Zelig (1983)

the audience applauded

From my favorite movies..

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Woody Allen's 1983 film, Zelig was an interesting concept for a film. In the style of a mockumentary, Woody Allen starred as a man who was a literal human chameleon, appearing in the background newsreel footage through many different periods of history as he assumed the role of the context he was in. Zelig was able to change anything about himself, including his ethnicity with almost no effort. Eventually, under the care of a world-renowned psychologist, it was discovered that Zelig suffered from an insatiable need for ultimate conformity with the goal of being universally liked. The rest of the mockumentary delved into the psychological and legal struggles of a man who could change so much about himself so effortlessly. Perhaps, Zelig suffered from my not being in the right frame of mind to take it in, or perhaps it was just so different from what I expected at that moment, or perhaps it is simply a film that begs a second viewing but I didn't love it as much as I loved many other films I've been watching throughout this Woody Allen project. Zelig uses the mockumentary style in the best way that I have ever seen, those types of films don't impact me, personally, but I can recognize that Zelig used this format well. Zelig is complete with a traditionally perfect Woody Allen opening, and plenty of trademarks of the director to make any Woody Allen fan happy. Zelig grapples with death and identity, in perhaps the deepest way I've seen yet. The film is also another in his oeuvre that uses gorgeous black and white photography. What was missed, however, was the incredible dialogue I've come to expect from Woody Allen films, which was a bit of a letdown.

Zelig is an adjective of Germanic (not especially Yiddish) origin, with multiple meanings, ranging from blessed or blissful (soulful), to silly. In its Anglo-Saxon incarnation (saelig) it has often had a tendency to be applied to sheep: simple, hapless, foolish animals, conforming aimlessly to the herd, sometimes referred to as sheeple, incapable of independent thought. This seems to be Woody Allen's impersonation here, ineffectual and unidentifiable. Merge with the herd; go with the flow.Reviewers have had a little difficulty in assigning a satisfactory genre to this film, most settling for describing it as a mockumentary of a non-existent person. Perhaps slightly pretentious.I think of it more as a philosophical excursion into the meaning of life, and an examination of our purpose, if any, on earth. Acceptance, compliance, or defiance ? A very great deal of archive research and other work was clearly put into this production, and it was undeniably highly ingenious. Although a little annoying at times, on balance I found it fascinating and engaging, and while I hovered for a time on a low rating, I finally settled for quite a high appreciation of its paradoxical creativity.

This could well be a review of 90% of Woody Allen's oeuvre. The film is a smorgasbord of fabulousness - exquisite concepts, very clever lines and very funny ones. No film maker has ever had such a grasp of irony, sarcasm and the ridiculous, and still imbue it with wit and (occasionally) subtlety. But it is the relentless self-deprecation and extant feelings of worthlessness that eventually become wearing after you have watched as many Allen films as I have. This is the film that most impresses you with his confusion over identity however. I could go on about self-analysis for pages but it's unnecessary...just watch any given Woody Allen film. He mellows it out with a rather forlorn sense of romance that becomes endearing rather than pathetic...a skill that is essential to engage with his films. This is a fine film. Oh yeah...and very funny...if you get the references.

This is a masterfully done film, presented in documentary format (though entirely fictional). Allen plays a man, Leonard Zelig, who can morph into virtually any character, depending on his immediate environment. We are treated to newsreel footage as this character achieves world prominence as a true chameleon. I was greatly intrigued by the premise, but somehow, the story wasn't terribly interesting to me. Allen needs to be complimented for his great reach. It has some hilarious moments, but also has a harsher, deeper side. I guess this is what makes Woody Allen's milieu so impressive. See it for its dynamic effort to create a great character.