In a new interview with the Daily Mail, Woody Allen, rightfully so, defended himself against what he calls “a false allegation,” but, more intriguingly, said that he’s still looking to make his first “great film” because he doesn’t believe he’s made one yet in his legendary 50-year career as a director.
“I still don’t feel I’ve made a great movie like Federico Fellini or Ingmar Bergman, nothing like ‘The Seventh Seal’ or ‘The Bicycle Thief.’ I won’t stop trying because although I’ve been reasonably successful I have never satisfied myself artistically. You don’t make a movie to win an award. Mozart never composed a symphony thinking about a trophy. If I get a chance and the virus abates, maybe before I die there is always the chance I will make a great film. But I haven’t done that yet.”
Of course, fans of Woody’s oeuvre will disagree with this statement, especially if you take into account that he’s the same guy that directed “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Zelig,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “Annie Hall.”