Part of history.

Rating: 8/10 (30 November 2019)

Whether you like them or not, it's an undeniable fact that the Marx Brothers are part of cinematic and comedy history. That surely doesn't mean that they were perfect, but they were talented and their films emanated creativity with impressive stunts, ingenious gags and highly entertaining musical numbers. While Duck Soup's plot is something obviously built for comedy, it's somewhat exaggerated or rather the played down tone on politics, funnily enough, enhances the viewing experience. There's just something so exhilirating about watching a politician being portrayed as a buffoon, and perhaps oddly satisfying. It's a genious satire that begs to be further analyzed in retrospective, and a bit sad to see that not much has changed since the old days.
The absolute highlight is the mirror scene, I would recommend anyone to watch this movie just because of that scene. I wouldn't recommend watching the scene in isolation because it's better when you understand the whole context, the payoff is way better. It is one of the most accomplished comedic scenes in the history of cinema, without a shred of doubt. Extremely well-crafted and wonderfully executed, the film is also notable for having a wonderful sense of comedic timing and delivery from dialogues that are remarkable still to this day.
I must say I particularly didn't enjoy much of Harpo Marx's interventions, there's something about him that just throws me off.
Anyway, when you watch this film you will know exactly how the Marx Brothers skillfully operated just to make people laugh. And boy do they have much more in store for you.