Waiter! There's a Firefly in my "Soup" ...

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2012)

Simply quacked, "Duck Soup" is the BEST Marx Brothers film. I could have said 'quintessential' and 'exemplary' or 'most classic' and 'most defining', but sophisticated epithets are so tremendously ostentatious and since I consider superlatives as the worst reviewing tricks ever, the word that still best describes my feeling is 'best', and by 'best', I mean 'funniest'. And my case I rest.
Now, is there a recipe that justifies the ecstatic comments put in this "Duck Soup"? What are the ingredients, the cinematic gourmets might ask? Well, I guess it's just so irresistibly funny that it stands on its own regardless of its status as a 'Marx Brothers' film. The film is purely, objectively and outrageously funny, with as only reason-to-be: fun, fun and fun again. I don't think it's possible to be that hilarious with the plain intention of being funny; the movie works because there is a mood of sheer anarchy that inhabits all the protagonists, a sort of desire to destruct and deconstruct that creates all the comedic force of the film. The Marx Brothers are the 'Schumpeters' of comedy.
Not that it bothers me, but I'm not sure I am being clear while writing these lines, but this is probably because I was already questioning the relevancy of a review for a movie like "Duck Soup", before writing it. Think of it, if you have seen the film, you know it's the funniest of the 'Marx Brothers', and by 'funniest', I mean 'best' but that's the problem: if it's the first time you plan to watch one of their films, starting with "Duck Soup" condemns you for many disappointments. Not that the others films are bad, some of them are great even by today's standards, but none of them can beat "Duck Soup" on a zygomatic scale, for one simple reason: "Duck Soup" is funny from beginning to end. The Marx Brothers are the 'Stakhanovs' of comedy.
I guess the fans will understand where I'm coming from: "Duck Soup" is the only film that doesn't feature the classic sappy romantic subplot, or a musical interlude. Both "Duck Soup" and "A Night at the Opera" made the American Film Institute's Top 100 but on the comedy department, "Duck Soup" is far superior because it doesn't waste its time: every frame, every scene and sequence exists only for pure comedic purposes, with a vis comica that could have defeated Attila's men if it was converted to a military force. "Duck Soup" is certified 100% pure Marx Brothers, and works like 100 push-ups. The Marx Brothers are the 'Schwarzeneggers' of comedy.
"Where is your husband?" "Why, he's dead." "I bet he's just using that as an excuse." "I was with him to the very end." "No wonder he passed away." "I held him in my arms and kissed him." "Oh, I see, then it was murder. Will you marry me? Did he leave you any money? Answer the second question first." This rapid-fire exchange between Groucho Marx as the newly chosen dictator of Freedonia Rufus T. Firefly and Mrs. Teasdale, Margaret Dumont as the irreplaceable dignified matron doesn't exceed fifteen seconds, which makes one joke every four seconds, yet it's so fast-paced that just when you laugh at something another one comes at you, and your mind is so challenged it's impossible to focus on the movie's brilliance.
Take Margaret Dumont, who plays with a remarkable professionalism the straight-man role, legend had it that she never got the jokes. Well, Groucho's delivery is so quick that she's forgivable, and his humor so subtle that even I is still scratching my head to the obscure "Gentlemen, you're fighting for this woman's honor, which is more than she ever did" joke, although I'm not sure I got it, I get why it is funny, and I think this is the key to understand the genius of Dumont's performance. She might not get some jokes, but she got the fact that she's being verbally assaulted and that she contributes to the shining Groucho's talent. While "MASH" was clearly mean-spirited, "Duck Soup" provides an elegant way of making fun of someone which almost sounds as flirting when you consider the great chemistry between Groucho, the heavy-weight champion of comedy and Dumont, his priceless sparring-partner.
But let's not forget Harpo and Chico, all of them at the top of their game, Zeppo is still not the most memorable character of the bunch, even dethroned by the villainous Trentino (Louis Calernh), the movie provides every possible type of humor, from slapstick to idiotic idiomatic puns, from verbal jokes to pure parody, the film is like a laboratory of joviality, where the four brothers are left with enough freedom to let their creativity explode to the face of the Earth: playing xylophones on soldier's helmets, providing unforgettable musical numbers, from the poor street vendor victim of the hat-changing routine to another running, or let's say, driving gag, one gag follows another, punctuated by totally random (but still hilarious) moments like when Harpo sleeps with his horse, when a dog emerges from his tattoo. There are no limits for absurdity and twice during the film, it culminated with cinematic genius. The Marx Brothers are the 'Einsteisn' of comedy.
The first is the mirror scene, probably the 'insert an ecstatic superlative' Marx Brothers moment. When Chico, disguised as Groucho, puts the right hat (while he was seen with another) you could see in their eyes, the innocent joy of two brothers simply having fun. The second is the mayhem 'archive footage' sequence showing the 'coming help', a moment still hilarious after almost eight decades. "Duck Soup" is so modern it can be considered as a landmark in the field of comedy just like "King Kong" was a masterpiece from the same year was for visual effects.
And don't let yourself be fooled by the film, it might look and sound idiotically funny on the surface, but it really is.