The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

The main players:
Mia Farrow-Cecelia
Danny Aiello-Monk
Jeff Daniels Tom/Gil

  I decided to start this column with "The Purple Rose of Cairo" because it reminds me of Allen's latest film "Midnight in Paris". Both films feature protagonists that escape their current, unhappy situations. Both films are light comedies and they both feature a strong fantasy element. Don't let my use of the word fantasy turn you off. We're not talking "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings" level of fantasy.  In the Woody Allen universe, fantasy is more akin to daydreaming at work.
  The plot of "Purple Rose of Cairo" is simple enough. Mia Farrow plays Cecelia, a Depression era waitress who escapes her dreary existence by retreating to her local movie palace. I'm not the biggest fan of Farrow, but I can tolerate her in the right role. She's the weakest character in the movie, which is surprising since Allen is arguably the best male writer of women characters in film history. Cecelia is fairly one note,She's a comically inept waitress, she's married to a guy that comes of as a slightly more sinister version of Ralph Cramden. She only becomes interesting when a character from the film notices her sitting in the audience night after night and jumps out of the screen to be with her.
 "Purple Rose of Cairo" is often seen as a "minor" Woody Allen work. It's light comedy as movie geek wish fulfillment. "PROC" (I don't feel like typing the whole title anymore) deserves to be looked at as more than just fluff. Allen gives his viewer a lot of interesting ideas to chew on while they watch. "PROC" talks about the importance of movies in people's lives, and it gives us an interesting glimpse into the thoughts 1985 Woody Allen had about his audience and the actors in his films.
  The simplest aspect of "PROC" is about how Americans got away from the harsh reality of the Depression by going to the movies. People flocked to see films set in glamorous locations populated by fabulous characters. For Americans living in the 1930's those types of movies may as well have been Science Fiction. As a modern filmgoer in living through harsh economic times, I find recent "Retail Porn" movies like "Sex and the City 2" borderline offensive. The people who produce films like that are asking cash strapped audiences to identify with characters whose biggest problems are which 700 dollar pair of shoes to buy or what trendy restaurant to eat at. It's ridiculous and I think Allen feels the same way about films of that type. When Tom Baxter, the dashing archeologist character from the film within the film enters the real world, he has no idea about current circumstances. He thinks jobs are easy to come by, money grows on trees, and he sees a bread line as a social gathering. One of the things about "PROC" that works for me is the idea that we want to escape to a world of silly, attractive morons to get away from our problems.
 Speaking of morons, it's very clear what Allen thinks of his audience and his actors during the phase of his career. The dozen or so movies he made while he was writing roles for Mia Farrow tend to be a little more high falutin' than the films of the early and later periods of his career. Allen made some excellent movies during that time but there is a sense that the love his audience and actors had for him was unrequited. When Tom escapes from the screen, the members of the audience are angry about the unexpected development. They were content to watch the same movie over and over again. Allen was said to be bitter about the fact that his audience only wanted to see retreads of "Annie Hall" year after year. When an audience member complains "I want to see the same movie I already saw!" it's easy to imagine Allen thinking that's what his audience wants.
  Actors don't fare much better in "PROC". When Gil Shepard, the actor who plays Tom, comes to New Jersey in an attempt to get him back into the movie he cares more about his career than the implications of having his double running around. Gil even uses and discards Cecelia in order to trick Tom into going back to the movie. Once she helps him, his offer for her to move to Hollywood with him gets forgotten and he leaves her in the dust. Allen seems to be saying that actors will step on anyone to get what they want.
  This viewpoint is also clear in Allen's portrayal of the other characters in the movie Tom leaves behind.  Every character, no matter how minor, thinks they are the star of the show. That aspect of the film seems to be Allen's viewpoint in general. Everybody sees themselves as the most important person in the world, according to Allen.
  Over all, "The Purple Rose of Cairo" is an enjoyable film. The Depression time frame feel authentic and the jokes work more often than not. Allen is one of those filmmakers that people either love or hate. "PROC" is a good film to use as an entry point if you're interested in catching up on his filmography. The fantasy and comedy might be more palpable to newbies than his more earnest work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp6YDZVVbj0