Slapstick has never exactly entertained me, personally, as I find a lot of the comedy to be very tiresome. I much prefer cleverly written dialogue or ironic, dark comedy, but who better to change my mind about this opinion than the revered Marx Brothers and their hysterical film Duck Soup. I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed this film and I was also genuinely taken aback by the script and how strong the writers of this film had to be to take its slapstick up to another level. The incredibly quick comedy that pulses through this movie is something that I can not even frankly see being done today and while the plot of this film itself was not entirely captivating, it did not really need to be. With just over an hour runtime and nonstop entertainment from the very first frame, there is so much to adore about this little film. I am glad that my mind could be changed about comedy like this and it surprises me that humor like this was done almost 90 years ago.
The fictional land of Freedonia is undergoing serious financial restructuring and while the wealthy Gloria Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) is willing to help, her one condition is that Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) is named the new leader. While Firefly struggles to adapt to his newfound leadership role, the opposing country of Sylvania sends out two spies, Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx), to gather information on Firefly and decide whether or not the love between him and Mrs. Teasdale is worth going to war over. Right from the very first frame of this film, I was engaged. Knowing that this movie was barely just over an hour long, I had no expectations at all. This film turned out to be a comedy masterpiece, however, as it takes its slapstick tendencies and political commentary and blends them together in the most effective of ways. The quickfire dialogue and one-liners that riddle this film like bullets are often hard to catch up with but provide for such an endlessly entertaining riot. Even in many scenes without the use of words, the choreography and planning involved to set up some of the jokes were very impressive. The Marx Brothers also want their audience to view politics as a silly little game run by goofy, unprofessional people and while I am certain this was only done back then in order to get some laughs, the relatability of a lot of their actions is astounding. Say what you will about politics, but the way that the Marx Brothers portrayed them in a slapstick manner is hilarious. I also really enjoyed the lightheartedness that is shown throughout this movie in the face of war and death. Horrible events like these have happened throughout history without many repercussions for the politicians involved but the way these comedians got right into the madness of the war was not only comedic to see, but often unheard of as well.
My one issue with Duck Soup would be the direction from Leo McCarey. While there is nothing prominently wrong and he gets this film done with style, I feel like a bit too much of the story relied on the chemistry between these brothers. A lot of the plot was brushed over with some funny lines and not given much focus, which I would have personally enjoyed seeing more of. But then again, that is what makes this family of incredible comedians so unforgettable is how well they can work together to load up a machine gun of comedy. The performances from all of these brothers were fantastic and I could really feel for each of their characters. I do think that some of their scenes were written to play into the plot a bit more than others, but they all performed their respective comedy in such interesting ways. The production design of this film and the accompanying musical sequences were also done very well. McCarey makes fantastic use of the limited locations that this film was shot in and the design of every inch of the sets is gorgeous. Not only does the beauty of the gala halls and palaces contrast the humorous bleakness of Groucho Marx's character, but it helps make the cinematography from Henry Sharp even more interesting. The musical scenes also came and went very smoothly and while I was not anticipating them whatsoever, they thankfully only enhanced the creative experience of this film. I actually had so much fun with this movie and while a lot of it might not exactly hit everyone as hard as it did me, I appreciate the playful attitude that these brothers brought to the table, especially in a film about war.
Duck Soup is a fascinating and hilarious film that utilizes the Marx Brothers in the best ways possible. While the title itself might be a bit misleading and not exactly live up to its name, the political and surprisingly relatable substance of the movie holds up even to this day. I genuinely loved this movie and it makes me believe that inoffensive comedy like this should absolutely make a comeback in some way or another.
My Rating: ★★★★½
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