Duck Soup (1933)

i watched this Marx Bros classic with high hopes of it being one of the best comedies i'd ever seen. It is expectations like that usually let me down the most in the end. And this time was no different. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo are all fine in it (although Zeppo seems like has no idea what he's doing), but somehow it wasn't that great. I like satires on war and government but the film seems dated, maybe it's just the 1930s lingo.

The plot is that Rufus T firefly has been brought in to help the country of Freedonia with it's troubles with Sylvania and Mrs Teasdale is with him all the way. I'm not sure it's a plot but i usually don't care about plot, some of my favourite movies have stupid (see: Carefree [1938]) or non existent plots.

When i watch a good comedy i feel the need to drink a lot of water (to keep hydration levels up so i can laugh more) but in this i did not feel thirsty. In fact i watched the 1st half of Gone With The Wind almost straight after this and i felt the need for water more than i did for this (i'll review GWTW once i finish the 2nd half). I'm not saying it wasn't funny, i'm just saying that it wasn't as funny as it made itself out to be.

The musical numbers are hardly memorable and are actually very annoying and weak, the cast weren't bad singers, Groucho's song 'Lydia the tattooed lady' is very memorable and catchy, but thats in another film, not this one. The songs in this are no good and should have ended up on the cutting room floor.

The infamous mirror scene provided a good laugh as did the war scenes and the first meeting between Rufus T Firefly (Groucho, who is a joy to watch when he insult people) and Mrs Teasdale (Margaret Dumont). I suppose the Marx Bros were a sort of 'when it rains it pours' kind of team, either they were drop dead hilarious or stupid. This movie had equal moments of both. I'd still see it again because i happen to think that it was quite an acceptable movie that demands multiple viewings so as to pick up things one may have missed, usually these kinds of films make it on to my favourites list (see: West Side Story, Romy and Michele's HS reunion, The Wizard Of oz). So i will certainly watch again just make sure.

I suppose it wasn't necessarily that the movie was bad- i can think of worse films- but it's the fact it has garnered a reputation that it is a masterful comedy, well it's not. But again: it is not a bad comedy.

"Married. I can see you right now in the kitchen bending over a hot stove. only i can't see the stove" Rufus T Firefly (Groucho Marx) Duck Soup.