Retro Film Review: Zelig (1983)

(source: tmdb.org)

Those who don't like Woody Allen often note that through three decades and numerous movies he tells the same story about same characters and same issues. Those who like Woody Allen, even if they admit his obsession, counter that argument with the fact that the story and characters are always portrayed in another, original fashion. Allen's originality and willingness to experiment can be witnessed in some of his recent work, like Mighty Aphrodite or Everyone Says I Love You. But his most daring experiment was Zelig, celebrated pseudo-documentary made in 1983.

Zelig is a story about Leonard Zelig (played by Woody Allen), an average Brooklyn Jew who became celebrity in late 1920s and 1930s due to his bizarre psychiatric condition. Any time when he encountered another persons, he tried to mimic their personalities, sometimes even their physical appearance. The numerous incidents caused by his attempts to blend in - sometimes disguised as the baseball player, black jazz musician or even cardinal in Vatican - brought the attention of the sensationalist press of the time, which branded him "Human Chameleon". Zelig became celebrity, but for psychiatrist Doctor Eudora Fletcher (played by Mia Farrow) she is just another patient. However, in the course of the long treatment, love affair develops between two of them.

During the time of its release, Zelig was celebrated not because of story or Allen's humour, but because of marvelous technical achievements. Whole decade before Forrest Gump showed the astonishing possibilities of computer graphics by manipulating documentary footage for the purposes of live action, Allen did the same without such supertechnological gadgets. Gordon Willis, "Oscar"-nominated director of photography, who had worked with Coppola on The Godfather, devised some ingenious methods in order to make the live action looking as old as the old, authentic pictures. Editing by Susan E. Morse is very effective with the manipulation and many members of the audience were indeed fooled during the initial release, honestly believing that they were watching true documentary about real historical person. However, presence of Allen and his muse Mia Farrow quickly shatters that illusion, and the text of the commentators, with their sometimes lame attempts of humour, doesn't help either. Contemporary witnesses, including some of the real life celebrities in cameo roles (Susan Sontag, Saul Bellow) are much more effective in their accounts and commentaries. However, the movie is really entertaining and the audience would laugh at the joke or two. The main problem for the film is the fact that Allen couldn't make up his minds - whether to make real or "real" satirical docummentary about 1920s and 1930s, or to make a conventional story about New York neurotics. The result is a movie that is relatively short (79 minutes), but at the times seems too long. However, those who like Woody Allen and those who like unusual films would like Zelig too.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on December 23rd 1998)