"what it takes to be an artist and whether life is more important than art."
The driving force behind Woody Allen's creation Bullets Over Broadway is the question of what it takes to be an artist and whether life is more important than art. It is asked at the beginning by a "self-important" playwright named Sheldon, portrayed by Rob Reiner. Sheldon ponders the query: if one could save the last copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare or a person - a live human being - from a burning building, which would one save?
A true artist, at least according to Allen, would save the works of Shakespeare because he or she knows the true value of art as Art (Capital A!) and respects it.
Beyond this, there are other mechanisms at play in the film as well. Most predominantly is the idea that simply by going through the motions and pretenses of what an artist "should" be does not make one any more of an artist. This is best exemplified by the protagonist David Shayne, played brilliantly by John Cusack Shayne continually obsesses about what an artist should do in each particular situation. This is in large part due to the fact that he is insecure in his role as a director of a Broadway play. Any questioning then of his decision-making or suggestive advice is interpreted as an attack on his credibility as an artist. It is the bodyguard Cheech, played by Chazz Palminteri, who is the Ubermensch of creating and not thinking. And just as it is clear to Shayne that Olive is not an actress it is equally clear to Chazz the Shayne is not and will never be an effective writer.
Woody Allen, of course, infuses this film with his unique style of humor and color (martinis and brown bookshelves) from beginning to end. For example, Helen Sinclair, an egomaniacal actress, played by Dianne West, proclaims in one scene, "I'll have two martinis" to which Shayne is happily surprised. Shayne, as any "true artist" also shares an appreciation for martinis. However, in this particular scene, the gag is that the two martinis are for Dianne and Shayne must order himself one. Sometimes in Allen's films this particular type of humor detracts from the narrative; however, in this scene, its purpose is to illustrate Shayne's attempt to enter the social circle of someone he considers as elite as Helen Sinclair. And since there is a purpose to the humor, which was often lacking in Allen's Bananas Days, it plays its part perfectly within the film. In the end Allen concludes that a true artist is without concern for celebrity status and is self-assured that his work is of merit. And yet, there does not need to be an outside confirmation of this genius quality to avoid the delusional types like Sheldon gaining respectability as artists as
