Annie Hall features an opening monologue, in which the lead speaks directly to the audience, actually discussing the nature of his character, and his motivations. The entire opening is a static close up shot of
Woody Allen's character 'Alvy' expressing his extremely pessimistic attitude to life and relationships with women, through a series of jokes and anecdotes, culminating in the announcement of his breakup with his girlfriend, seemingly devastating as he questions how it happened. He breaks the fourth wall even further by stating his character is neither morose nor depressive, before leading into the beginning of the film by starting with his childhood. His character fulfills the romantic convention of a socially inept or shy leading character, hopelessly in love with someone who does not necessarily feel the same way, his relationships seemingly unsuccessful. This scene is not scored, with only Allen's voice providing the soundtrack to the scene. This opening is effective as it throws you in straight away with the nature of the protagonist, and the setup of the film - the enigma of what the events were exactly that led to his breakup with Annie.
