Day 46: If You Think This Country's Bad Off Now, Wait Till I Get Through With It

DUCK SOUP (1933)
Directed by Leo McCarey
Starring: The Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo), Margaret Dumont, Louis Calhern, Raquel Torres

They say that most films made today cater to the ADD audience.  I think that's a bit unfair.  ADD films have been around forever, and Duck Soup is proof.

There's really not much of a plot.  Everything centers around the zany antics of the Marx Brothers, and the plot is secondary.  But for the purposes of discussion, the small country of Freedonia is bankrupt, so they appoint Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) as its new president.  The rival country of Sylvania looks to start a war with their neighbors, and Ambassador Trentino (Calhern) hires two spies (Chico and Harpo) to dig up some dirt on Firefly.  As both Firefly and Trentino try to woo the wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Dumont), insults lead to a declaration of war.  The war itself is rather short, as Trentino is captured and surrenders after being pelted with fruit. 

Like I said, the plot isn't what matters here.  This movie is all about the gags, which mostly center on the hypocrisy of government and the absurdity of war.  But the overall effect is less political that one might think.  As Groucho himself put it, "We're just four Jews trying to get a laugh."  And there's plenty to laugh at here, no matter what your political leanings might be.  The famous mirror scene is one of the best examples, and has been copied endlessly by everyone from The Three Stooges to Bugs Bunny.  What little plot there is only serves as the setup for the next punchline.  And I was surprised how much zaniness could be crammed into 68 minutes.

There's always been a huge debate as to which Marx Brothers film is considered "The Best."  Many site Duck Soup as their masterpiece, while others may prefer A Night at the Opera.  Personally, I think if you've seen one Marx Brothers movie, you've seen them all.  But that's not to say they get repetitive or boring.  In fact, it's a lot of fun to go back and see the group that inspired every sketch comedy team and/or show from Monty Python to Saturday Night Live to Animaniacs.  Of course, there were other comedy teams around at the time, but few of them caused as much controlled chaos as The Marx Brothers.  And if you've never seen any of their films, this is as good a place to start as any.