365 Days. 365 Films.

This was my first encounter with the Marx brothers, and I have to say that their comedy has stood the test of time incredibly well. I have always known about the Marx brothers in the same way that a lot of people these days have heard about Chaplin or Buster Keaton, but never really watched any of their films. Of course I have always been a huge fan of Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy, but in this day and age, slapstick isn’t quite as funny as it once was.

The story is about Rufus Firefly (Groucho Marx) who is elected president of a bankrupt country called Freedonia. After falling for a conveniently wealthy woman, Firefly declares war on a neighbouring country, which is also home to his love rival.

Some of the comedy is dated, but then it would be weird if it wasn’t after all this time, however the majority of the film will at least make you giggle. It’s quite an interesting plot for this sort of comedy and one that undoubtedly has an underlying meaning.