![マルクス・ブラザーズ コレクターズ・ボックス 〈5枚組〉 [DVD]](https://images-fe.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51024PKPABL._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
Few things date more quickly than popular comedy.
I expect that this black and white1933 “classic comedy” and “biting political satire”, according to the DVD case, seemed funny many decades ago, but it has lost a lot of its appeal now.
Despite the title, this film has little to do with Ducks or Soup.
Groucho Marx becomes President of an imaginary country called Freedonia. His brothers Harpo, Chico and, the one nobody remembers, Zeppo Marx all become involved in some way or other (their even less well known brother Gummo Marx is not in the film at all). The actor Louis Calhern whose performances I liked in ‘We’re Not Married’ and ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ also appears.
The Freedonians sing a cheerful musical number about how great it is that they are going to war with a neighbouring country [I think this is meant to be the ‘biting political satire’ that the DVD description promised] but find themselves ill prepared for the conflict. Eventually the Marx brothers save the day by pelting the enemy leader with food until he surrenders [I think this is meant to be the ‘classic comedy’ we were promised.]
In a way I am glad I watched much of this film, although I skipped some scenes in the middle. I knew the Marx Brothers were famous and the image of the leading brother Groucho Marx with his moustache, cigar and grin still has cultural resonance, but I had never seen any of their work. Now at least I know what people are talking about when they mention them.
According to Wikipedia the Marx Brothers “are widely considered by critics, scholars, and fans to be among the greatest and most influential comedians of the 20th century” and this film ‘Duck Soup’ is among their most famous, but I wonder how much of that is down to people feeling that they ought to like this because other critics say they do.
While I did not hate this film, I am in no hurry to see more Marx Brothers’ films.
輸入版DVDは日本国内用のDVDプレーヤーでは再生できない可能性があります。リージョンコードについてはこちらをご確認ください。