Let's count the ways the movies are similar.
1) Title has nothing to do with the story.
2) Woody imitates Harpo Marx when the snakebite girl runs past him and he starts chasing her.
3) Plenty of cigar-smoking
That's all I can think of right now.
I agree with you!
This movie reminded me of Duck Soup in that it has the same high tempo lunacy running through the plot and fires of jokes left right and centre.
Although i disagree with you about the title, Bananas is all about the Banana Republic of San Marcos. As for Duck Soup, the title is.... Ok I'm stumped on that one!
Most of Allen's early movies are taken from his favorite movies. Love and Death references The Seventh Seal over and over. And I know I've seen a marx bros. reference in several of his other films. They were his idols when growing up so that would explain it.
shareThere's a LOT of Marx Brothers-style wordplay in Woody's earlier material. Sample dialogue from What's New, Pussycat?: "If I don't come back, send the police. If they don't come back, send my clothes."
And from Casino Royale: "Then we can run amuck. If you're too tired, we'll walk amuck."
Then there's the scene in Love and Death in which Boris (Woody) is challenged to a duel of honor. In that scene, he's practically channeling Groucho.
All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?
My bet is that all the early Marx brothers movies, Cocoanuts, Horse Feathers, Duck Soup, and Animal Crackers, and Monkey Business, all have connotations of craziness or nonsense,
as does Woody's Bananas.
the tempo and mood of the piece is similar too. Just for laughs.
Though I feel closer to the politics of Duck Soup.
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