Word: existentialist
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Publication of Being and Nothingness establishes Jean-Paul Sartre as the leading French existentialist...
...exercise of walking and/or cycling. The bicycle, by the way, is not only a popular mode of transport but a veritable sport in these parts (Tour de Quad?). On the other hand, maybe our mysterious physical and intellectual appeal results from a feeling of alienation which elevates our existentialist sensitivities. During our leisurely strolls to and from the Yard, our minds ponder how these sentiments were expressed by European literary geniuses from Unamuno to Malraux. Which brings me to my next point: Quadlings are undeniably well-read. But really, how could any Quad resident resist frequenting the Hilles scene...
...characters. Rarely, if ever, does the omniscient narrator comment on the characters or their actions. One area where Moore seems inclined to stray away from the norm is dialogue; all too often, people say things that just aren't spoken by normal people; they're spoken by people in existentialist plays or in college lectures on surrealism. Occasionally these can be distracting--it's hard to believe that these lines are coming from her own experience--but they're part of her style, and it can work either way, as distracting or amazing, depending on the reader. However, this tendency...
...thinking about seeing this movie, think again. Your time would be better spent digging into the hefty Allen catalogue; he's addressed every theme and genre that Harry touches upon better in the past: Want romantic comedy with a hint of pathos? Try Annie Hall or Manhattan. Existentialist dilemmas mixed with murder? Shadows and Fog or Manhattan Murder Mystery should keep you busy. Science fiction meets wacky social satire? Rent Sleeper. Dead-on, perfect drama? Crimes and Misdemeanors and Husbands and Wives are a sure shot. Allen's even made better films in Harry's own kind-of-autobiographical...
...theatre of the absurd, of postmodern anguish a la Waiting for Godot. But it seems unclear why this effect is courted in the first place. The movie's ultimate aim appears to be a statement about the sublime aptitudes and beauty of the human soul, and the existentialist numbness of its intermediate scenes, striking as they may be, are working against this effect...