Woody Allen - Crimes and Misdemeanors

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"Judah Rosenthal: And after the awful deed is done, he finds that he's plagued by deep-rooted guilt. Little sparks of his religious background which he'd rejected are suddenly stirred up. He hears his father's voice. He imagines that God is watching his every move. Suddenly, it's not an empty universe at all, but a just and moral one, and he's violated it. Now, he's panic-stricken. He's on the verge of a mental collapse-an inch away from confessing the whole thing to the police. And then one morning, he awakens. The sun is shining, his family is around him and mysteriously, the crisis has lifted. He takes his family on a vacation to Europe and as the months pass, he finds he's not punished. In fact, he prospers. The killing gets attributed to another person-a drifter who has a number of other murders to his credit, so I mean, what the hell? One more doesn't even matter. Now he's scott-free. His life is completely back to normal. Back to his protected world of wealth and privilege."

This quote is from Woody Allen's film "Crimes and Misdemeanors," released in 1989. This particular speech is delivered by the character Judah Rosenthal, portrayed by Martin Landau. In the film, Judah is a respected ophthalmologist and a pillar of his community who faces a moral crisis.

The quote encapsulates a central theme of the film: the exploration of morality, guilt, and the absence of divine justice. Judah's character wrestles with his conscience after committing a serious crime to protect his reputation. The monologue reflects his internal turmoil and the eventual, unsettling resolution where he realizes that he might escape earthly punishment for his actions. This realization leads him to question the moral fabric of the universe.

Allen's take on Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment is a sort of Raskolnikov in reverse

In "Crime and Punishment," Raskolnikov, the protagonist, is tormented by guilt and moral conflict after committing a crime. His journey is deeply psychological, focusing on his internal struggle with his actions and their ethical implications. The novel delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the search for moral absolutes in a complex world.

In contrast, Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" presents Judah Rosenthal, a character who, after committing a serious crime, initially struggles with guilt and the fear of divine retribution, as captured in the quote you provided. However, as the story progresses, Judah's experience diverges from that of Raskolnikov. Instead of being consumed by remorse, Judah finds that his life returns to normal and he faces no immediate consequences for his actions. This outcome challenges the traditional narrative of crime and punishment, as Judah does not follow the path of confession and redemption that Raskolnikov does.

Allen's film explores a more cynical view of morality and justice, suggesting that the universe might be indifferent to human actions and ethics. This perspective contrasts sharply with Dostoevsky's exploration of moral absolutes and the inevitability of spiritual reckoning. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" effectively becomes a modern-day, inverted reflection of "Crime and Punishment," presenting a world where traditional moral structures are questioned and possibly even rendered obsolete.