Love and Death

1975

Love and Death

Critics Consensus

Woody Allen plunks his neurotic persona into a Tolstoy pastiche and yields one of his funniest films, brimming with slapstick ingenuity and a literary inquiry into subjects as momentous as Love and Death.

100%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 20

90%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 19,025
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Movie Info

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
  • Rating:
    PG (adult situations/language)
  • Genre:
    Classics, Comedy, Drama
  • Directed By:
    Woody Allen
  • Written By:
    Woody Allen
  • In Theaters:
     limited
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    United Artists

Cast

Woody Allen
as Boris
Diane Keaton
as Sonja
Harold Gould
as Anton
Despo Diamantidou
as Mother
Edmond Ardisson
as Priest
Georges Adel
as Old Nehamkin
Frank Adu
as Drill Sergeant
Feodor Atkine
as Mikhail
Albert Augier
as Waiter
Yves Barsacq
as Rimsky
Lloyd Battista
as Don Francisco
Jack Berard
as Gen. Lecoq
Eva Bertrand
as Woman in Hygiene Class
George Birt
as Doctor
Larry Hankin
as Uncle Sasha
Yves Brainville
as Andre
Gerard Buhr
as Servant
Georges Adet
as Old Nehamken
Brian Coburn
as Dimitri
Harry Coutet
as Sergei Minskov
Henri Czarniak
as Ivan Grushenko
Luce Fabiole
as Grandmother
Florian
as Uncle Nikolai
Jacqueline Fogt
as Ludmilla
Sol Frieder
as Leonid Voskovec
Olga Georges-Picot
as Countess Alexandrovna
Patricia Crown
as Cheerleader
Harry Hankin
as Uncle Sasha
Sandor Elès
as Soldier #2
Jessica Harper
as Natasha Petrovna
Tony Jay
as Vladimir Maximovitch
Tutte Lemkow
as Pierre
Jack Lenoir
as Krapotkin
Leib Lensky
as Father Andre
Ann Lonn Berg
as Olga
Roger Lumont
as Baker
Alfred Lutter
as Young Boris
Ed Marcus
as Raskov
Jacques Maury
as Second
Denise Péron
as Spanish Countess
Aubrey Morris
as Soldier #4
Beth Porter
as Anna
Alan Rossett
as Guard
Shimen Ruskin
as Borslov
Percival Russel
as Berdykov
Chris Sanders
as Joseph
Zvee Scooler
as Father
Fred Smith
as Soldier
C.A.R. Smith
as Father Nikolai
Clement-Thierry
as Jacques
Glenn Williams
as Soldier
Alan Tilvern
as Sergeant
James Tolkan
as Napoleon
Hélène Vallier
as Mme. Wolfe
Howard Vernon
as Gen. Leveque
Jacob Witkin
as Suskin
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Critic Reviews for Love and Death

All Critics (20) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (20)

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Audience Reviews for Love and Death

  • Jul 25, 2012
    Woody Allen is a true master of comedy. His dialogue, his timing, his delivery -- all are near-perfect. "Love and Death" represents one of his finer efforts. Plain and simple, it's quality filmmaking. You can tell that everyone involved is having fun with what they're doing. And even though its humor is smarter than most other films, most people will be able to find their footing. "Love and Death" is intelligent, well-directed and immensely quotable, and if you don't find yourself laughing at least once during its entirety, then you might not have a sense of humor.
    Stephen E Super Reviewer
  • Jul 23, 2012
    Absurdly brilliant! LOVE AND DEATH, is an extremely dark comedy from the manic mind of Woody Allen. I have to say that the ending to this movie, is one of my all-time favorites.
    Jason R Super Reviewer
  • Apr 21, 2012
    In this early Allen effort his love for the Marx Bros. (particularly Groucho) is worn on his sleeve and the picture is very reminiscent of Mel Brooks' own Twelve Chairs. Throw in a couple of 70's style psuedo-intellectual "conversations" ("I'm overwhelming you with my superiorocity!") and you have a fun, silly, younger Allen, not so impressed with himself yet, easier to relate to. He never finds anyone as good as he to play himself, we know, and his infatuation w/Keaton allows her Dumont-like status beside him.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Sep 06, 2011
    Watch this movie just for Diane Keaton. I noticed a couple of parallels to Annie Hall, which of course came after this and was a big improvement. Pretty funny stuff, but not as philosophically engaging as some of his later films.
    Dillon L Super Reviewer
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