Duck Soup (1933)

Release date: 1933-11-17
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Leo McCarey
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Musical, War
Rating: 7.8/10
Length: 1h 9min

Storyline

The country of Freedonia is in the middle of a financial crisis and on the brink of revolution. In order to gain a bail-out from the wealthy Mrs Teasdale, the government appoints Rufus T Firefly as its president. However, Mr Firefly shuns the pomp and pretentiousness of government; along with the prudence and rationality of it too. Meanwhile, the neighbouring country of Sylvania is plotting to overthrow Freedonia and sends Pinky and Chicolini to spy on Firefly. War seems inevitable.

Plot Keywords

absurd comedy, absurd humor, political satire, slapstick comedy, farce, reference to napoleon, delinquent, irreverence, character appears in newspaper, bird in title, song, singer, uniform, anti hero, warrior, imitation, bathtub, cigar smoking, fictional war, newspaper headline

Short Review

It turns out that the sharp-tongued humour of Groucho Marx is ageless, the slapstick timely and the subject matter still pertinent: loony dictatorship, religion, pointless warfare.