Zelig (PG.)
Directed by Woody Allen. 1983
Starring Woody Allen, Mia Farrow. Narration by Patrick Horgan. 77 mins.
Zelig is a fake documentary, set in late 20s/ early 30s, about a human chameleon Leonard Zelig (Allen), a man so desperate to assimilate and not to stand out that he will assume the physical characteristics of whoever he is with. He will pass himself off as democrat or a republican, a doctor or gangster, depending on who he is with. It is one of Allen's boldest and most accomplished movies, incredibly innovative and almost unprecedented. It is incredible, and at the same time totally unremarkable.
Part of Zelig's condition is that he will also change his racial characteristics – which means Woody doesn't just do Black Face in this film, he also does Greek Face, Chinese Face, Indian Face, Native American Face and Fat Face too.
There is a strong element of wish fulfillment in this project. He was always a fan of the whole Jazz era and the idea of inserting himself into the world of F. Scott and Zelda, Marian Davies and Randolph Scott, Chaplin and Tom Mix must've been irresistible. As was the chance to do a movie equivalent of novels like Ragtime.
The film is a mixture of genuine archive footage, faked archive footage, archive footage with the actors inserted into it, period still photography and contemporary colour interviews with figures like Saul Bellow, Susan Sontag and Bruno Bettelheim. It was a technical marvel back in 1983, and is still today. (Spoiler, that said, the stand out climatic sequence at the Hitler rally doesn't look nearly as impressive as it did when it first came out.) But, outside of that, what is it? It's an inventive, mildly amusing execution of a very straightforward metaphor. When he isn't in disguise, Zelig often resembles Stan Laurel, passive and amiable. Before it came out Zelig seemed like it would be a complete wonder, a perfect marriage of form and content. But there isn't enough humour in it, and once it has made its points, it doesn't really have anywhere to go. Even at 77 minutes it feels padded out, and felt so even before I read that Woody's first cut ran to 45 minutes.
So what you have a story about an empty man without a personality who protects himself from criticism and hostility by being a novelty, presented in a film that pulling pretty much the same trick.
Directed by Woody Allen. 1983
Starring Woody Allen, Mia Farrow. Narration by Patrick Horgan. 77 mins.
Zelig is a fake documentary, set in late 20s/ early 30s, about a human chameleon Leonard Zelig (Allen), a man so desperate to assimilate and not to stand out that he will assume the physical characteristics of whoever he is with. He will pass himself off as democrat or a republican, a doctor or gangster, depending on who he is with. It is one of Allen's boldest and most accomplished movies, incredibly innovative and almost unprecedented. It is incredible, and at the same time totally unremarkable.
Part of Zelig's condition is that he will also change his racial characteristics – which means Woody doesn't just do Black Face in this film, he also does Greek Face, Chinese Face, Indian Face, Native American Face and Fat Face too.
There is a strong element of wish fulfillment in this project. He was always a fan of the whole Jazz era and the idea of inserting himself into the world of F. Scott and Zelda, Marian Davies and Randolph Scott, Chaplin and Tom Mix must've been irresistible. As was the chance to do a movie equivalent of novels like Ragtime.
The film is a mixture of genuine archive footage, faked archive footage, archive footage with the actors inserted into it, period still photography and contemporary colour interviews with figures like Saul Bellow, Susan Sontag and Bruno Bettelheim. It was a technical marvel back in 1983, and is still today. (Spoiler, that said, the stand out climatic sequence at the Hitler rally doesn't look nearly as impressive as it did when it first came out.) But, outside of that, what is it? It's an inventive, mildly amusing execution of a very straightforward metaphor. When he isn't in disguise, Zelig often resembles Stan Laurel, passive and amiable. Before it came out Zelig seemed like it would be a complete wonder, a perfect marriage of form and content. But there isn't enough humour in it, and once it has made its points, it doesn't really have anywhere to go. Even at 77 minutes it feels padded out, and felt so even before I read that Woody's first cut ran to 45 minutes.
So what you have a story about an empty man without a personality who protects himself from criticism and hostility by being a novelty, presented in a film that pulling pretty much the same trick.