User reviews

As a huge Woody Allen fan, I was delighted and surprised by this film. I have scarcely heard anyone mention it, but for my money it is the single most comically dense of all of Woody's films. There are so many truly impressive/hilarious/memorable one-liners that I'm amazed people don't quote this movie left and right. The setting, costumes, accents all add to the hilarity of the film--truly reminiscent of a Marx Brothers romp. Really outstanding among his pre-Annie Hall films. Only rivaled by Bananas in my opinion for simple laugh value.

Unlike any other of his films, this deals with his "deep" questions of death/metaphysics in an unflaggingly light and comical fashion. For instance:

Sonja: But judgment of any system or a priori relation of phenomena exists in any rational or metaphysical or at least epistemological contradiction to an abstracted empirical concept such as being or to be or to occur in the thing itself or of the thing itself.

Boris: Yeah, I've said that many times.

Not Woody's "best" film (see Annie Hall, Manhattan, Crimes and Misdemeanors), but perhaps his most laugh-filled. Satisfying throughout. I give it a 9/10.

This Woody Allen flick is by far the funniest of his that I have seen thus far, although i don't think its as good as a film as Annie Hall or The Purple Rose of Cairo, both which I consider masterpieces of Woody's, Love and death is still a brilliant film. The story of Boris Grushenko (Allen), a Russian who is caught up in the invasion of the french lead by Napoleon (Tolkan). Meanwhile he also loves Sonja (Keaton), a girl who has confusions of her own. The film is written brilliantly, great dialogues and wit, its truly offbeat humor, the funniest from Woody. Although his direction here is a bit weird, and at times the plot is not believable at all and obviously satirical, the performances and great dialogues make it work. It was a bit redundant and had a bit too much slapstick at times but still enjoyable. Watching this film, truly had me laughing throughout. Woody was perfect in his role, probably my favorite acting from him along with his acting in Annie Hall. Diane Keaton was also great here, not as good as her other work in this decade (GF, GF2 and Annie Hall), however still great here. James Tolkan was also great as Napoleon. 9/10 #91 on list of all time favorite films

"Love and Death" is one of Woody Allen's "early, funny ones," before he made darker and more serious films, such as "Stardust Memories" (1980) where Allen's line about his own oeuvre originates. He made "Annie Hall" (1977) next, and his career would never be the same. On the other hand, being a parody of 19th-century Russian literature, "Love and Death" is full of esoteric references. The major throughline is Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace," but there's enough Fyodor Dostoevsky here for me to have reviewed it as part of my mission to see a bunch of "Crime and Punishment" pictures after reading the book. Moreover, Allen would go on to make three movies (thus far) more heavily and singularly inspired by this particular novel: "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989), "Match Point" (2005) and "Irrational Man" (2015). It's interesting to compare how he went from "Love and Death," which is non-stop comedic frivolity complete with a gag being performed at every moment to "Match Point," where there are no jokes.

Indeed, "Love and Death" is not only an homage to literature, but also to early screen comics. There's even a scene where the sound goes out for some silent slapstick, and the fourth-wall-breaking absurdity of the whole thing seems to be especially indebted to the Marx Brothers. As for the Russian connection, though, there are extended mock-philosophical discussions, angst over the existence of God, somber soliloquies, multiple suitors and lovers for everyone, subplots upon subplots and periphery character galore, a lot to do with class and nationality, and... wheat, I guess. (I love that in a blog post from Alistair Ian Blyth that one of my favorite films of the 1910s, "After Death" (1915), which is based on the prose of Ivan Turgenev, is brought up to help explain the supposed importance of wheat in Russian literature.)

Some of the Dostoevsky references are obvious. Allen has a conversation in a jail cell that entirely exists of characters and titles from his stories, including some gossip about a local named "Raskolnikov" who murdered two women. Additionally, Diane Keaton's character is named "Sonja," the hooker with a heart of gold who instigates Raskolnikov's regeneration in the book. "Love and Death" offers the best character summary of Sonja, though, from her own lips: "I'm half saint, half wh-re" (IMDb censorship, you know). And, naturally, Allen plays the atheistic foil to her pious promise land. Best of all, however, is how the connection with Napoleon between "War and Peace" and "Crime and Punishment" is exploited in this film with two other words surrounding the conjunction. Sonja decides that she and Allen's Boris should kill Napoleon for the benefit of humanity, which is akin to the rationale of Raskolnikov for murdering the pawnbroker. Ironically, Napoleon was also his role model for this "extraordinary" act. Boris mixes up the roles further by comparing himself to an insect, which is what Raskolnikov said of the pawnbroker, and claiming Napoleon as a great man. Looking at the parodic adaptation this way gives one as much whiplash as Allen and Keaton's philosophical repartee. To top it off, there are two Napoleons.

There are some allusions to non-comedic films here, too. The ones to "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) and "Persona" (1966) seemed most conspicuous to me. Although "Love and Death" is a lightweight affair, and the jokes are hit and miss, it rewards those who've seen and read what it parodies. And, admittedly, Russian novels such as "Crime and Punishment" were just asking for this sort of loving pillory.

One of the funniest movies of all time. The War & Peace and Chekov slant gives it a great feel. Allen and Keaton are at their best, and funnier than Grace & Burns, Hepburn & Tracey, etc..

One of the better lines, "To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love, but then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer, to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love, to be happy then is to suffer but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore to be unhappy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down."

This classic comedy is very rarely known, and worth watching it over and over.

"Love and Death" is one of my favourite Woody Allen films, right up there with "Manhattan," "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Deconstructing Harry." Sure, the jokes are scattershot and don't always work, but when they do the film is a gut-buster. ("A tremendous amount of wheat!") Parodying everything from Russian literature to foreign films (especially those of his beloved Ingmar Bergman), it's also one of Allen's most overtly philosophical films with characters breaking into syllogisms and formal arguments at the most unlikely moments. Students of philosophy should get a kick out of it.

That said, it is accessible to just about anybody. Almost nobody does fish-out-of-water comedy as well as Woody Allen (see also "Bananas" and "Sleeper"), and Diane Keaton shines as usual as the promiscuous object of his desire. And look for Jessica Harper in a small role as the cousin who rattles off a convoluted list of romantic entanglements worthy of Chekhov.

This was the last step of Allen's formative period. After this, his films would get a lot more focused.

For me Love & Death and Sleeper were Allen's zenith for slapstick, one-liner comic-gag comedy. After the relatively immature but amusing Bananas & Everything You always Wanted To Know About Sex, Allen goes up a notch in the intellectual comedy stakes to produce this fine send-up of Russian culture & historical caricature.

Even though some of the one-liner jokes don't always come off it doesn't matter because you never really get chance to think too much about how droll it is because Allen has another half dozen gags waiting in the wings.

But I've often found that Allen works best when he has a foil for his anarchic humour: and thank the Lord he managed to find the wonderful talent of Ms Keaton. She may not be his intellectual equal but she can run him to ground in nearly everything else. She has a kind of naive charm in this movie, always daydreaming, never really listening to Allen's mutterings & jabberings. And with this naivity brings warmth, humility and a general sense of well being.

At the same time Allen can release all his pentup emotions, fears, neo-neurosis to Keaton knowing full well that she wouldn't have a single notion as to what he was on about.

And thats what makes this partnership so durable whether it be here in Love & Death, or Sleeper, Annie Hall or Manhattan Murder Mystery. The scripts may vary but they're held together by the spontaneity of the two stars.

It should be said also that Love & Death breaks new ground for Allen, because even though he still relies on the childish humour of his earlier films, it is also quite clear that he is more forthcoming with his angst against a problematic world. His philosophic nuances dominate a lot of the film, which he will put to more practical use in his latter films like Annie Hall & Manhattan. But here he gets the mix between jokes & existentualism just right.

Love & Death is quite literally a laugh a minute. Whatever people may say about his recent personal problems it cannot be denied that this guy is a pure talent and should be cherished for what he is - a man that makes the world a happier place, if only for a few hours!

****/*****

Woody Allen films fall into different categories-his early films verge on slapstick while still being bitingly satirical (Sleeper, Bananas, Play It Again, Sam, among others) while his later works generally fall into one of two categories: contemporary social satire or nostalgic period pieces, generally set in the 1930s or 1940s. Love and Death is probably the most cerebral of the slapstick films and what I suspect a collaboration between Woody Allen, Ingmar Bergman and the Marx Brothers would have looked like had one ever taken place. Sight gags abound along with the philosophical discussions Woody Allen films have as a matter of course. It's a hilarious film that spoofs Bergman, the military, patriotism and, of course, love and death. Most highly recommended.

This movie is considered to be a spoof of Russian Novels . It is set in czarist Russia, 1812 , a neurotic Boris Grushenko (Woody Allen) wishes to marry his distant cousin (Diane Keaton) . Although both of whom take two divergent ways in their lives, those paths cross once again . When Napoleon threatens to invade the Russian Empire, the coward soldier is forced to enlist to save his natal nation . Later on , Boris and his lover cousin formulate a scheme to assassinate Napoleon (James Tolkan) . At the end he is detained and the condemned man reviews his past life .

Amusing picture fable is plenty of the filmmaker's signature angst-ridden philosophical comedy . Hilarity slips into vulgarity rather too often in this usually in-and-out early Woody Allen comedy which embroils the little man in Russia invaded by Napoleon . Like a Russian soldier , the gags and funny sketches fire off in all directions . There is a lot of spoofs and even Bergman's ¨The seventh seal¨ and ¨Persona¨ and jokes for moviegoers . As the movie featured the Death character of The Grim Reaper , Allen is known to be inspired and influenced by Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman who had featured the Grim Reaper in his film The seventh seal (1957) ; in the Bergman film the Grim Reaper wears black robes whereas in this film he wears a white gown . The picture is ironical about major Russian novels particularly the works of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky . In fact , the movie title is a play on words of such Russian novel titles as Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" and Fyodor Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" . Nice acting by Woody Allen at his best , as a condemned man who reviews the follies of his life . His comic style paid homage to a number of classic comedians which included Bob Hope , Charles Chaplin and The Marx Brothers . Intermittently hilarious , pre-Annie Hall Allen fare , it is is one of eight cinema movie collaborations of Woody Allen and actress Diane Keaton, Allen co-starring in six of them and directing seven of them . These are the followings : Play It Again Sam , Sleeper , Interiors , Manhattan , Radio Days , and Manhattan Murder Mystery . It is fun enough to make wish there were more of it and you will have to keep your eyes peeled to spot notorious secondaries as Jessica Harper , Harold Gould , Olga Georges Picot , Féodor Atkine , Gérard Buhr , Howard Vernon and James Tolkan as Napoleón and his double and about ¨fifty-four supporting players" .

Witty as well as classical musical score contributes much . At the beginning the soundtrack was taken from Igor Stravinsky music , but , subsequently , Woody Allen took Sergei Prokofiev's lighthearted score that worked far better . The movie's big battle sequence features Sergei Prokofiev's cantata music from Sergei M. Eisenstein's epic Alexánder Nevsky (1938). Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Ghislain Cloquet , being shot on location in Hungary and Paris , France . Lavish and stunningly produced by Charles H. Joffe , Allen's ordinary producer . This enjoyable motion picture was vigorously directed by Woody Allen , being his sixth film as director and here to ridicule Russian novels such as "The Idiot", "The Gambler", "War and Peace", "Anna Karenina", "Crime and Punishment", and "The Brothers Karamazov". Woody Allen has said that this movie was "my funniest picture to that time".

Honestly, It took me 24 years to truly appreciate the work of Woody Allen. But those were 24 years well spent and by that I mean... -it could be that you have to grow up and be a student of life and really see what the world is about. or -it could just be that you need to be cynical ...in order to achieve the mindset to understand the genius of it all, there's something about Woody Allen that is just incredibly fantastic. I must say that this film is incredibly well thought, acted, and directed....Diane Keaton is the best shes ever been in my opinion and Woody...man you gotta love him!

Just watch it! You'll be in tears-too funny!

Only Woody Allen could deem God an underachiever - at best - but he does in his 1975 "War and Peace" takeoff, "Love and Death," also starring Diane Keaton. Allen's relationship with God, faith and morality has been explored in both his comedies and his dramas, and this story of two peasants in Tsarist Russia who set out to kill Napoleon is no exception. The film begins with a narration by Boris (Allen) as he awaits execution (it was supposed to be a 5 a.m. but a good lawyer got him an hour's reprieve), and he explains how he wound up in prison.

There are some hilarious moments in this movie, filmed in Hungary, but the comedy comes off as uneven and even at an hour and a half, it seems long. In an interview, Allen said that he imitated Bob Hope spewing one-liners. One of the most interesting parts of the film is to hear him do exactly that and how different the Hope-type patter sounds when channeled by Allen. (Don Adams' "Get Smart" voice was an imitation of William Powell; Paul Lynde was imitating Alice Ghostley, yet this probably never occurs to anyone.) Boris' discussions about murder and morality with his wife, the promiscuous Sonja, are very funny. He and Keaton make a great team.

Allen comes down on the side of no God or if there is one, as stated previously, he's an underachiever. In fact, there is even a lying angel. Drama or comedy, Allen's films are usually thought-provoking, even hidden behind his non-Hope deadpan line readings and nebbishy face. His work is always worth seeing, and the cleverness and art of "Love and Death" will not be lost on the viewer.

Watching Love And Death today I had the feeling that back when Woody Allen was going to Midwood High School in Brooklyn, a few years before I did, he was forced to do a book report on War And Peace and hated it. He vowed to get even with Tolstoy and all the rest of those heavy Russian dramatists and in Love And Death I do believe he succeeded.

And if you ever were forced to sit through all that turgid prose and heavy dramatics than Love And Death is the film you've longed for. The time is the Napoleonic Wars and the flower of Russian manhood is answering the colors. But Woody comes from a different patch than the other flowers bloomed in and he's not that crazy about sacrificing for old mother Russia.

The overall tone of Love And Death is a homage to Groucho Marx and years earlier I could have seen the Marx Brothers doing something like Love And Death with a bit more creative control, just like what Woody Allen has with his movies. But the military scenes were out of the Bob Hope school of cowardice playbook.

Lest anyone think that only Russian literature got a good satire, Allen includes a take off on Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude as Allen and Diane Keaton both go into those stage soliloquys about what the future holds for them as a couple.

Love And Death a must for Woody Allen and a missionary film for those looking to convert someone to being a Woody Allen fan.

Woody Allen as a klutzy Russian attempting to avoid being drafted during the Napoleonic War. Even with all the visual gags and slapstick comedy routines, "Love and Death" remains one of writer-director-star Allen's smartest movies, equally a satire of Ingmar Bergman's films, a send-up of Russian novels and epic war pictures. It has some dizzying set-pieces and laugh out-loud sequences (such as the bit at the opera, with Woody turning would-be Casanova). It's extremely clever, brimming over with all kinds of crazy ideas (some of which are brilliant, and some I felt might have stood some prudent trimming). Woody and Diane Keaton are delightfully in-sync throughout, and the film's design and cinematography are marvelously spot-on. *** from ****

I suppose Woody Allen must be the Marmite of the film world. You either love him or hate him.

For me, in Love and Death, he comes over as trying to be Charlie Chaplin, the Marx brothers and Woody Allen the neurotic stand-up all in one. It doesn't work.

Yes the movie has its funny lines, but I found them too few and far between.

"Yes, but he's so clever with his intellectual & cinematic references" Maybe, but that doesn't make the film any funnier.

At least I finally managed to watch a Woody Allen film right through. But if I want to laugh at Marx Brothers humour, I'll watch the Marx Brothers. Now they're funny!

When Napoleon invades the Russian Empire during the Napoleonic wars, Boris Grushenko (Woody Allen), a "militant coward" and pacifist scholar, is forced to enlist in the Russian Army, desperate and disappointed hearing the news that his cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton) is to wed a herring merchant.

The film is full of philosophical and pseudo-philosophical commentary. In one instance, a priest suggests that Spinoza proves God's existence. Boris and Sonja banter back and forth about epistemology and such, and only once does Sonja really offer any advice worth taking in: that "to love is to suffer and to not know love is to suffer", which really amounts to little more than "life is suffering", something the Buddhists or Schopenhauer would have embraced.

But then again, you have wise men spouting off silliness, including the view that German Jews have stripes, and Russian Jews have horns. We are left to conclude, as Boris quickly does, that being logical in an illogical world is a complex and unfavorable situation.

It has been said that the use of Sergei Prokofiev for the soundtrack adds to the Russian flavor of the film. Other parts referencing Russian culture include a dialogue between Boris and his father with each line alluding to or being composed entirely of Dostoevsky titles. This is crucial to really get the point of how backwards everything was across.

I was not able to fully appreciate the film because I am ignorant of its references to the works of Bergman (notably "Persona" and "Smiles of a Summer Night"). But that is true of much of Allen's work, I think. His constant references to Dostoevsky did reach me but may have been missed by others. Yet, even if few completely "get" the picture, it remains beautiful and humorous just the same. Allen has called this his favorite picture, even more so than "Annie Hall". I have to see more to be sure, but as of now I am inclined to agree.

Like Mother Russia itself the themes are sweeping from death to herring - but unlike Sleeper and Bananas this is a masterwork because it leaves you wiser and wise-cracking. Beneath the wonderful silly seriousness and a veneer of intellectual mimicry is the feeling that watching Love and Death extends your life by ten years and increases your IQ by 40 points - a favourite Woody Allen, and without a doubt one of the smartest, and funniest comedies ever made.

In Love and Death you get the best and fullest exposition of what Allen really did best before the the comedy of manners, or the New York settings : witty, fast, furious, hilarious, clever writing: here he proved beyond a doubt that the one-liner could be smart, and poignant.

Every comedy writer (And comedy actor) should watch and learn - the timing, and the way your brain dances when watching is marvellous.

A total triumph and a writer's paradise.

Vintage Allen comedy with skit-like scenes that are his forte. It's been commented that Woody spoofs Ingmar Bergman here but he also plays out a lot of scenes as if they're set in Freedonia instead of Czarist Russia.

"Love and Death" has aged a bit. The "Love" part is more aptly about adolescent sexual escapades than heartfelt and soulful love. "Death" still zings with Allen's irreverent best.

Kudos to Woody for giving Diane Keaton as many one-liners as himself. Still good for many laughs.

Can I leave now?

Although the critics loved Annie Hall and some of Allen's other films more than this one, I think this is his best combination of comedy and philosophy. I would strongly recommend this to any fan of Russian history, comedy, philosophy, or Woody Allen.

Hilarious comedy inspired by philosophy, Russian literature, Swedish & French films looks better with each passing year. Woody himself has declared this film to be his favorite -even more than Annie Hall. His Boris is a fine comic creation and almost sexy in a loopy sort of way; it's here in Love and Death where he seems strangely confident and hasn't settled into the heavy stammering and constant neurotic fidgeting that has now become his trademark.

Diane Keaton as half saint/half whore Sonja (foreshadowing her serious Looking for Mr. Goodbar character) is simply marvelous and provides a beautiful comic foil for Allen. (It's hard to remember how good of a dramatic actor she is while watching her flirt with a Napoleon impostor.) The two zing in their scenes together -Don't! Not here!- carrying them off with a played-to-the-hilt, frothy zestfulness that make you long for the days when we had good comic film duos: Silent Bob and Jay, Matt and Ben, Danny and Mel just don't quite cut it for me.

The now 28 year old film -like most of Allen's films- has hardly aged and should be seen if you haven't already. There's a beautiful DVD treatment that's been released and I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

This "Early" Woody Allen movie may be the best all-out comedy he's ever done. I remember the comparisons made between Mel Brooks and Allen before "Annie Hall", but Brooks can't hold a candle to what Allen can do. This movie is layered with truth the way earlier European expressionist movies are (and which he would explore more fully in later movies), except this is a lot funnier. Not at all like other 70s Allen films like "Everything you ever wanted to know about sex" or even "Bananas". This is very sardonic, heady stuff for a wacky comedy.

One of my favorite scenes of all time is about how Napoleon is trying to compete with Wellington by making a better pastry.

Which movie of Woody's was it in which he talked to aliens who expressed a liking for his "early, funny" movies? In any case this is perhaps his funniest. His lampooning of the great Russian dramas are hilarious to those who have even a passing familiarity with them, and even if you don't, the jokes come so fast and furious that it literally is a laugh a minute--at least! Woody and Diane Keaton were a great comedy team. They were really at the top of their game when they made this one. I'll resist the urge to repeat laugh lines here and just recommend that fans of good comedy see it.

As a fan of Russian literature, Ingmar Bergman, and the director Woody Allen himself, this film was an absolute joy for me. The references are clever and flow so effortlessly, centering on Tolstoy and Bergman, but including Dostoevsky, Nabokov, T.S. Eliot, Eisenstein, and various philosophers, some quite obscure. Comedically he channels Groucho Marx ("Well, my seconds will be out. Have them call on my thirds. If my thirds are out, go directly to my fourths."), Charlie Chaplin (the hapless soldier in 'Shoulder Arms'), and Buster Keaton (the duel scene). As in many of his other films, it's intelligent but also satirizes the intelligentsia, which I liked. Not everything works but I was smiling throughout and laughed out loud several times. Amidst all of the gags, Allen gets in comments about politics, e.g. the Generals looking down on the soldiers as sheep, and lines like this: "Think there's any difference whether we live under the Czar or Napoleon? They're both crooks. The Czar's a little taller." He also zings religion a few times, e.g. "If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil. I think that the worst you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever." Overall, just a smart, playful, funny film.

A sampling of some of the funny bits: "You think I was made in God's image? Take a look at me. You think He wears glasses?" "Not with those frames."

"He'll go and fight, and I hope they put him in the front lines!" "Thanks a lot, mom. My mother, folks."

"How many lovers do you have?" "In the mid-town area?"

"You want to make a career out of the army, don't you?" "Well, let's not get carried away." "From now on you'll clean the mess hall and the latrine!" "Yes sir. How will I tell the difference?"

"He was the village idiot." "Yeah, what did you do - place?" "Oh, God is testing us." "If he's gonna test us, why doesn't he give us a written?"

"You're quoting a Hun to me?"

The large "WELCOME IDIOTS" sign at the Village Idiots' Convention in Minsk.

"They call me mad, but one day when the history of France is written, they will mark my name well. Sidney Applebaum!"

The trick behind making a comedy like this, is to at least give an illusion that you are tying the gags and the skits together into a narrative (see: Monty Python's the Holy Grail). This is this movie's biggest flaw, because the narrative changes direction in the middle. Or rather, it gets a direction, as the first half was more fleeting. Once the story gets going (with the "Napoleon"-plot), it's a bit more enjoyable as a movie (rather than a string of gags), but even still it's kind of half hearted.

There are some really funny moments, like physical gags, jokes, references and word play, but it's not really enough to justify the entire movie as one story. The performances are also good, both the extras and bit parts, and Diane Keaton's comic performance. Woody Allen plays himself, but does so as well as always.

Boring. Not very good. Before I drown in indignant e-mails from Allen fans, let me make a few comments. The aforementioned Allen fans always smugly say that those who don't rave over Allen's films are Philistines who just "don't get it." Well, I do get it. It just isn't very funny. Yeah, I caught the references to Tolstoy, and was mildly amused by the riff working in all of the titles of Dosteyevsky's books, and the mention of Raskolnikov. Allen's humor is wry and absurdist, and was something different when he first hit the scene. But it is all the same. Allen always plays Allen, basing everything on his New York, Jewish angst. And of course his vanity knows no bounds, in spite of this persona. Seeing nothing wrong with porking his (more or less) stepdaughter is Exhibit A on this. Unless you are a fan of Allen, or want to seem to be, skip this one.