In honor of his new film Magic in the Moonlight coming out July 25th I thought I'd take an opportunity to look back at Woody Allen's early career. This was the time when his films were strictly comedic in tone and low on budget. Bananas was only his third directional effort and as a comedy it works surprisingly well.
Bananas is the absurd story of a New Yorker who tests new products to see if they are safe for commercial use. After a break up with his girlfriend he decides to go to a small South-American country. Through a series of events he eventually becomes the leader of this small country. It is a parody of the American "puppet countries" in South America of the time combined with a sense of anarchy that is only matched by the Marx Brothers.
Allen's wit is in sharp form, especially in the early stages of the film. When the move to South America is made the film becomes even crazier and the whole thing reaches dizzying heights in one of the funniest courtroom scenes in movie history. Allen's earlier films are often "put-down" as immature and while this may be true there is no denying that Bananas is really funny. If you're looking for a good laugh you really can't do any better than this.
The film is a little dated in areas but the sharpness of the humor makes up for it. While not every gag works enough do that the film is enjoyable from start to finish. I was surprised how funny this gem was. If you get a chance to see it you owe to yourself to check out this great early Woody Allen film 4/5
