Customer Reviews

Zelig

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Amazing technically, with a lot to say about society, conformity, and how we see ourselves.

This brilliantly made mock documentary about a 'human chameleon' in the 1920s and 30s who unconsciously
changes his appearance in a desperate attempt to fit in and be liked, is hilarious and heartbreaking, often at the same time.

Some of the visual effects are still astounding by modern standards. And Allen gives a performance that is surprisingly subtle.

There are a few slow moments, and a few jokes feel self-conscious, but not enough to hurt the film in any way. This is
tied with 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and 'Hannah and her Sisters' for my 2nd favorite Allen film behind 'Annie Hall'.

One of the greatest films by one of our greatest filmmakers.

Some critics said it was too long, and the joke ran thin. To me that describes Forrest Gump. Some critics thought it was a no-concept movie. To me that describes Forrest Gump. To me this is Woody as a virtuoso filmmaker, though not the sort that Tarentino is pegged. The film makes a very true point about fame, about nostalgia, and most of all about conformity in a world that's always proud to show off its nonconformity (note the opening montage about how this was "the jazz age") but which is at bottom hopelessly conformist. Forrest Gump, with its aw-shucks philosophy and cliche-embedded script, didn't dare tackle such weighty issues. But this movie does. But if you don't GET them, as many critics didn't judging from the reviews, this film will to you seem too long. My biggest complaint is that maybe it's actually too short. I would have liked to see some of its themes explored more--admittedly tricky in the narrow confines Allen imposed on himself with his documentary structure.

Here Allen runs the range of tricks to film, but they're not computer tricks (exactly). To age his film he actually scuffs it. To achieve the sound of tinny 1920s sound he records his pop songs (wonderful parodies of the real music of the time) on authentic 1920s equipment. Most of all, in sort of a post-modernist irony that is currently so hip but was fresh in 1983, he features interviews with trendy intellectuals who both reinforce and parody their academic personas by appearing on camera.

Unlike Spinal Tap, which was sometimes a little too broad in its humor (much as I love that movie) and unlike Bob Roberts, which gave us "offscreen" conversations we could plainly hear (from people who wouldn't be body-miked in real life) just to extend the narrative, this movie to me strikes the perfect of rabid satire and just-bare plausibility. Unfortunately, Woody's DVDs tend to be skimpy on extras--director's commentary would be nice, or maybe a "how they did it" documentary. But Woody these days is about as socialable as a hermit crab. He's also not making films this good anymore. Pity, because no one else does comedy quite the way he does--or did.

1983's "Zelig" was written and directed by Woody Allen. This is of course years after 1977's Annie Hall and so Woody Allen's comic talent was already established. Woody Allen's witty, intellectual humor is most prominent in this film which he directs as if it were a documentary. It's entirely in black and white, except for the contemporary scenes of interviewed characters, there is footage from the 20's, 30's and 40's, including footage of Adolph Hitler making a speech at a Nazi rally. Woody Allen plays Leonard Zelig, a shy, unassuming little man with an identity disorder. He cannot truly be himself because he becomes transformed into his surroundings. When he is around Jewish rabbis, he becomes Jewish, when he is around African-Americans, he becomes black, when he is around overweight people, he becomes fat, etc. This miracle of biology earned him the title of the Chameleon or "The Changing Man". Mia Farrow, who coincidentally was romantically linked with Woody Allen at this time in the 80's, plays the role of Zelig's love interest Dr. Eudora Fletcher. Eudora Fletcher takes a genuine interest in Zelig and examines him psychologically through hypnosis. The scenes of their sessions are extremely funny but then again so is much of this movie. Woody Allen is the first Forrest Gump, being as funny and awkward, at least 10 years before Tom Hanks did it in the 90's. Zelig is so loved that he is hob-nobbing with all the greats of the time- Charlie Chaplin, William Randalph Hearst, Fanny Brice, F. Scott Fitzegerald and Zelda, etc. The music for this movie is appropriately cartoonish and Charleston/Jazz Age style. There is one dance segment called The Chameleon and another with the voice of Betty Boop singing "Chameleon Days". Witty dialogue, lots of humor and visual jokes, it's a movie that is sure to delight you.

Allen was in a surrealistic mood when he made this film. The powerful content about Zelig in the thirties is a bitter gaze about a disfunctional , a low level person , an example of the mass media rank can become.
The film is abolutely delightful with countless laughable situations . But the remaining message after the movie has finished still turns around in your memory.
Oscar Wilde wrote this funny but clever sentence . The fashion is easy to define ; it's what will become old fashioned tomorrow.
This could be a smart joke . But I link with Zelig , because Zelig is a human being who wants to be accepted by the world , but lacks of center . So these countless characters mean a trial and error behavior , just for achieve this goal .
And notice that Allen is original because he seeks and goes to the origen of the things.
And this film overcomes this limit.!

Loved this when it came out. And after watching it again I was determined to post a review and compare it to the Orson Welles masterpiece. Then I saw someone had already done so! I'm glad that I am not the only one who feels that this film can be mentioned in the same sentence as Kane.
I was going to point out that it is every bit as original, well writen, acted, photographed and edited as "Citizen Kane." And a whole lot funnier.

New York 1928.

"I wanna be liked". A statement by Leonard Zelig under a hypnosis session. Zelig is a man with the incredible ability to blend into any social class or etnicity. As a young man Zelig came to his grandfathers death-bed, and he gave his last advise. "Life is a meaningless nightmare of suffering." The film is filled with one-liners like this and if you see it several times you keep discovering new things that makes you laugh.

The film is very well made, intelligent and entertaining. A forgotten masterpiece and classic.

Just before giving us the campy "Purple Rose of Cairo", Woody Allen created "Zelig", another very unique film. The title character is a man who, like a Chameleon, changes his physical appearance to blend in with whomever he is sharing present company. When getting acquainted with an obese man, Zelig suddenly develops a pot-belly; among Asians, Zelig chages appearance to resemble the people near him; no matter how different the person in Zelig's company, he changes to adapt.

Mia Farrow plays a psychiatrist (an unusual occupation for a woman in the 1920s & 30s) determined to figure this case out. The predictable romantic involvement ensuing adds to the confusion. The film is enveloped in countless news real exerpts and newspaper headlines. The elaborate "joke" may have been even more effective if kept to a shorter format. A 30 minute short is not always improved by an 80 minute feature film.

The Woody Allen character is depicted as not only a curiosity or a freak of nature, but as someone incapable of funtioning independently. A human chameleon may be a curiosity, but it does not render an intelligent person as helpless and in need of guarded confinement. Although offering many chuckles and even big laughs, the idea of caging someone who is different, treating him like an "E.T." or "Elephant Man". Our society has not fully evolved to accept such differences. I'm not certain if this film is an argument for or against acceptance of human curiosities. Although the special effects, mainly authentic "aged film footage" and period music are outstanding, the story line is somewhat disturbing.****

"ZELIG" is one of the reasons I subscribe to cable TV.

In the desert sand and boggy quagmire of standard TV, it takes sifting through more than a few channels to find a few happy morsels with which to spend a free hour or two. Occasionally you find a hidden nugget like this that makes it all worth while.

I had never before seen "ZELIG" when I chanced upon it this week. I fact I cannot remember even being aware of the movie. However, I enjoy the subtle understated irony of Woody Allen's humor and found this movie to be one of his best.
As covered in other reviews, the story line concerns the treatment and rehabilitation of a weak neurotic man (Woody Allen, of cause) who converts to the values and traits of whomever he is with. The process of unconditional love (provided here by his psychiatrist played by Mia Farrow) overcoming one's insecurities and weaknesses is cleverly done in mock documentary style cutting from old B&W newsreels to contemporary interviews.

This is a wonderful film that will keep you watching and make you smile while appreciating that there is something deeper here. Allen displays a light touch to get his message across without becoming heavy handed or taking himself too seriously. I was especially impressed by the quality of the splices which realistically placed the characters into old newsreel footage and gave historical perspective and meaning to the story. Though 'pre-Gump' this was accomplished better here, especially since the greater part of the movie was done in newsreel style.

I recommend this little nugget highly.

I really liked this movie. My favorite part is when Zelig (Woody Allen), in a hypnotic state just insults Mia Farrow (and her cooking...those pancakes really must have traumatized poor Zelig). A lot of the historical aspects were just lost on me, because I have no memory for history. But Woody was hilarious. He's great at improvising and you can always tell when he's just ad-libbing some jokes. I liked the documentary style and all of the interviewees were really believable and really funny. And how crazily funny was that Chameleon dance? My only complaint is I would have LOVED to see more of Eudora's mother; I died laughing every time she set that reporter straight. Everyone in this movie was really great and this was Woody & Mia at their best together. Now, I feel compeled to finally read (and actually finish) Moby Dick.

"Zelig" is quite probably the most experimental of all of Woody Allen's movies. It a mockumentary about Leonard Zelig, a man whose features could change to look like whomever he is with at the time. It's a skilled comedy, with some impressive special effects scene (Woody Allen clowning around with Charlie Chaplin and Babe Ruth), along with some interesting stock footage, film parodies, and bizarre musical numbers. While the middle section of the film (focusing on Zelig's therapy) sags a bit, the rest of the film more than makes up for it.
Being a Woody Allen film, there are very few frills on this, other than a booklet and a trailer (which shows quite well how unmarketable the movie was - hence the box office failure). The picture and sound are supposed to be rather scratchy, so there is very little that the DVD can do.