Love and Death (1975)
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100% of critics liked it
(18 reviews) -
88% of users liked it
(18,003 ratings)
Woody Allen's Love and Death is purportedly a satire of all things Russian, from Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky novels to Sergei Eisenstein films, but it plays more like a spin on Bob Hope's Monsieur Beaucaire. Allen plays Boris, a 19th century Russian who falls in love with his distant… More Woody Allen's Love and Death is purportedly a satire of all things Russian, from Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky novels to Sergei Eisenstein films, but it plays more like a spin on Bob Hope's Monsieur Beaucaire. Allen plays Boris, a 19th century Russian who falls in love with his distant (and married) cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton). Pressed into service with the Russian army during the war against Napoleon, Boris accidentally becomes a hero, then goes on to win a duel against a cuckolded husband (Harold Gould). He returns to Sonja, hoping to settle down on the Steppes somewhere, but Sonja has become fired up with patriotic fervor, insisting that Boris join a plot to kill Napoleon. Intellectual in-jokes abound in Love and Death, and other gags are basic Allen one-liners; for instance, after being congratulated for his lovemaking skills, Boris replies nonchalantly, "I practice a lot when I'm alone." The pseudo-Russian ambience of Love and Death is comically enhanced by the Sergey Prokofiev compositions on the musical track. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Woody Allen
- Written By
- Woody Allen
- Genres
- Drama, Classics, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jun 10, 1975 Limited
- Studio
- United Artists
Critic Reviews
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Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Love and Death is an almost total treat.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"Love and Death" has been mapped out as a fully thought-through film. It's a lot more mature than the anything-goes style of earlier Allen movies like "Bananas."
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
Besides being one of Woody's most consistently witty films, "Love and Death" marks a couple of other advances for Mr. Allen as a film maker and for Miss Keaton as a wickedly funny comedienne.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Thus early Woody Allen film is quite a funny, often even poignant satire of Russian literature and Russian mores.
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Woody Allen meets Dostoyevsky, and the two compare misanthropic views
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Woody Allen
as Boris
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Diane Keaton
as Sonia
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Harold Gould
as Anton Ivanovitch
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Sol Frieder
as Leonid Voskovec
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Olga Georges-Picot
as Countess Alexandrovna
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Henri Czarniak
as Ivan Grushenko
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Despo Diamantidou
as Mother
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Feodor Atkine
as Mikhail
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Alfred Lutter
as Young Boris
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Jessica Harper
as Natasha
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James Tolkan
as Napoleon
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Georges Adet
as Old Nehamken
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Frank Adu
as Drill Sergeant
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Edmond Ardisson
as Priest
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Albert Augier
as Waiter
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Yves Barsacq
as Rimsky
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Lloyd Battista
as Don Francisco
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Yves Brainville
as Andre
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Gerard Buhr
as Servant
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Brian Coburn
as Dmitri
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Patricia Crown
as Cheerleader
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Sandor Elès
as Soldier #2
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Luce Fabiole
as Grandmother
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Florian
as Uncle Nicolai
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Jacqueline Fogt
as Ludmilla
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Larry Hankin
as Uncle Sasha
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Tony Jay
as Vladimir Maximovitch
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Jack Lenoir
as Krapotkin
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Leib Lensky
as Father Andre
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Jacques Maury
as Second
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Aubrey Morris
as Soldier #4
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Denise Péron
as Spanish Countess
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Beth Porter
as Anna
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Shimen Ruskin
as Borslov
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Zvee Scooler
as Father
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C.A.R. Smith
as Father Nikolai
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Alan Tilvern
as Sergeant
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Howard Vernon
as Gen. Leveque
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Tutte Lemkow
as Pierre
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Fred Smith
as Soldier
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Roger Lumont
as Baker
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Glenn Williams
as Soldier
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Chris Sanders
as Joseph
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Jack Berard
as Gen. Lecoq
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Ed Marcus
as Raskov
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Hélène Vallier
as Mme. Wolfe

