Tocka

Zelig by Woody Allen
screening

 

PLOT SINOPSIS

Leonard Zelig, the "human chameleon", is profiled in this mock-documentary. Director Woody Allen appears as Zelig in scenes that purport to be vintage newsreel clips of the 1920s and 1930s, but are actually clever recreations, "aged" and scratched-up Citizen Kane-style by special-effects maestros Joel Hynick, Stuart Robinson and R. Greenberg Associates. An appropriately pompous narrator details the life and times of Leonard Zelig, whose overwhelming desire for conformity is manifested in his ability to take on the facial and vocal characteristics of whomever he happens to be around at the moment. He shows up at batting practice with Babe Ruth, among William Randolph Hearst's guests as San Simeon, side by side with Pope Pius at the Vatican, and peering anxiously over the shoulder of Adolf Hitler at the Nuremberg Rally. Becoming a celebrity in his own right, Zelig inspires a song, a dance craze, and a Warner Bros. biopic. Mia Farrow plays Dr. Eudora Fletcher , a psychiatrist who tries to "reach" Zelig and ultimately falls in love with him (all of Farrow's scenes are in black-and-white and allegedly culled from archive footage; Ellen Garrison, whose resemblance to Farrow is uncanny, plays the older Dr. Fletcher in the interview sequences). In the manner of Reds, the influence of the fictional Leonard Zelig on popular culture is discussed by such real-life notables as Susan Sontag, Irving Howe, Saul Bellow and Dr. Bruno Bettenheim.
 

REVIEW

Predating Forrest Gump (1994) by more than a decade, this delightful mockumentary about a nebbish who inserts himself into some of the most important historical events of his time is a fun departure from filmmaker Woody Allen's usual ensemble comedy-drama format. At the same time, all of Allen's obsessions are present: a fondly nostalgic vision of New York City's past, jazz, psychotherapy, and a magical high-concept twist. Fans and reviewers tended to focus on the film's groundbreaking photographic effects at the time, as Allen's character is inserted seamlessly into still images and archival motion picture footage from the era. It's a superb job and difficult to tell scenes that have been digitally altered from ones that have been re-created (one must look closely at the Nazi rally to realize that's not Adolf Hitler at the podium). However, an Allen picture wouldn't be the same if it did nothing more than scratch an impressive surface, and the Woodman doesn't disappoint with a story that's really a potent fable about self-respect and individuality in the face of oppressive conformity. At less than 80 minutes, Zelig (1983) may be too slight to rate alongside such Allen classics as Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), but this likable, funny project is certainly at the top of the artist's B-list.
 

CAST
Woody Allen	Leonard Zelig
Mia Farrow	Dr. Eudora Fletcher
G.Mac Brown	Actor Zelig
Stephanie Farrow	Sister Meryl
Will Holt	Rally Chancellor

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Woody Allen	Director / Screenwriter
Robert Greenhut	Producer
Kerry Hayes	Cinematographer
Gordon Willis	Cinematographer
Dick Hyman	Songwriter / Composer (Music Score)