War eventually breaks out between the two countries over some absurdities you'll have to see to believe. Of course that foils the plans of Louis Calhern, the ambassador from neighboring Sylvania. And of course she names the man wooing her, Groucho Marx. But here we have Freedonia's richest citizen, Margaret Dumont not willing to underwrite her little country unless she names its prime minister. A silent version by Erich Von Stroheim was already made of The Merry Widow and next year Jeanette MacDonald and Maurice Chevalier would do it for MGM. People have done worse for patriotic motives. It's up to Count Danilo to woo her for the country. I think that Leo McCarey had in mind a satire on the Merry Widow, where if you'll recall the plot has the richest widow in Marovia ready to leave the country bag and baggage for Paris. It's the shortest film the brothers ever did, but there's hardly a minute in it without a gag or three. He guided this anti-war lampoon of Ruritanian pictures with a sure hand.
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Duck Soup is helmed by the greatest director the Brothers ever worked for in their film career, Leo McCarey. In fact with Duck Soup, they left them rolling in the aisles. When the Marx Brothers decided to leave Paramount, they did in the words of the old expression leave them laughing. Overall, a truly wonderful film and a gem of a comedy. Finally, I love the performances, all the Marx Brothers play their parts brilliantly, Groucho coming off best, while Margaret Dumont is great as the stately matriarch. Ninth, the score is wonderful, quirky and very pleasant on the ears. Eigth, the story is a good one, it doesn't feel contrived or creaky but it compliments the comedy well. Seventh, Duck Soup is beautifully filmed, the sets, costumes and cinematography are great. Sixthly, I love the skill of the direction, it is very playful and clever. It is one of those scenes that is always imitated and very rarely/never equalled. Why do I like this scene? Well, it is very clever and surreal in how it's placed and how it's choreographed, and it is timed beautifully. Fifthly, the mirror sequence is absolutely brilliant, in fact it is one of my all-time favourite scenes in a Marx Brothers film, along with the shenanigans inside Groucho's cabin in A Night at the Opera. Fourthly, I love the dialogue- the insults, the puns, the witty exchanges between Groucho and Margaret Dumont, they are now comedy classics, something you can quote this day and still laugh about it with your friends. Thirdly, there is no love story or musical interludes, I have nothing against them, as A Night at the Opera actually had both and they worked, but when it interferes too much like it does in some of the Marx Brothers later comedies it can lessen the film's appeal a bit. Secondly, Zeppo is given something to do- normally Zeppo comes across as underused and bland, but while he is not the funniest here he has something worthwhile to do. First of all, I love the humour in the Marx Brothers movies, their movies have a rough-around-the-edges sort of humour that I feel is very unique. Although I absolutely love A Night at the Opera as well too, Duck Soup is my personal favourite Marx Brothers comedy for several reasons.