Zelig

PG

Released Jul 15, 1983

1 hr. 24 min.

Comedy

List

97%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this fictional documentary, a man achieves notoriety for his ability to look and act like anyone he meets. With his unique talent for mimicry, Zelig (Woody Allen) ingratiates himself with people from every sector of society. His chameleon-like skill catches the eye of Eudora Fletcher (Mia Farrow), a doctor who thinks Zelig is in need of serious cognitive analysis. Their relationship moves in a direction that's not often covered in medical textbooks.

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Critics Consensus

Wryly amusing, technically impressive, and ultimately thought-provoking, Zelig represents Woody Allen in complete command of his craft.

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Alec B

Easily one of Allen's best movies. The faux documentary format is practically seamless especially with the use of cameras from the 1920s.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Woody Allen makes a fascinating mockumentary about him playing someone iconic filmed and shot with artificial black-and-white footage and scripted interviews They called him a phenomenon of the 1920s A man who could become anyone he met during the Jazz Age Some found him fascinating others a triple threat affecting other races and worker's and religious communities Leon Zelig had a talent for mimicry ingratiating himself with every person from society No one could find him but he catches the eye of Eudora Fletcher, a psychiatrist believing he needs serious cognitive analysis Their relationship evolves outside of medical research Zelig's psychological condition might be the source of his odd behavior This is one of the shortest works by the talented director Yet it's still amusing, thought-provoking about the work of psychiatry Quite the mediation on American society and individuality Several people exist self effacing themselves much like Allen as this faux sensation

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

Full Review

Taylor L

"He was, of course, very amusing. But at the same time touched a nerve in people, perhaps in a way that they would prefer not to be touched." Though he wrote it for one of his characters, that's an oddly apt description of Woody Allen himself. Allen discards most of the neurotic intellectual persona that he used to such acclaim on his other work in order to create one of the most successful faux-documentaries that had been made to date. Using bluescreen technology, Allen and longtime cinematography collaborator Gordon Willis got very creative with the techniques that could convincingly edit old newsreel footage in the pre-digital era. With an eye towards lampooning the dry nature and even the practical design of traditional documentaries, the script gives plenty of short-form comedy to get the quick laughs. But as usual, there's also some creative subtext mixed in, as Zelig serves as a way for Allen to explore his own nervousness and social coping mechanisms, just taken to the extreme. Zelig is definitely dated on the race jokes, which might make some people turn it off early, but for the world before Christopher Guest and This is Spinal Tap, the film is groundbreaking in the development of mockumentaries. Not as emotionally involving or consistent as some of Allen's other comedies, but definitely a creative departure featuring a lot of solid gags. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/04/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Yes, a masterpiece. The entire premise of the movie is wildly original, even coming from WOODY ALLEN who continually cranks out one interesting film after another to this day. The label of mock-umentary just doesn't do justice to the uniqueness of this film. ALLEN and his amazingly talented staff created a movie that no other director could have made nor even thought of doing. Some of the humor is rather modern like the forward references to self-gratification during the psychiatrist scenes with MIA FARROW. But mostly, it's filled with humor from another time and place which we'll never return. To me, one of the wonderful aspects of this is the period music dispersed throughout with joyful admiration. We are lucky that ALLEN has continued to use music from the early part of the 20th century. I think no other director has so consistently had such a reverence for this wonderful music. Perhaps no other director has such a strong knowledge of it either. That WOODY ALLEN normally portrays himself as a nebbishy character in many of his own movies works so well in this movie. A more aggressive person who becomes a chameleon would not have worked as well at all. I am glad that MIA FARROW was still associated with him when he made this film, I think no other modern actress could have pulled this off as well as she did. She has that timeless look that is appealing but has a far-off feeling. The flavor of the period-looking cinematography and photography is part of the genius of the implementation here. It is so right on the money. The flickering of projectors, the out-of-focus look to so man scenes shot today meld amazingly well with the contrived shots. THINK ABOUT THIS - this is years before CGI took over Hollywood...years before FORREST GUMP and countless of other knock-offs have proliferated in movies. Gee whiz, there is CGI in so many movies these days. I watched a DVD of a recent movie recently which used special effects in the most unexpected, unlikely and unnecessary parts you'd be surprised. Yes, ZELIG is a masterpiece and I only feel sorry for those who cannot see the astounding piece of cinema this is.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/02/22

Full Review

peter w

Zelig is a brilliant look at identity in a time of mass media, with particular resonance to actors. On the musical side, Bruce Cockburn expresses it equally well in "Pacing the Cage" "I've proven who I am so many times The magnetic strip's worn thin And each time I was someone else And everyone was taken in."

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This mockumemtary shows that Woody Allen is one of best American comedian of all time. Hilarious till end!!. 9/10

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Woody Allen

Director

Woody Allen

Leonard Zelig

Mia Farrow

Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher

Garrett M. Brown

Actor Zelig

John Buckwalter

Dr. Sindell

Marvin Chatinover

Glandular Diagnosis Doctor

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

The picture is thoroughly charming. It’s quick and deft and it races along. I admired the delicate care with which it was made... But when I see comparisons with Citizen Kane in the papers, I don’t know what the writers are talking about.

Sep 13, 2023

Full Review

Linda Deutsch

Associated Press

Zelig is certain to rank among the most talked-about movies of this or any season. It is the most innovative film yet from the fertile imagination of Woody Allen, who proves that despite a few misses along with hits, he is never dull.

Mar 4, 2019

Full Review

Gary Arnold

Washington Post

A sublime comic parable about the quest for identity.

May 1, 2017

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Gordon Willis' work on this picture is astounding, as he and writer-director-star Woody Allen work in tandem to create a brilliant faux-documentary.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 7, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Excellently paced, smartly conceived, cleverly written, and impressively different from writer/director Woody Allen’s previous efforts.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 22, 2022

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

This beautifully realized bit of flimflam was Allen’s most purely cinematic effort up to that time.

Rated: B

Aug 30, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this fictional documentary, a man achieves notoriety for his ability to look and act like anyone he meets. With his unique talent for mimicry, Zelig (Woody Allen) ingratiates himself with people from every sector of society. His chameleon-like skill catches the eye of Eudora Fletcher (Mia Farrow), a doctor who thinks Zelig is in need of serious cognitive analysis. Their relationship moves in a direction that's not often covered in medical textbooks.

Director: Woody Allen
Executive Producer: Charles H. Joffe, Jack Rollins
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Production Co: Orion Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 15, 1983, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm