Love and Death: A DVD Movie Review

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2006)

Love and Death: A DVD Movie Review
Relatively obscure, this 1975 Woody Allen written and directed spoof on "War and Peace", and the Ingmar Bergman genre as well, is outstanding fair. Because this is a film that first appears to be slapstick with quick quotes, funny lines, and hilarious dialog, it is often disregarded, but it is really significant movie art.
Not to become too philosophical, but it is also a kind of serious movie, with extreme undertones of satire regarding the ultimate human joke, that is a subjective, or is it objective philosophy towards life, love, and death? It makes ultimate fun of the subject matter of it's entitlement: "Love and Death." Woody Allen was quoted once as remarking that this was the favorite of his films, at least of that comic creative period of his during the1970's. I would have to agree with the director, as this tiny little 90 minute gem is my favorite Allen escape into the ultimate question, and the most perfect flight into the darkness of human insecurities, about immortality, as treated with humor.
Woody is really on with his stand up shtick in this film . His jokes come a mile a minute, with only a few duds, but mostly his deadpan delivery strikes home with logical humor. An amazing comic in his hey day, Allen was truly one of the funniest men on the planet in the 20th century. And joining him in this film is his perfect straight woman which will always be Diane Keaton.
One cannot ignore this amazing actress, and classically beautiful woman, Diane Keaton. The persona she projected during her formative acting career in the 1970's through 1980's was inspired and stunning. She was both a comedienne genius, but also an impressive dramatic female presence, in particular in the "Godfather" series, and in the so tragic brilliant but flawed film "Looking for Mr. Goodbar". Diane possessed a sort of lovely vulnerability, with high cheekbones, steel blue gray eyes, with quick and slight movements, long and tragic fingers, and a delicious overbite that brightened her unique, compelling, sensuous, optimistic, yet always fragile smile.
The rest of the cast are chosen for their physical look. In particular the part of French Emperor Napoleon. This is a sort of period piece set in the time of the Napoleonic wars, and it is interesting to see the mock battles between the French and Russians seemingly almost "Barry Lyndon" accurate when they were not made fun of.
The final barometer of this film is that Love and Life are about suffering and that Death is better than spending an evening with an insurance salesman.
"Love and Death": A Woody Allen film than many critics rate as mediocre is misunderstood, as this lovely treatise on the satirical side of making fun of philosophy, by the comic master, Woody Allen, is by this critic, highly recommended to any thinking man's DVD collection. I look forward to viewing it again soon.
B. A. Draper