Essay Questions

What is the name the famous novel and author which this film uses as a basis for it's theme?

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is the novel by which Woody Allen seeks to parallel subject matter in this film. His characters portray the weight of guilt in life based on murdering someone just as in the novel.

What is Lester's definition of comedy, and how does it relate to the film as a whole?

Lester says that comedy is tragedy plus time. We watch as the film itself ebbs from a comedic look at Cliff's life into a tragedy of loss for him as he loses the woman he wants to be with to Lester. We then see Judah pitch his film idea to Cliff at the end of the film and it becomes comedic for Cliff. Thus Lester's idea of what comedy is is also explored within the bounds of the story filmed.

What theme is explored in this film that Woody Allen explores in many of his other films?

Morality and the moral dilemma is explored in this film. Mr. Allen explores this theme in many of his movies, and it is center stage in this film as we watch Judah deal with the morality of killing his mistress and whether he will be able to live with this guilt or not. It becomes a great weight upon him and the biggest unanswered question of the film.