Reframing the Abusers of Hollywood
TW: This article discusses instances of sexual abuse and grooming.
If you’re like me, you didn’t “grow up” with Woody Allen. I mean “grow up” in the sense that I didn’t watch his films throughout my upbringing or really know who he was for that matter. But maybe you did come of age knowing Allen as a cinematic genius, a beloved cultural icon admired by many - especially New Yorkers. There’s a saying that you’re not a real New Yorker until you’ve come in contact with Woody Allen. Since coming to NYU, I’ve been learning more about the filmmaker as both an artist and a public figure within the city. While I’ve been watching more classic films lately as my interest in the industry has grown, Annie Hall was my introduction to Allen’s work. I found the movie to be an incredible romantic comedy, and I was completely swooned by Diane Keaton’s goofy yet strong willed character. I had to know more about the brilliant, multi-faceted filmmaker I just watched on screen, which led me to a Wikipedia deep-dive on Woody Allen. Yes, he’s a revolutionary in independent filmmaking; he’s also a sexual predator.
In February, HBO Max premiered Allen v. Farrow, a new four-part docu-series that would further investigate the 1992 court case involving Dylan Farrow’s sexual abuse allegations against her adopted father, Woody Allen. Throughout the series, never before seen video evidence and documents used in the legal proceedings are revealed that prove Allen’s guilt well beyond reasonable doubt. As I watched each Sunday at 9 PM, my initial Wikipedia findings would be horrendously confirmed as concrete evidence laid the framework for the Farrow family’s account of life with Woody. Through taped phone calls, interviews, court documents, and several home videos of seven year old Dylan recalling details of the abuse in the days following the incident, it became incredibly clear that Woody Allen is a dangerous sexual predator and most likely a sociopath.
The docu-series was quite shocking and scandalous, but after watching Manhattan last semester, I can’t say that I was surprised at the information. It felt like a right of passage as an NYU media student to watch Manhattan, so I did, and it was one of the prettiest movies I’ve ever seen. The cinematography so perfectly captures the city and its skylines in old school black and white while the soundtrack provides a beautiful sonic representation of NYC. Despite the visual glory of the film, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted within the first five minutes of watching as it was revealed that Allen’s forty-something character was dating a seventeen year old. He continues to see this young girl throughout the entirety of the film while the main plot of his relationship with Diane Keaton is realized. Allen is in love with Keaton (as he is in most of his movies), and the storyline of the seventeen year old contributes little to the film as a whole. So why did the writer/actor include such a provocative plot line in his cinematic masterpiece? Because he’s a predator and he always has been.
Although I was put off by what I had found about Woody Allen on the internet, I wasn’t quite convinced to write him off completely yet. My research found some information on the abuse allegations, but there were also plenty of articles that hinted at Farrow’s story being fabricated by her mother. I didn’t know what to think of the child abuse case specifically, but Allen’s relationship with step-child Soon-Yi Previn was enough evidence to convince me he was a sociopath.
If you don’t believe me, just watch Allen v. Farrow. Dylan will tell you herself, as a young child in the archival footage and as an adult in present time. She has never wavered in her account of the abuse, despite Allen’s constant attempts to discredit her and her mother’s story. Dylan’s story is as solid as the evidence to back it, yet there are still defenders of the director. The discourse around Woody Allen’s stardom and other creatives that have been plagued by sexual assault allegations has only recently started to shift, beginning with the #MeToo movement of 2017. Following the emergence of survivors finally sharing their stories, Dylan’s 1992 court case resurfaced and she became a crucial voice in the movement as someone who’s repeatedly spoken their truth just to be met with doubt and denial. Almost four years later, HBO is once again asking the question, why are we so reluctant to believe victims of abuse?
Even I wasn’t fully convinced of the allegations until viewing the documentary. How could such a creative genius be such an evil person behind closed doors? As interviewees in the series point out, it’s much easier to doubt than to reconcile with the truth, especially when the abuser is someone who you admire and love. Mia Farrow was faced with this unfortunate truth as she so badly didn’t want to believe that Woody was a predator but ultimately had to support her daughter and stand behind her children.
Notable actors and filmmakers similar to Keaton have continued to express their support for Allen in the media, further reinforcing the apprehension revolving around the case. On the other hand, many other creators have come out and said they regret working with the director, some even donated the salaries they made from his films. The flooding support for Dylan’s story effectively shelved Allen’s 2019 movie, A Rainy Day in New York, as well as solidified his identity as an abuser. While the #MeToo movement completely changed our mindset about sexual assault, there is still much more work to be done
Accountability is key in undoing the twisted culture that we have been living in. It is important to admit and call-out inappropriate behavior regardless of the abuser’s status within our society. Incredible creatives can be bad people too, and it’s up to us to change the culture that allows predators to walk free of charge. Although stars like Colin Firth and Greta Gerwig have expressed regret in working with Allen, and some like Timothèe Chalamet have pledged their salaries from his films to organizations like Time’s Up and RAINN, there are still many supporters of the director, such as Scarlett Johansson and Blake Lively. Some people are still too wrapped up in the charm of Woody Allen that they’re unable to admit that there is truth in Dylan’s story, which is why it’s up to the younger generation to change this harmful narrative. We cannot change the past, but we can change our discourse around sexual assault in order to better protect victims in the future.
