Woody Allen’s Chameleon Like “Zelig”

Leonard Zelig is psychotic, neurotic, — a regular basket case. Zelig, by Woody Allen, is the story of this man’s life. Leonard very much wants to fit in and be accepted in all situations. He has the ability to conform to any situation. In the movie he is called the “human chameleon”. And like a chameleon, he does change to blend into his surroundings. It is here that the plot begins to unfold. Perhaps if Leonard did not change so many times he would be bearable. After awhile, Zelig’s transformations become predictable and uninteresting. The rest of the plot is no better. It amounts to hardly anything more than a silly fantasy with a fairy tale ending. It tries desperately for laughs at the beginning of the movie by using sight gags. The only other attempt at humour is when Woody Allen speaks. Sometimes he hits it and many times he misses.

The cinematography and editing is definitely a hit in this film. The look of Allen’s black and white scenes are very authentic. They are hardly distinguishable from the actual old clips. There is one drawback however; the special effect, that of a flickering, jerky picture, gets tiring and boring after a short while. There are three types of film being edited together in this film. There are old black and white clips, new black and white clips and present day color pieces. The last of these, the color clips, proved to be quite annoying. The old people’s memories were mostly very boring. The color pieces however, greatly add to the documentary style. Still, the filming of one picture on top of another is effective and successful.

The script is one of the saving graces of the movie. When Woody Allen talks, he usually has something interesting to say. The times that Allen speaks to Farrow, (Zelig’s doctor and love interest), are the times when the movie picks up. However, there is not much dialog in Zelig. Most of the story is told by the narrator who sounds very much like the announcers on old newsreels.

There are many close-up shots in Zelig. Many times, the close-up is of a picture. The camera will zoom in on a picture of Farrow  or Allen. Perhaps this is asking the audience if they believe the picture they see before them is really as old as it seems to be.

One symbol which appeared for a sizeable portion of the film is a lizard or a chameleon. There were dolls, and many other “chameleon” accessories and trinkets also. The chameleon also showed up on songs and record albums. All these symbols of chameleons refer to Zelig and the changes he undergoes.

Certain aspects of the 1920’s had to be perfect to achieve a realistic look. The costumes of Zelig really helped in setting the proper tone. Eudora Fletcher’s (Mia Farrow) clothes were most noticeable as far as comparison goes. All the costumes worn were in keeping with what might be expected of 1920’s clothing.

The soundtrack of Zelig is right in keeping with that of an old newsreel. It sounds very dramatic at times when something serious is happening. But the music can also be light and lively when the scene calls for it. It changes alot as the mood of the film changes.

The actors here almost have to mimic people from fifty years ago. They wear really stupid, dumb-founded, exaggerated expressions on their faces and they smile alot. They say really stupid things with great sincerity. But this only parallels the action of the film as everyone gets involved in someone as silly as Zelig.

Zelig basically adds up to one long, overdone newsreel. However, if you look past the black and white images, half-way through the movie, there is a fair plot to be found. This movie would be great for persons who are heavily into 1920’s-30’s nostalgia.