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1.85 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\German\Italian\Spanish
English\German
English
Region 2
Mono English French German Italian Spanish
Mono
Original Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Menu Screens
Chapter Selections
Dutch\French\Italian\Spanish
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 5
French\German\Italian\Spanish
English\German
English
Region 2
Mono English French German Italian Spanish
Mono
Original Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Menu Screens
Chapter Selections
Dutch\French\Italian\Spanish
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Before there was Forrest Gump shaking hands with John F. Kennedy there was Leonard Zelig interrupting a speech by Adolf Hitler. This 1983 faux-documentary from Woody Allen tells the tale of a strange little man who wanted so badly to fit in that he was able to change like a chameleon to blend in with his surroundings, whether that meant being a musician in a black band, a psychiatrist in a mental institution, or a member of the Nazi party. Mia Farrow co-stars as Dr. Eudora Fletcher, who not only treats Zelig with her radical psychiatric theories but eventually falls in love with the lovable loser, saving him from those who want to put him on display so people can watch Leonard turn Chinese, French or obese.
Cinematographer Gordon Willis deserves a lot of the credit for "Zelig," creatively aging his film to blend with the archive footage that has Leonard rubbing elbows with Fanny Brice, Charles Chaplin and Rudolf Hess. This "documentary" includes "contemporary" interviews with Dr. Fletcher (Ellen Garrison) and other figures in the life and times of Zelig as well as comments from critics such as Susan Sontag and Saul Bellow ("He touched people in a way that they perhaps did not want to be touched..."). I also must commend the unique narrative style provided by Patrick Horgan, who delivers the sly narration with the driest sense of humor ever recorded.
My favorite section of this film is when Zelig becomes the national craze of the moment, to be celebrated and exploited by dolls, games and puzzles, songs like "Leonard the Lizard," and even a Hollywood movie. "Zelig" is a much more subtle documentary parody than either "Take the Money and Run" or "Spinal Tap." Truth, fiction and absurdity are blended seamlessly in this film, which is that most rare creature, a "charming" Woody Allen movie that is a much more enjoyable experience than reading "Moby Dick."
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a semi documentary - style comedy from Woody Allen and i think it is definately up there with the very best. I have watched it many times and still get a load of belly laughs. Working for two sets of siamese twins with split personalities and getting paid 8 times sounds good to me. I must dash i'm taking a class in advanced masturbation and if i'm not there on time they'll start without me. Another classic.
Don't miss it you will never see anything remotely like it again
Don't miss it you will never see anything remotely like it again
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Amazing technically, with a lot to say about society, conformity, and how we see ourselves.
This brilliantly made mock documentary about a 'human chameleon' in the 1920s and 30s who unconsciously changes his appearance in a desperate attempt to fit in and be liked, is hilarious and heartbreaking, often at the same time.
Some of the visual effects are still astounding by modern standards. And Allen gives a performance that is surprisingly subtle.
There are a few slow moments, and a few jokes feel self-conscious, but not enough to hurt the film in any way. This is tied with 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and 'Hannah and her Sisters' for my 2nd favorite Allen film behind 'Annie Hall'.
One of the greatest films by one the great filmmakers of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Very worth seeking out.
This brilliantly made mock documentary about a 'human chameleon' in the 1920s and 30s who unconsciously changes his appearance in a desperate attempt to fit in and be liked, is hilarious and heartbreaking, often at the same time.
Some of the visual effects are still astounding by modern standards. And Allen gives a performance that is surprisingly subtle.
There are a few slow moments, and a few jokes feel self-conscious, but not enough to hurt the film in any way. This is tied with 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' and 'Hannah and her Sisters' for my 2nd favorite Allen film behind 'Annie Hall'.
One of the greatest films by one the great filmmakers of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Very worth seeking out.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Allen's Inventive Yarn
Woody Allen's 1983 film Zelig is a clever and beautifully constructed 'documentary' on fictional character, 'chameleon man' Leonard Zelig (played by Allen), and shot in black and... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Keith M
NOT HIS BEST BUT STILL GREAT
This is one of Woodys lesser known films which is a shame as it is very good. OK it's not his best but it's in my view in his top ten. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Stephen
Little known gem from Woody
This is a great little black & white film from Woody Allen. Like 'Take the money and run', his first feature film from the late 60s, its a fake documentary. Read more
Published 16 months ago by S J Buck
Zelig
When Woody Allen was young his movies were mostly zany. As he matured his work began to have a more reflective air. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Ruth Hay
We Need People Like Zelig
This 'mockumentary' is funny in places (the scene with Hitler comes to mind), tender, dramatic, and intelligently made. Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2010 by SIMPLE NOTES.
Superb Meditation On Celebrity And Identity Crisis
A film like Zelig doesn't fall into any obvious category, so it's important to remember that Woody Allen is a movie category unto himself. Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2009 by Philoctetes
Clever Woody
This is Woody at his most inventive. Beginning in the prohibition era and filmed documentary-style largely in black and white, it tells the fictional tale of Leonard Zelig... Read more
Published on 3 Oct 2007 by Tyke
Woody's worst film by a long shot
Edna is a big Woody fan and has seen just about all of the great man's films. This one is the stinker, however - a clunker of epic proportions with NO redeeming features... Read more
Published on 12 April 2007 by Edna Sweetlove
Give a man a mask and he'll tell you the truth...
...Or so at least goes the "Velvet Goldmine" version of one of Oscar Wilde's more brilliant remarks. "Zelig" is generally held to be a minor movie in the Woody canon. Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2004 by lexo1941
An Overlooked Classic
Just 1 hour and 6 minutes exist of this rather intriguing and witty "documentary" about a strange little man who can somehow transform himself into whomever he is with. Read more
Published on 2 July 2004
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