So I was watching Annie Hall for the umpteenth time the other day, and I got to thinking about how much of that film is not funny if you are not a New Yorker. From there I went to all of the films I love about the city I love and how weird they must be for non-New Yorkers. Sure, I have seen films that take place in all sorts of cities, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed some clever in jokes to their residents, But to me, there is simply no other place like New York. So with unrepentant New Yorker superiority I present, in no particular order, my favorite films featuring the Big Apple, where it is not so much just a setting, but a character in and of itself.
1. Annie Hall (1977). Everything about this film oozes New York. Allen’s frank statements about the garbage, the art scene, the culture, and his unending disdain and mockery of California, is one of my favorite aspects about this film. His self effacing satire about New York intellectuals has been explored in other of his films, but nothing quite gets me like the flashback between he and his ex wife at the party.
2. Taxi Driver (1976): it was hard to pick which Scorsese film to choose, so many of them is a love poem to Gotham that I might as well have put his whole catalogue (his recent “love” of New England can stop now). I chose Taxi Driver, because like a host of other New York set films of the 70’s, it portrays the city in a very unflattering light. Now I am admittedly too young to have been in New York in the 70’s, but my parents grew up there. I remember after watching The French Connection (another list contender), I asked my father if New York was really such a dirty and crime ridden place in the 70’s. The answer was a definite yes, especially depending on where you where. Sure it is the greatest city in the world, but it has gone through its rough patches, and Taxi Driver is a perfect example of this.
3. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001): Okay, so the city is never named in this film, and all of the locations are given fictitious titles, but it is still New York. Even as a slightly askew version of the Big Apple, there is no denying the utter New Yorkness of the film. This movie represents everything I love about the city, despite being a fanciful version of it. When Royal, played by Gene Hackman, walks with his estranged wife played by Angelica Huston, it echoes any number of times I have walked through the park. It is my favorite Wes Anderson film, and one of my favorite films of all time. The quit poetic genius of the characters, who se brilliance is often overshadowed by their eccentricities, reminds me ever so slightly of members of my own family. It is truly a film for New Yorkers.
4. Wall Street (1987): No other film encapsulates the greed and financial optimism and excess of the 1980’s better than Wall Street. And no other city could contain this monumental film. From Charlie sheen looking out from the windows of his penthouse, to the argument in central park, to the myriad of clubs and fine restaurants featured in the film, Wall Street shows the city in all of its elitist splendor, and it shows it from the inside. Close contender for the same sentiment is 2000’s American Psycho (4 ½), which shows us the same opulence and elitism, but with a less stomachable evil that simple greed. Not for the faint of heart, film at times plays like Wall Street as directed by Wes Craven, but still manages to serve as just an effective indictment of the wealthy and shallow.
5. Escape From New York (1981): John Carpenter is one of my all time favorite directors., and this is one of my favs. It is very possible t imagine New York as the lawless prison wasteland depicted in this flick, and that is what’s fun about it. Seeing beloved locales reduced to the squalor and terrifying desolation of a Mad Max set piece causes a thrill every time I watch this movie. The primary villain, played by Isaac Hayes, is referred to as The Duke of New York, and he and other characters can be heard to refer to him as “A # 1” (including Donald Pleasance during the climax of the film.) At first glance, one might think this movie could take place in any major city, but 1996’s sequel Escape From L.A. shows that this is certainly not the case. it is by far my favorite vision of post apocalyptic New York (SPOILER ALERT: a close second might be Planet of the Apes, but I think that might be stretching the point a bit).
6. Marathon Man (1976): New York Academia, Political Intrigue, Espionage Action, Diamond Theft, Nazis…Dentists, William Goldman’s Novel is perfectly adapted to film, which features more than enough memorable scenes and is one of the best thrillers ever made. Olivier is perhaps one of the creepiest and most effective screen villains ever, and the scene with him in the diamond district is my personal favorite. All in all, this is a film that could only take place in New York, and anyplace else and it wouldn’t have the same feel.
7. The Fischer King (1991): Terry Gilliam’s film about homeless lunatics and Arthurian legend is an odd film, but a great one. It’s hard to say anything else about it other than the main theme song of the film is “How About You” and when Robin Williams and his gang of vagrants save Jeff Bridges life by shouting “I Like New York in June, How About You?”, you can’t help but be pulled in by the absurd and at times heart wrenching story.
8. Highlander (1986): As with so many franchises, see the first, skip the rest, and while I am a fan of most of these films (and the spin off show) the first film is really a great modern fantasy and can and should be viewed as a standalone film. Of course the centuries long battle between good and evil would be in New York, where else. Two of my favorite shots are establishing shots. The opening, where the camera zooms in on Christopher Lambert’s face in the stands at MSG form all the way across the arena, is just awesome. The other is the long shot of the Silver Cup sign, where the climactic battle occurs. Whenever I am on the FDR and see it across the river, I think of this film.
9. Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989): Okay, so these two go together. Obviously the vastly superior first installment gets the edge here, if not for any other reason than its liberal use of the city’s fantastic architecture and recognizable locals. The City is presented as a unique organism, one where it takers the most shocking and impressive things to stun the residents. The second installment goes even deeper with its love of the city, as it takes the combined will of the people of Manhattan to force the evil back to its place of origin (or nearest convenient parallel dimension). The second film also contains one of the funniest and appropriate encapsulations of New York ever committed to film. When the gang tells the Mayor that it is the negative emotions throughout the city that are causing the disturbance, he incredulously asks if they think he can go and tell 6 million people they have to be nice to each other. He further muses with this gem of a line “Being miserable, and treating other people like dirt, is every New Yorker’s God given right!” However for the purposes of this list, I’ll refer back to the first films closing lines, shouted from the roof top by a marshmallow covered Ernie Hudson “I love this town.”
So that’s my list for now. Believe me, it is far from complete, and I just couldn’t think of what to give to the tenth slot. I was going to talk about Muppet’s Take Manhattan, Moonstruck, Arthur, The Jazz Singer, Home Alone 2, As Good as it Gets, and so many more, but the list could go on and on. Any suggestions comments, please let me know.
