Manhattan (1979)
Directed by Woody Allen
No — Manhattan is not woke, scoring 0 out of 100 on our wokeness meter.
Manhattan is a black-and-white romantic comedy-drama about a twice-divorced television writer, his teenage girlfriend, and his best friend's mistress.
Consciousness Markers
The cast is entirely white and the film makes no effort toward inclusive or diverse representation.
There are no LGBTQ+ themes, characters, or subtext in the film.
Although an ERA fundraiser appears as a setting, the film does not advance a feminist agenda or critique patriarchal structures.
The film does not engage with race, racial identity, or racial justice in any meaningful way.
There is no environmental or climate-related theme in the film.
The film may gently mock intellectual pretension and commercial culture, but it contains no anti-capitalist or eat-the-rich message.
The film does not address body image, body acceptance, or body positivity.
Characters exhibit neurotic behavior, but the film does not frame this as neurodivergence or advocate for neurodivergent identity.
The film is a contemporary romantic comedy-drama and does not revise or reinterpret historical events.
The film is dialogue-driven and intellectually flavored, but it does not deliver social or political lectures to the audience.
Why it received this score
Manhattan is a black-and-white romantic comedy-drama about a twice-divorced television writer, his teenage girlfriend, and his best friend's mistress. It is also a love letter to New York City, set to Gershwin and shot in wide, lustrous frames. The film's concerns are romantic, existential, and deeply personal. Its cast is entirely white, and the movie makes no gesture toward inclusive representation. The social world on screen is a narrow, privileged slice of Manhattan intellectuals who discuss art, psychoanalysis, and adultery with equal fluency. Their problems are self-created, and the film knows it.
The Equal Rights Amendment fundraiser appears as a setting, not a thesis. The film does not organize itself around a feminist critique, nor does it examine patriarchy as a structure. It watches men behave selfishly and women absorb the consequences, then moves on to the next dinner party. Race is not engaged. Climate is not engaged. Capitalism is not indicted. Body image is not addressed. Neurotic behavior is everywhere, but it is not framed as neurodivergence or as an identity to be affirmed. There are no LGBTQ themes, no historical revision, no environmental alarm. The movie is too busy being charming and sad.
Above all, Manhattan does not lecture. It has no program for the audience, no lesson to deliver, no social instruction to impart. Its moral register is personal and aesthetic, a wistful argument for faith in people and for the enduring appeal of a skyline. The film is culturally significant, historically preserved, and thoroughly of its moment. It belongs to a tradition of urban romantic comedy that assumes its audience shares its references and its privileges. By the standards of modern social consciousness, it is a quiet, elegant nothing. That is not a criticism. It is a classification.
Analysis generated by our Consciousness Algorithm
Synopsis
Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.
Questions about Manhattan
Is Manhattan woke?
No — Manhattan is not woke, scoring 0 out of 100 on our wokeness meter. That earns it a verdict of Ultra Based.
Does Manhattan have any woke elements?
No. All 10 markers score zero.
How does Manhattan compare to other 1979 movies?
It ranks #26 of the 33 films from 1979 we've scored; their average is 6. The wokest is Hair (30).
How is the Woke Score calculated?
An AI-assisted process researches the film and its reception, scores it 0–100 on ten markers, then combines those into one 0–100 Woke Score. It measures a specific set of 2020s cultural themes, not film quality.