Absolutely superb documentary exploring the relationship between Woody Allen and the Farrow clan
Before 2017, I had not had much interest in Woody Allen’s movies. Not because I did not know who the man was, but because his work was not in my optic eye back then. But when all the controversies surrounding MeToo and TimesUp appeared and Woody’s name was mentioned, it was impossible to not hear about all of what was going on between Woody Allen and the Farrow family. All the accusations, the reproaches, and the level of support adressed toward Dylan Farrow. With some actresses and actors believing her, even regretting their work they did in Woody’s movies. A move that I found so hypocritical since they all knew about the allegations for decades and how he had been cleared by two exhaustive and rough investigations. All of them declaring Woody Allen innocent and Mia Farrow being denounced as someone who coached her kid to say bad stuff about Woody because of his affair with her adoptive daughter Soon-Yi, whom André Prévin and Mia had adopted years ago. A young woman who denounced Mia as an abuser who mistreated her daily and who had accused Woody of attacking Soon-Yi out of revenge, only to then change that he had attacked Dylan. All of that under custody battle regarding the children he and Mia had raised together.
So through this chaotic year online where, on Twitter, people on both sides (Anti-Allen and Pro-Allen) were arguing their sides and their stance over Woody, I became all the more tempted to discover his work. Especially when someone I used to follow back then stated strongly his disgust for Woody. To a point that I had enough of this witch hunt game and decided to give his movies a try. Starting with Annie Hall, then his other 1970s-2010s classics, I saw in them one of the best american directors ever. A pillar of storytelling and of movie direction. Promoting the culture and beauty of New York and other locations he explored like London, Paris, or Barcelona.
And as for his private life, I consider my personal experience with a prima donna celebrity who followed me online and with whom I became friends with for four months a very good experience as to who and what is an abusive and problematic celebrity and what is not such a person. Of that story, which I compiled in this gallery as it is exhaustive, you can consider it an optional/extra reading to this blog post. A moment of my life that influenced quite a lot my personal perspectives over celebrities, media, and their hypocrisies.
So ever since my story with that disturbing celebrity, it made me more than ready to explore the conflicts between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. And right away, it was very interesting how Woody’s side has never been plagued with any sort of problem whether in his personal or professional lives. But as for Mia Farrow, the quantity of disturbing reports within her life and her family were shocking. Abuse, violence, tragic deaths, family breakups, friendships broken due to Mia’s affairs with her friends’ husbands, power struggles, favoritism, and family exploitation. The kind of stuff I always sort of sensed around Mia Farrow and her life as there was something about her and her family that was strange and mysterious. Whereas with Woody’s side, that there have never been negative reports about his behaviour with his colleagues, friends, fans, and family members says it all. And when you look at his kids; who have always shown online a kindness, humility, and respect for others, it reflects a lot about the parents. While with Mia Farrow’s, the number of dysfunctional conflicts with them is quite telling. And consistent with what Moses Farrow and Soon-Yi Previn have reported in their respective accounts. Whom many MeToo and TimesUp activists deliberately ignore, which is hypocritical considering their philosophy of “believing all acusations”. Which shows you how they’d rather follow the side where the best chance of PR and opportunism may flow good for them; rather than take time to listen to both sides of a conflict and see what everybody has to say.
And this is where this documentary does a wonderful job. For during the first hour, it explores in exhaustive details the allegations from the Farrow side, then the perspective of Woody’s side. Including the infos from Moses and Soon-Yi. So everybody gives their say on this matter. And we analyse the various court documents employed in the 1992 investigations. We explore the various contradictions from Ronan Farrow, his sister Dylan, and their mother Mia. And regarding Ronan, Dylan, and Mia, Rick Worley takes a long time exploring the double standards, hypocrisies and opportunism these two have employed with their attacks on Woody Allen, and their exploitation of the MeToo and TimesUp movements to boost their image and act like heroes of historical crusades.
So through tv reports, interviews, book excerpts, home video recordings, testimonials, and summaries of documents ranging from Woody Allen’s book to court documents and blog posts, we discover a rich analysis of all the pawns in this conflict and all their statements, whether they contradict with others or not. For almost three hours. So if you ever want to try to watch this doc, try to see it in portions as the content is exhaustive and requires time to digest all the facts.
And to those who might find such documentary offensive and an insult to Dylan, Ronan and Mia Farrow, do remember that when you accuse somebody of something, the person accused has a right to defend himself/herself and to state what he/she has to say. And if there are other people who can share their defense of the accused and hold facts that can help get a clear picture of what is going on, then it is their responsibility to share their perspective. For it is by getting as much of a wide and clear perspective of what happens in a conflict that we can see which facts are recurrent, if the accusers are saying the truth or not, and if the people accused are innocent or liars. For remember, what happened to Woody Allen could happen to anybody, including to those who accuse him of being a monster. And if those who attack him were accused of the same things he is accused or of any accusations, they would all want to be treated with due process and innocence until proven guilty. Something that those who attack Woody seem to forget.
As such, By The Way, Woody Allen Is Innocent is a superb documentary to watch if you want a multiple perspective on the situation between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, without drone shots or manipulative music like so many american docs love to do nowadays, turning their informative pieces into emotionally manipulative propaganda. It is a documentary as exhaustive and rich as Lies of Leaving Neverland and Square One MJ; documentaries that defend Michael Jackson and take time to expose those that have attacked the King of Pop with BS allegations. Exposing their lies, but also their infamous histories, including the narcissism that the Farrow clan shares as well.
In sum, this documentary has the ethics that so many shown either on TV or in cinemas lack. And for those who want more documentation regarding Woody Allen and Mia Farrow, here are worthy links to read.
Links related to this article
Introducing Soon-Yi Previn (Vulture article)
A Son Speaks Out – Moses Farrow
Hard Questions for Ronan Farrow: An Open Letter
Omnes's Oasis 