Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9786305077527
Format: AC-3, Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, NTSC
ISBN: 6305077525
Label: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Publisher: Image Entertainment
Region Code: 1
Release Date: January 21, 1998
Running Time: 68 minutes
Sales Rank: 62028
Studio: Image Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: November 17, 1933
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Editorial Review:
Description:
The Marx Brothers are at their hilarious best in this insanely satirical comedic romp. Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo set international relations on its ear--and the audience in stitches--with their rapid-fire wit and hijinks. Not to be missed, 'Duck Soup' is one of the Marx Brothers' most popular films.
Amazon.com essential video:
For those who love the Marx Brothers (Animal Crackers, A Night at the Opera), that this movie is side-slappingly funny is a given. For those new to the Marx Brothers, this is the perfect introduction to Groucho, Chico, and Harpo (and even Zeppo), three of the funniest men to ever grace the screen. Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) is the dictator of the small nation Freedonia. The country is a disaster, in financial disrepair, and the wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) is its benefactor and the object of Firefly's shrewd affection. When the leader of the neighboring Sylvania decides he's in love with Mrs. Teasdale, Firefly declares war. The movie, from 1933, is tremendously satirical, a play on politics and war. (As Firefly says to a hapless young solider, 'You're a brave man. Go and break through the lines. And remember, while you're out there risking your life and limb through shot and shell, we'll be in be in here thinking what a sucker you are.') Full of witty lines, great sight gags, and even some snazzy song numbers ('Freedonia's Going to War' is the hilarious declaration of battle), this is surely one of the best--if not the best--the Marx Brothers have to offer. --Jenny Brown
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - What a strange, remarkable, hilarious movie this is....
Duck Soup (1933) - Leo McCarey
The Marx Brothers are almost totally unique in the history of film, and when I say unique, I'm not even referring to how innovative they are. True, they definitely developed a particular style of comedy that I would say is probably now the dominant form in all of American comedy. How would I characterize it? It's difficult, but it includes a combination of anarchy, irony, and self-awareness. I paraphrase Roger Ebert when he states that you can clearly see what the Marx Bros. influenced, but its difficult to see what influenced them, other than the rich tradition of music hall.
However, again, when I say that they are totally unique, I'm referring to something else. If one notices carefully at all the groups and individuals that the Marx Brothers influenced (Mel Brooks, Monty Python, Airplane, etc.), they'll notice one common trait: Despite the anarchic worlds created in these movies, it's almost always the entire world that is anarchic. Mel Brooks and Monty Python, in particular, are contained in ridiculous worlds that have there own sense of ridiculous logic. The Marx Brothers, on the other hand, are the only anarchic and ridiculous individuals in a relatively normal and sane world (although in Duck Soup sometimes it seems as if the rest of the world is the crazy one, which is hugely ironic in itself). What does this create? Well, in Monty Python and Mel Brooks (again, irregardless of how chaotic they may seem), there is a strange ... Read More
Rating:  - A Fantastic Movie!
Okay, comedy is subjective. This is my opinion and you may not share my sense of humour. Let's get that out of the way first. This is a FANTASTIC movie - what's not to love? The motorcycle and sidecar gags alone are worth the price of admission. The peanut and lemonade stands. The horse in bed with Harpo. So much to say about Duck Soup... A wonderful film.
Rating: - "Why Don't You Object?"
Duck Soup is the only Marx Brothers film that is listed on AFI's list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. However, choosing it from the bevy of great films starring the boys must have been difficult, and probably caused a lot of raised eyebrows from fans. This was the first Marx Brothers movie I ever saw, and although it has grown on me, it is not my favorite. Still, as in all Marx Brothers movies, there are some fantastic comic scenes.
Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) is the newly appointed and incompetant leader of Freedonia, a land plagued with threats from neighboring lands. Spies abound (Chico and Harpo Marx), but not without fun. Nothing is taken seriously here, so the story is of little importance.
There are quite a few dry spots in this movie that degrade it a bit, and the technical aspects are not always up to par. The opening musical number is not satirical enough to be considered funny; it almost seems to be taking itself seriously. The later musical bits fare a bit better, but they are not outstanding. Even great scenes like the famous mirror bit lack; there is absolutely no sound in the mirror scene. However, Harpo is outstanding in all that he does here. His antics with Edgar Kennedy are hilarious and make this movie worth watching multiple times.
Rating:  - Hit and miss
Duck Soup is one of the classic rammed-to-the-gunnells gag movies. Its influence throughout so much later cinema, such as Woody Allen, Airplane perhaps is paramount, and there are certainly classic episodes such as the mirror scene. But I found that many of the gags fell flat, wordplay that was neither very clever or very funny, and some of the parody aspect such as the music hall comedy pastiche looks rather dated and not in a immortal, timepiece type of way. For me, I prefer the slapstick of Woody Allen's earlier films, but the Marx brothers are well up there as classic comic producers of all time, so who am I to say. I just found lines such as: 'Keep it under your hat, no, tell you what, I'll keep it under my hat' didn't ring many comedic cherries.
Rating: - Here are the plans of war. They're as valuable as your life. And that's putting them pretty cheap.
Duck Soup remains an excellent example of the fast paced screwball comedies of its time. The Marx Brothers, Margaret Dumont and the rest of the cast turn in convincing performances for this story of two countries that may not always get along very well. The timing is excellent and this helps the comedy along, too.
The movie opens with the state of Freedonia suffering from a huge financial debacle. Only Mrs. Teasdale, played so well by Margaret Dumont, can infuse the government with the money it so desperately needs to keep the country from bankruptcy. Mrs. Teasdale cuts a deal with the government; and soon after Rufus T. Firefly, played by Groucho Marx, becomes the new head of state.
Chaos and mayhem predictably explode from all directions almost immediately after Firefly gets his new job. Firefly proves himself to be inept--in a humorous way--by refusing to deal with the issues of government while having Bob Roland, played by Zeppo Marx, take meaningless letters. Freedonia's troubles only worsen when Firefly becomes rather eager to lead neighboring Sylvania into war. The war scenes offer many opportunities for the Marx Brothers to do the comedy that only they can do best. Other great slapstick scenes involve antics between a peanut vendor and a lemonade vendor as well as the scenes in which more than one Groucho is afoot!
The choreography is excellent; it shines brilliantly for the scene in which Harpo, who plays a spy for Sylvania, tries to fool Firefly into ... Read More
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