Crimes & Misdemeanors

In Woody Allen’s film “Crimes and Misdemeanors”, there are no less than four different tales wove into one film. All of Woody Allen’s films show that he is more than the typical Hollywood filmmaker in that the characters portrayed always appear to be going through the life experiences that most human beings go through.  
In “Crimes and Misdemeanors” the two main characters are Cliff Stern played by Woody Allen and Judah Rosenthal played by Martin Landau. The main plot revolves around these two characters. Cliff is an unsuccessful filmmaker who believes that his work is not successful because he is such a purist and not compromising in his standards. He is also a hopeless romantic, which is a common theme for Allen’s characters in his film. Judah is a successful ophthalmologist and also appears to the community to be a philanthropist and a man devoted to his family. They are both involved in adulterous affairs in one form or another. Cliff’s affair with Halley never appears to be physically consummated and is more wishful thinking on Cliff’s part. Judah’s affair with Delores, an airline stewardess, has going on for several years. He tries to end it with her when it becomes more intimate than he wants and she threatens to destroy his carefully constructed image if he does not leave his wife and marry her. He becomes desperate and
ends their affair in a very final manner.