Customer Reviews

Love and Death

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For me, "Love and Death" bridges together the slapstick satire of Woody's early movies with the grand verbal wit of the later movies. It never falls into the trap of relying too much on the former, and its reliance on the latter produces some of the silliest Woody dialogue I've ever heard. But it's the perfect mixture between the two that makes this my pick for funniest Woody Allen flick. So far.

I've always felt that the context (Russia in the 19th century and the Napoleonic Wars) and the content (pre-existentialist philosophy) were fine targets to satire. The opening scenes, where Woody as narrator introduces his screwball family, are truly looney-tuney. And the scenes where Woody (Boris) and Diane Keaton (Sonja) talk philosophy, serve more to make fun of the ridiculous gibberish they are engaged in than to further the philosophical discourse. The truer philosophical discussions come in the form of setup-punchline jokes delivered later on ("If it turns out that there IS a God, I don't think that he's evil; I think that the worst you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever"). This is all good stuff.

Woody's performance here reminded me a lot of really good Groucho Marx. His wiseguy retorts to oblivious inquisitors are done in the same winking/nod to the camera manner that Groucho mined for gold. And Woody, with his messy red hair and horn-rimmed glasses, looks every bit the sarcastic clown that Groucho did. There's one particular scene ("She's a great kidder... No, you're a great kidder... No, you're Don Francisco's sister") which mimics the Marx Brothers doubletalk style perfectly. In the film's second half, Woody takes a step back, to allow Diane Keaton some grand time in the Groucho persona. And she runs with it. Keaton is an underrated comic actress, usually overshadowed by Woody. Here, she rolls her eyes, grins goofily, has great comic timing, and appears to be having a gloriously good time delivering her dialogue. You can see Woody's pride as he stands to the side and watches her go great guns.

There are many truly hilarious scenes here (my favourite: Woody, drawn into a duel, is offered to choose his weapon from a pair of guns; he picks them both up, examines them for a moment, and then says "I'll take these"), the scenery is shot gorgeously, the music by Prokofiev is jubilant and fits in perfectly with the film, and there is never a down moment. Come to think of it, the pace reminds me of the joke-a-minute style "pioneered" by the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker "Airplane" movies. Only Woody, dear Woody, bestows such intelligence and wit upon the material that it is elevated to a divine state.

Over the years, this is one of the Allen films that I most often revisit. It truly gets better the more times it is seen. The dialog is brilliant. The interplay between Allen and Keaton is perfect. I also think it is Diane Keaton's best role as she has the opportunity to exercise her wonderful comic touch and timing. Each scene contains lines that have become classics: Allen; "I heard voices". Keaton: "I was praying". Allen: I heard two voices". Keaton: "I do both parts". The dialog is layered and the Russian literature references are very funny. This is a film treasure and certainly ranks with the great comedies of all time.

Woody Allen outdid himself by taking history and humor where it had never been before. When I first saw this film in the mid-70's, I was not quite up to speed on my historical references and dry saracastic wit. Five years later I saw it a a repetory film theatre, and laughed so hard that I dropped my over-priced concessions all over my lap. I have laughed at many a Allen film, but "Love And Death" works on so many levels that it just kicks your "laugh trigger" into overdrive!!!

I wish I had this mans smarts...I am amazed at Allens twisted weaving of story-telling and one-liners..My favorite is when he is in training and the seargent says "From now on you'll clean the latrines and the mess hall" Allens response: "Sir, how can I tell the difference?".....Hilarious...

I've seen this film dozens of times, and it simply doesn't get old..Allen has proven once again that if a joke is TRULY funny it can be repeated over and over again and have the same effect on people. The reclusive Woody Allen is the one celebrity I would like to meet..... to thank him for making this extraordinary film....it;s like a best friend I like to watch when I'm in the dumps..

Woody Allen plays himself, but transported to Russia at the time of the Napoleonic invasion in this delightfully side-splitting send-up of both War and Peace and Begman's pretentious, death-obsessed films.

Allen directs and stars, with co-star Diane Keaton as his bizzare and self-obsessed cousin/love interest and excellent support from a cast that includes Harold Gould (The Sting, Feather and Father) and the wonderful Georges Adet.

The bouyant soundtrack, based largely on Prokofiev's Lt. Kije Suite, is a real plus, and the on-location shots from Hungary stand in fairly well for Russia.

Anyone who has suffered through the nightmarishly dull Henry Fonda version of 'War and Peace' is ready for this. Even if you haven't seen it, you're probably ready for Dianne Keaton's marriage to the herring merchant or her assertion that God exists, make Woody in His image, equally wears glasses, albeit "not with those frames."

And who could forget the Napoleon, obsessed not with conquest but with developing an eponymous pastry to counter "Beef Wellington?" Nearly as good as the height-obsessed Bonaparte in 'Time Bandits'!

Maybe this film resonates more with me because I'm Orthodox, have traveled around Russia a bit, and first saw Love and Death when it opened in NYC 30 years ago.

But I think it holds up well and you'll enjoy it, too!

Question: Take Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Napoleon Bonaparte and a Bergmanesque Grim Reaper - drop them into a 19th century Russian setting fit for an adventure/romance epic and what do you get?

Answer: One of the funniest films you'll ever see.

This is Woody Allen at the peak of his creativity. The fun never stops and it has tons of quotable lines that only get funnier with each repeat viewing. In my estimation this film, along with Annie Hall, are Woody's best work! A MUST OWN for anyone who loves to laugh!

External references abound in this, the funniest of Allen's comedy films. Look out for literary references, silent comedy (Buster Keaton, etc...) references, and, my favourite, Marx Brothers references. This is a very quick film, the gags are totally killer. The first time I watched this film was in my school on the videos in the library. The whole experience took around five hours because I had to keep stopping it to get my laughs out of the way. This (unfortunately or fortunately depending on your sensibilities) marks the end of his visual, slapstick run begining with Take the Money and Run, then Bananas and Sleeper (all corkers too). And what a great way to end it! If your going to buy a Woody Allen flick, make it this one. It's one of the few movies where you'll laugh out loud even when your on your own.

Is this movie funny? Absolutely! As other reviewers have noted, the movie is filled with some of Allen's wittiest one-liners. But of all the Woodman's films, this one may also be one of the smartest. Yes, it parodies the pre-existentialist novels of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy (though Tolstoy much more so), but it does it in a way that's intellectually stimulating and VERY faithful to the tradition these writers helped to launch. Allen isn't just parodying this tradition--he's displaying a deep commitment to this tradition as well.

In fact, one could make the case that the very absurdity of much of the movie (Russian peasants routinely discussing meta-ethical philosophy; Boris surviving several close-range gunshots nearly unphased; Boris and Sonja surviving on a diet of snow) is a commitment to the philosophical and literary movement known as existentialism.
Examine the movie closely, and you will find running throughout the themes emphasized by much of the best existentialist writings. Most significantly, Woody addresses the question of what meaning one can give to life in a Godless world and what kind of ethical stance is possible between pure subjectivity and the now defunct objectivity. The latter issue sets the stage for later Allen classics like *Crimes and Misdemeanors*, and is treated very well in the picture as Boris continually tries to navigate between a God-based moral system which he, as an atheist, rejects, and a purely subjective approach to values. Perhaps this movie does not so much parody these writers as it does involve them in debate. Much of Boris' ruminations suggest, contrary to Dostoyevsky, that even if God is dead, everything is NOT permitted. Thus Allen takes the side of Nietzsche, who while vociferously proclaiming the death of God, and considering this a joyous opportunity to develop new values, nevertheless rejected the idea that there are NO standards of value anymore. Allen's Boris even (I think quite wisely) suggests that the death of God may be less significant than it is often treated--when questioned by Sonja as to why, since there's no God, he doesn't simply kill himself, Boris responds with "Let's not go getting all hysterical about this."

In this one brilliant movie, Allen challenges our conception of God (whom Boris suggests is, while not evil, clearly an underachiever), our understanding of ethics and its role in human life, our understanding of life's meaning in a post-religious world, and ultimately, our own existential condition. Drawing on such giants of the existentialist genre like Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Gide, Nietzsche and Camus, Allen lays bare the human condition for us in a way that challenges us to engage with his presentation in an intellectually serious way. Yes, it's a funny movie, but to see only the humor is to see only half of the movie. This is a rare movie; one that has the power to challenge us intellectually and morally, if only we choose to let it reach us.

It seems that review titles for this masterpiece feature quotes that scored with the reviewer. I saw Love & Death in the theater when it was first released (and I was a pre-teen) and the scene that had me rolling in the aisle was Diane Keaton's assesment of life with cousin Boris (he had proposed marriage on the eve of a duel he was certain to loose): (paraphrase) "Or would I feel trapped, my youth gone, living with a swiss chese and rented children?" I was amazed at how a line like that could actually make a lot of sense... in context... and awed at the intellect that could create such a context. From that point on L&D became a favorite film (I've seen it more than any other, although not as much recently since hubby hates Woody). If you can see humor and idiocy in war, if you have any interest in v. early 19th century France or Russia, or if you just love a good laugh I highly recommend this film. (And this is the only Woody flick that Allen-hating hubby will watch :-)

When the American Film Institute brought out its list of 100 greatest comedies, FIVE of Woody Allen's films were listed: ANNIE HALL, BANANAS, MANHATTAN, SLEEPER, and TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. All great movies, to be sure. You may notice that LOVE & DEATH is missing from that list. To this day, I do not understand why.

LOVE & DEATH is the most consistently funny film Woody Allen has ever made. It is one of the few of his films I can watch over and over again and not get tired of it. True, knowledge of Russian literature may help you understand some of the jokes, but it is in no way required in order for you to enjoy this film. Combining hilarious visual comedy mirroring that of Chaplin or Keaton along with witty banter that would make Groucho proud, LOVE & DEATH is the greatest hidden treasure in the Woody Allen library.

"Yay, I shall walk through the valley of the shadow of death. In fact, I shall RUN through the valley of the shadow of death cause you get through the valley quicker that way."

This film arrived third (1975) in Allen's sequence of his let's-assassinate-the-president capers. Allen chose this theme as the plot climax for 'Bananas', 'Sleeper' and 'Love and Death', but it's a simple enough story on which to hang lots of wonderful sight gags. In line with the popular vote on Amazon, I believe this is a stronger movie than 'Sleeper'.

I first saw this film soon after its release, and I know it appeals to people at several levels. Undergraduates love it for its literary and philosophical references, and many enjoy its smutty jokes ("You're the best lover I've ever had." "Well, I practise a lot when I'm alone."). The visual gags are also wonderful. I've never read any Russian author besides Turgenev, so some of the literary side-swipes have always been wasted on me. But I've never felt left out of the fun.

The only flaw with this movie is that for me it sags a little about three-quarters of the way through with the let's-assassinate-Napoleon sub-plot.

This movie marked the end of Allen as Keaton-like buffoon. Here he speaks much more to camera than on either of the previous two films, and it's a technique he extends in his next picture, ANNIE HALL.

Like the other Allen DVDs I own, the soundtrack is simple -- probably mono -- and the only extra is a trailer. But who cares? Get this on DVD because you'd wear out the VHS tape watching it repeatedly.