Woody Allen was still very much in his "comedy phase" in 1975 when he spoofed Bergman films, Russian history and historical dramas with LOVE AND DEATH.
One of his funniest films, it follow Boris (Allen) from childhood through his young years as the most notorious coward in the country. Hiding behind pacifism and any tree he can find, Boris accidentally becomes a war hero.
Madly in love with his intellectual cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton) Boris stumbles and dithers his way through history. The unlikely couple spar hilariously and smartly through a meeting with Napoleon, assassination attempts, some of the worst flirting in screen history at the Opera and a non-stop barrage of one-liners.
Some of my favorites:
Anton: If you so much as come near the Countess, I'll see that you never see the light of day again.
Boris: If a man said that to me, I'd break his neck.
Anton: I am a man.
Boris: Well, I mean a much shorter man.
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Countess Alexandrovna: You are the greatest lover I've ever had.
Boris: Well, I practice a lot when I'm alone.
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Soldier: He was from my village. He was the village idiot.
Boris: Yeah, what did you do, place?
Non-stop clever fun, written and directed by Woody between "Sleeper" and "Annie Hall".
I was laughing the whole way through when Tamara said "This is the dumbest thing you've ever watched."
OK , so maybe it's only hilarious if you love Allen's writing, but count me in that lot, I give it an A!
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