensive on-camera interview about his career. The result is Woody Allen: A Life in Film, where Allen's observations are intercut with a generous sampling of clips from his films.
Allen explains how his directing career stemmed from a dislike of how other filmmakers handled his scripts. He also discusses how his career changed with Annie Hall and his surprise at how his film Stardust Memories was received.
Despite his Upper West Side ways and fondness for Ingmar Bergman, Allen stresses that he is no highbrow, insisting he's the guy who sits at home watching the ballgame in his underwear and drinking a beer rather than the intellectual many mistake him for. "I can play two characters," he explains with a wry smile. "An intellectual type, because I wear glasses, and a lowlife - because that's what I am."
The programme concludes with some scenes from his upcoming comedy Hollywood Ending.
WOODY ALLEN QUIZ
How much do you know about his life and career?
NEWSLETTER Sign up for BBC programme and website news
