Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)

Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)

 It was before the me too movement. It is not trying to promote a relationship with such
a huge age difference, especially with someone being 17. It's not promoting it, it's 
representing it as something that might happen and maybe the motivations that exist
that would cause someone to pursue such a young person. 
Manhattan is an allegory, that Tracy, is a symbol of something else. It's not so much 
that this guy is lusting after 17 year olds, its specifically what she represents happens
to be 17. 

He's 42 years old, he's starting to think more about his mortality and it makes him anxious.
In the scene framing him with the skeleton, this (to her) tells the whole story of the film. 
The thing that motivates him is his preoccupation, is his obsession with death and the 
unknowable mysteries of the universe that he'd really rather not think about, so instead he, 

amuses himself or preoccupies himself, or fills his life with these other things that are not very mature. The neurotic individuals tries to hide away from these things through very elaborate rituals or defense mechanisms.