Studio: MGM
Produced: 1983
Rated: PG
Running Length: 79 min.
DVD Release:11/6/01
Case: Keep Case
Video: 1.85:1 (Anamorphic/Enhanced for 16×9 TVs)
Audio: English DD 1.0
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
Retail price: $20
Low online price: $13
Zelig, Woody Allen’s mock documentary, purports to tell the true story of a human chameleon. Leonard Zelig (Allen) captured the country’s imagination in the Roaring Twenties and continued to fall in and out of the national consciousness for the next decade or so. Zelig was able to transform himself to take on the characteristics of those people near him. Not only could he physically resemble anyone, but he also adopted the same attitude, language, and occupation.
Zelig eventually fell into the care of Dr. Eudora Fletcher (Mia Farrow). She tried to find the root of Zelig’s malady, but their time together was cut short when his sister and her unscrupulous boyfriend signed for his release from the institution. At the time Zelig’s fame had reached a fever pitch, and they were determined to take advantage of it. He became a side-show attraction, and his phenomenon spawned popular songs, a dance, dolls, games, and other assorted knick-knacks.
Dr. Fletcher would get another opportunity to work with Zelig and attempt to cure him, but she soon realized the enormous challenge he presented. Whenever she would try to conduct a therapy session, he would insist that he too was a doctor and not her patient. Dr. Fletcher finally arrived upon a solution–she would pretend to be a patient with Zelig’s problems, thus forcing him to absorb those attributes–and steady progress was made in this most curious case. There were setbacks in the treatment, but the most unexpected outcome was the blossoming romance between doctor and patient.
Zelig unfolds through narration, real and contrived archival footage, and modern interviews with such luminaries as Susan Sontag and Bruno Bettelheim. The real and fake footage is intermingled so that we cannot distinguish which is which. Zelig’s technical precision and seamlessness is astonishing to witness. The negatives of the new, phony footage were intentionally damaged so they would look more authentic and blend with the old film. Zelig can be considered a cinematic predecessor to Forrest Gump. He appears in photographs and old newsreels with historical figures, and the results are just as convincing even though it was released eleven years before Forrest Gump.
In addition to the masterful technical aspect, Zelig is a frequently funny movie. Allen stuffs the film with visual gags. I never tired of seeing Allen made up in one ridiculous incarnation after another. The sober narration and dialogue belie the absurdity of the scenarios. The unwaveringly genuine tone enhances the humor because it attaches gravity to a monumentally silly story.
On a more serious note, Zelig explores celebrity and identity. Zelig is a man who becomes famous for nothing more than taking on the personalities and appearances of others, a feat that sounds a lot like acting. It’s telling that the film’s documentary style always keeps us at a distance from Zelig. We think we learn more about him as the film progresses, but in the end we merely have the superficial view of the bystander. Zelig is still very much a mystery, but like the assumptions we make regarding celebrities’ true selves–for instance, where does Allen’s filmic persona end and his real identity begin–we have only the illusion of knowing him.
MGM Home Entertainment anamorphically presents Zelig in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Good luck trying to determine what print defects are and aren’t supposed to be there. Black levels are strong, especially in the black and white footage. Detail is visible to a pleasant degree. If the mono soundtrack has any flaws, the purposefully scratchy nature of much of it covers them. English, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided. The original theatrical trailer, which consists almost entirely of critics’ blurbs, serves as the lone special feature.
Gordon Willis’ exquisite cinematography for Zelig earned him an Academy Award nomination. Santo Loquasto was also honored with a nomination for the exacting costume design. Zelig is one of Allen’s most purely creative films. While it may lack the emotional depth of his best work, it compensates with a sublimely outrageous story and technical wizardry. Zelig is silly and smart, and if that doesn’t do it for you, the stunning technical achievements should be sufficient to keep you occupied.
Review By Mark Pfeiffer