Director recalls the romance, creative partnership and multifaceted genius of the actress, who died at 79
Woody Allen (Neurotic Groom, Nervous Bride) published a moving text in memory of Diane Keatonwho died at the age of 79, recalling intimate moments of the personal and professional relationship that the two shared over more than five decades. The text was published by The Free Press and quickly spread among film fans and colleagues (via Variety).
“Unlike anyone the planet has ever known or will ever know again, her face and her laugh lit up any space she entered.“, he wrote Allenwhen remembering the first meeting between the two — during the audition for his play Play It Again, Samin 1969, at the Morosco Theatre. Keaton, then newly arrived from Orange County, worked as a wardrobe at a restaurant and was part of the cast of the musical hair.
Allen remembers that, in the first days of rehearsal, their shyness seemed to be an obstacle. “She was shy, I was shy, and with two shy people things can get pretty boring“, he wrote. But everything changed after a simple shared snack. “She was so enchanting, so beautiful, so magical, that I began to doubt my sanity. I thought: is it possible to fall in love so quickly?”
From then on, they became a couple — and one of the most memorable duos in the history of cinema. “Over time, I started making films for an audience of one: Diane Keaton.”the director confessed. “I have never read a single review of my work. I only cared about what Diane had to say.”
In addition to being a muse and scene partner, Keaton It was also an aesthetic and intellectual reference for Allen. He highlighted the artistic eye of the actress — who also ventured as a writer, photographer, visual artist, decorator and director — and her brutal sincerity. “She didn’t hesitate to say when something was wrong, even if it was Shakespeare.”
The filmmaker shared personal memories, like a Thanksgiving holiday at the family home Keatonin Orange County, where he played penny poker with the actress’s relatives and “earned about 80 cents”. “This beautiful country girl went on to become an award-winning actress and sophisticated style icon“, he wrote.
About the end of the relationship, Allen was enigmatic: “We had some great personal years together and in the end we went our separate ways. Why did we break up? Only God and Freud might know.”
Allen He ended the text with a melancholic tone: “Just a few days ago, the world was a place that included Diane Keaton. Now it’s a world that no longer has it. It is, therefore, a sadder world. Still, his films remain. And the sound of your laughter still echoes in my head.”
Keaton starred in eight of the 50 films Allenincluding Neurotic Groom, Nervous Bride, Manhattan and The Radio Agebecoming not only his most important creative partner, but also the most symbolic face of his filmography.
The relationship between the two, however, has always been surrounded by controversy due to accusations of abuse against Allendenied by him. During the #MeToo movement, Keaton he even publicly defended him on social media: “Woody Allen is my friend and I still believe in him”, he wrote at the time.
In 2017, Allen was the one who paid tribute to his friend, by giving her the AFI Life Achievement Award. “From the minute I met her, she was a huge inspiration to me. I certainly owe much of what I have achieved in life to her. Seeing the world through Diane’s eyes was a privilege. She is a woman who is great at everything she does.”
Source: Variety
READ ALSO: Friend remembers last meeting with Diane Keaton: ‘She was very thin’
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Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
