Manhattan (Opening)

[atreyu975]

The best shoot that Manhattan never had from foundation

[NJpanther05]

one of the best openings of cinema

[Chuckscott]

This isn't my favorite Woody Allen movie, but boy nobody could capture Manhattan on film and with music like Woody!!

[BeatleEDs]

@Chuckscott - If not this, than what is you favorite?

[balladinplainh]

happy birthday woody!

[Isket22]

When I first saw the movie, I was around 17. I liked it, but skipped this part, thinking: wtf, 3 minutes of new york shots with some old-fasioned music?

When I was 20, I understood it. Pure love rof the city.

Now, I only watch this openning, once a day. It makes me want to live..

[heatherblake67]

All I can say is O M G! This is so good it gives me goose bumps... It is THAT good!

[TheeMysteryHour]

This to be on the, if not the greatest film opening of all time. It gets overlooked thanks to more mainstream stuff like the title crawl of Star Wars, but it just doesn't get any better than this. It's perfect.

[cymrutroll]

Woody is a naughty Ephebophile

[garyw930]

Alone And Asleep by Oh Sam Bin Laden - controversial new publication.

[FetaCheese222]

Some of the most incredible cinematography ever in film. New York looks almost like Fritz Lang's Metropolis in these shots.

[seasorb]

One of the greatest openings in film. Up there with the crane shit in Once Opon a Time in the West or horse charge in Henry IV etc

[SuperMegaUberGenius]

wow, this katrina survior from jazzfest clarinet fame make the best egg salad of hurricane irene.

[ironicsarcastic]

"coiled sexual power of a jungle cat...i love this!" hahahahahahaha

[jakrabbitslimz]

best opening of all time

[dieeser]

New York was his town, and it always would be.

[revelation6166]

I felt like giving New York an applause after this video....

[sonofliberty1]

Wow! One person dislikes this.

I guess that they are the exception that proves the rule (that this is one of the best film introductions ever)!

[baftagirl74]

I mean come.. Not easy to type correct when your coming! ;-)>

[baftagirl74]

I just came.

[aaspri]

Woody pays homage to this opening in Midnight in Paris, where he essentially does the same thing, but with Paris! Gorgeous stuff!

[uneedtherapy42]

throat clear at 1:03 is so cool

[slye1991]

Somehow I knew the final version of woody's first chapter would be the one that made him sound the best.

[GypsumFantastik]

Love, love, LOVE this.

[TheD0RKNIGHT]

one word: genius

[mwelle1]

To him New York meant beautiful women, and street smart guys who seemed to know all the angles...Ah corny, too corny for a man of my taste. Ahem.

[wlns]

Fireworks at 2:55-love it. This is a timeless classic by one of America's great filmmakers/writers. Woody is part of the academy of the underrated.

[bradsoroka]

I'm a generation later and love every frame of this movie. Timeless, perfect, cinema.

[rickdynes]

Stanley Drucker on clarinet. This must be the best performance of the opening of this piece. This is the New York Philharmonic saying Gershwin is unquestionably one of the great composers and he's ours, he's American, baby...and American musicians know this music better than anyone else. And we couldn't be more proud.

[cranky1chick]

New York, my home. A town I love and hate equally. It looks so good through Allen's lens.

[antimatterXXXIII]

Man if you don't get a smile and some real chills from this scene, you're made of stone. One of the greatest openings ever, the way to starts in the murky twilight and then BANG sunrise over Central Park - WOW.

[antimatterXXXIII]

The Trade Center buildings always seem like family members who have been killed in a terrible accident, and you can't get used to them being gone.

[dropmeoffinharlem]

the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat. jaaam!

[susankhamilton]

If you come to Manhattan, and won't see me... I don't wan't to know. Please, give me that.

[morval99]

the ending for me is just as good; allens expression when hemingway says "have a little faith in people"

[67tr876]

They got a good shot of my building at 1:33 Nice

[axellllle]

music // lawrence dabadie

[Elitist20]

Saw this once IN Manhattan. When the fireworks started, the Manhattan audience cheered.

[cha5]

When oh when will this classic be out on Blu-ray?

[arbiknoxvillain]

as a tribute to woody, gershwin and of course my own city: Melbourne, Australia, i made a little tribute to this opening sequence if anyone would care to check it out.

'son my channel :)

[iepurasdragalas22]

for SWEET.

[matypete1]

cinematic perfection.

[grafonolafavorite]

1:40 "Too angry. I don't want to be angry". It didn't sound angry to me. But what do I know. I'm from Bucyrus, Ohio.

[leatherhero20]

@o82774 Go piss up a flag pole and get a life, so what about his voice? Have you forgotten how much talent the guy has? He's an utter legend. Period. And you'll probably never have a fraction of his talent.

[o82774]

@leatherhero20

He's pretty talented true. Yet he is still VERY limited in his abilities. His work is stuck in a very sheltered place that makes it irrelevant at times (unless you're from that place). I get that that the guy is good at what he does but what he does is by no means the product of genius creativity or even prodigal talent. He gets his rep mostly from his work being identified with by and being validating to a very small sheltered group of people. And his voice is unlistenable.

[o82774]

This guy must have the most annoying voice of anyman on the planet. It's funny how he gets a pass on this lol. I mean talented yeah I guess but definitely a geek. Hisnasal voice and cadence ruins this sequence.

[GreatUnwashedMass]

@o82774 I'm guessing you are 18 or under.

[o82774]

@GreatUnwashedMass

Nope. I am an adult who is mature enough to identify that Woody has some talent yet still has a terrible voice that makes his performance almost unwatchable and takes you away from his films. it's a shame because if he just found a descent actor instead of trying to force himself as a leading man the quality of his work would be vastly improved. As it is he relegates his work to being an acquired taste when it could have been so much more.

[averagehomosapien]

He plays neurotic characters, and part of being neurotic is sounding tinny and off-putting. Without Woody Allen as the lead in these movies, they wouldn't have been the same and they would have garnered to a very different group people. If you don't like it, great -- It wasn't made for people like you.

[michiel2047]

@o82774 isn't "terrible voice that makes his performance almost unwatchable" a bit extreme... snob.

[michiel2047]

@o82774 in the link: Woody Allen on nazi's. You sound just like that pseudo-intellectual woman. I don't like that kind of thing. Even the smart don't act smart. that's part of being smart. People will realise you are smart as they get to know you... Look at my lack of caps and buggy spelling, i'm at university studying computer science. i don't have to act smart.... niether do you lot. stop arguing and trying to outsmart eachother.

[o82774]

@michiel2047

You're tripping. Deconstruction's aside., it's not an outlandish position to say that the extremely nasal voice of Woody Allen makes a film STARRING him unwatchable for MANY people. I liked "Radio Days" and Crimes and Misdemeanors. etc. He brings his films down by being them. Spike Lee has the same problem (well his films SUCK regardless lol) The guy is hard on the eyes and ears. This is not a difficult intellectual premise to grasp.

[michiel2047]

@o82774 just stop playing the intellectual guy here. I personally love his voice. you have your opinion i have mine. But stop defending it with all your arguments. I don't know half the people you mentioned in your previous comment. Does that make you smart? no.

By the way, did you read my comment? Your reply had nothing to do with my comment... I just get pissed of when people act smart or tough on the internet. the internet does not care.

[o82774]

@michiel2047

You love Woody Allen's voice? Cool. But you should still be objective enough to see why many would not like it. It's whiny and nasal. Who's acting smart and tough? What are you talking about? You are starting to sound like a dummy who feels insecure whenever someone drops a name you don't know. This doesn't make you dumb. Calm down and stop feeling so intellectually inferior. You have some brains. Stop feeling dumb and threatened.

[michiel2047]

@o82774 I don't feel dumb... At the moment i'm sitting behind my desk doing exercises on the laplace transformation. I just think it's pointless to try to come across as smart on the internet by dictating what other people should think on the matter. I understand you dislike his voice but hey, you're just one guy. I don't have to hold the objective opinion on small topics like this, most people don't stand still to think about his voice. It's not important.

[o82774]

@michiel2047

You'e right it's not important. It''s entertainment. Sp unimportant things like a whiny voice does matter in the unimportant realm of entertainment. It's not like I said "He is a horrible human being because hiswhas a whiny nasal voice". Nope. I said his whiny nasal voice ruins the entertainment value of a film that features his whiny nasal voice. Anyhow the guy is still talented so I concede that to you sir. I would imagine you have good taste in film. Peace.

[BlueCougar]

@o82774 Guys... can't you two realize you are BOTH terribly uninteresting?

[o82774]

@BlueCougar

Yet you read our posts and commented on them lol.

Cm'on keep it real and ignore our nonsense if it's uninteresting. Who the heck comments on a Woody Allen thread debate that's been dead for a month? Geez ...ur right we're NOT that interesting :)

[6stuckinlimbo6]

@o82774 shut up

[o82774]

@6stuckinlimbo6 You shut up.

Good now we are both officially 12 years old haha.

[jackboot78]

Is that Amy from the A - Team at 0:56/57?? I think it was

[DavidMcCann995]

Never ever get tired of watching this! Perfection!

[Unenthusiasticly]

I am so glad I share a birthday with Woody Allen. :]

[polishpunk911]

" 'Behind his black rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat', oh i love this."

[Wordman67]

So beautifully shot and edited, and with Gershwin's magnificent music underneath, one of the greatest opening sequences of all time. I get chills up my spine every time I watch it.

[blarney78]

Best opening sequence ever.

[petie71]

I love the quick shot of everyone on the payphone. You don't see that anymore (for obvious reasons).

[edwardjames50]

Glorious, like the city itself.

[banedoggy]

Wow. The black and white cinematography is awe inspiring and beautiful here. The musical score is right on the money. The narration smart and funny. Viva la woodman!

[drawgo]

And it gets BETTER after this!

[weikko79]

@drawgo Actually, it gets worse -- this is the best part of the movie.

[rose7art]

wow

[wrumpshaker]

"Rhapsody in blue" by George Gershwin

[foxforcierfive]

@wrumpshaker arrangement by Gary Graffman

[alinagabdima]

what is the name of the song plz someone tell me ?

[alinagabdima]

what is the name of the song ?

[kcufmalsi]

One of the greatest masterpieces of all time. So much better than Annie Hall.... From the Gershwin soundtrack to the B&W film. A love affair with New York... OUTSTANDING!

[TheShiny94]

new york was his town. and it always would be.

[number1vikingsfan]

Really good work. I want woody to keep making new York movies and get outta London.... Great sequence, great movie. Black and white was a gooooood idea

[mrcairns007]

Amazing shots of 1970's New York

[joannasrants]

I still love this, how could I never.

[jumerry]

I think this sequence is actually the greatest part of the movie ... I was quite desapointed with the rest of the movie to be truthfull ...

[miiiikku]

Why is New York in 70s so cool and that decade is seen like peak of New Yorks power.

[johnnyfitzo]

im pretty sure only a New yorker can Frame like that.... Mr. Gordon Willis Proves SO!!!! amazing.

[slye1991]

"behind his black rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat oh i love this" Lol what a great line

[EspioArtwork]

Sleeper vs. Bananas

[badjackbrowning5]

@EspioArtwork I'd take Sleeper between those two, but they're both great.

[jeff98211]

All the stars were aligned with this film.....it really captures what Manhattan was in 1979, besides displaying Woody Allen at the height of his powers

[jenns555]

Gordon Willis is a god.

[ABEGAFE]

'...behind his black rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat Pause (I love this)' lol

[absolutelyNYCfan]

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!

[softylizzie]

I agree, it is the best opening to a Woody Allen movie of all time.... I love it

[DrStrangelove10]

Allen is simply the best

[javautube]

My most favorite movie happens to be Woody Allen's least's. His narration is spot on.

Boy, I love this opening shot, so sublime yet quixotic with scenes of a city veiled in black & white encompassing the hopes and dreams of its denizens. It builds so well with Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and crescendos to the NY Philharmonic's grand finale - fireworks at Central Park.

[macleodeh]

The day I saw Manhattan in first release as a teenager, I knew the was more to life and some people got it and wrote movies about it.

[herrrob14]

I saw this on the big screen in college. It made my heart stop.

[archieblackpool]

perfectly timed as well as written and filmed, love it.

[shakexitup]

The quintessential Woody Allen opening, one of the best opening sequences of all time.

[captainnegro]

@shakexitup I agree that it is one of the best opening sequences of all time, but "quintessential" is the wrong word, since it implies that this is representative of the openings to Woody Allen movies This couldn't be farther from the truth. Almost all Woody Allen movies open with the credits in alphabetical order, white on black text, with some instrumental music playing behind it.

[natilnsop]

@shakexitup I TOTALLY AGREE

[thesacatak07]

@shakexitup THE best opening sequence of all time

[DarkChild91]

my favourite opening sequence! it's so full of passion and emotion *.*

[codestud3]

That's where I was born.

[whahappened]

I never tire of this. Makes me want to punch the air, goosepimples allover.

What makes life worth living? Well for me at least Rhapsody In Blue, Woody Allen, Manhatten.....

[thatgrrlvp]

This is just a knockout-thank you! The entire reason I learned to play Rhapsody in Blue on the piano!! I love Woody!!!

[Xcokedav096]

My favorite opening sequence for any film i've ever seen. this is absolute perfection.

It never gets tiring. I can feel the passion every time I watch this! Terrific film!

[softylizzie]

fantastic yeah, delightful, I adore this film with a passion, chapter one, he adored new york city ..... changing his mind fantastic .... haha

this was still a town which existed in black and white and pulsated to the tunes of george gershwin

haha

[Elrich89]

Woody Allen's love letter to NYC... Beautiful.

[Picardy]

Lovely footage of New York. Woody Allen's early (good) movies are very much responsible for how I view the world. That's what happens when a romatic such as myself is influenced early! I started viewing his films just at the right age. So Thank you, Woody.

[losangelesaceface]

Finally. A good widescreen version of this on here. Thanks!

[TimKraemer]

Cinematic perfection.

[battycurry1]

thanks