KarateParty.org - Bananas (1971)

Directed by

Woody Allen

Written by

Woody Allen and Mickey Rose

Cast

Woody Allen .... Fielding Mellish

Louise Lasser .... Nancy

Carlos Montalbán .... General Emilio M. Vargas

Natividad Abascal .... Yolanda

Jacobo Morales .... Esposito

Miguel Ángel Suárez .... Luis

David Ortiz .... Sanchez

René Enríquez .... Diaz

Jack Axelrod .... Arroyo

Howard Cosell .... Himself

Roger Grimsby .... Himself

Don Dunphy .... Himself

Charlotte Rae .... Mrs. Mellish

Stanley Ackerman .... Dr. Al Mellish

Dan Frazer .... Priest

Admit it, if you were a writer/
director/actor you'd write this
stuff for yourself too.

Earlier, funnier. That’s the era of Woody Allen’s filmmaking career the people usually hearken back to. Bananas, Woody’s second film, is one of the prime examples usually given of Woody’s golden age. Personally, I’d take a late ‘80s Woody film, like Crimes and Misdemeanours, over this. While Bananas is funny, and some of the jokes are brilliant, there’s also a huge number of duds. There's also a number of jokes that have been repeated so many times since this came out, that they’ve crossed over into the realm of the dud joke.

Woody plays Fielding Mellish, a product tester who tests products that aren’t particularly funny. We first see him testing out an exercise office desk, which is mildly amusing. He meets a political activist, Nancy, who he becomes involved with in the type of romantic comedy scenes that are funnier in later Woody Allen films. Before long she breaks up with him. Determined to win her back he travels to the South American country of San Marcos, to participate in one of Nancy’s favourite causes.

This makes me so nostalgic for my
University days.

Fielding finds the San Marcos government wants to kill him and blame it on the rebels to get American support. But he manages to escape and joins the rebels, where he somehow becomes a valued member. There are some great scenes with the rebels, particularly a training montage and Woody’s attempt to drug a guy and take him hostage.

Eventually the rebels overthrow the government. Fielding becomes President after the rebel leader goes crazy, making such laws such as one declaring that everyone under the age of 16 is now 16. When Fielding returns to America to try and get government support for the beleaguered San Marcos economy he’s arrested and put on trial for treason.

If I were a writer/director/actor I
think I'd leave Howard Cosell out
of this scene.

A zany comedy about a rebel uprising in South America is something I want to see. And sadly, not many films now would have the main character giving out numbers like in a bakery to people queuing for the firing squad (and that is an indictment of the dull comedic times we’re living in). And not many films could have a guy like Howard Cosell, who made up most of his dialogue on the spot, commentating at a newly married couples consummation. I mean, have you heard any sports commentary recently? There’s no one around who could pull it off.

South American rebels and old school boxing commentators aside, Bananas still isn’t the classic it’s made out to be, I think there’s enough good stuff in here to make the film worth checking out. You just have to have some patience to sit through the dud jokes. And, like all of Woody’s films that star Woody, he acts the way he acts. And if you don’t like that you probably won’t like this. That should be enough information.

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