Bananas (film)

Bananas (called in Venezuela Madness is in Fashion), from 1971, is the second film which Woody Allen directed, and which he also wrote and starred in. The film is developed as a political satire following a story that makes a lot of allusion to the Cuban Revolution (or one that happened in Latin America). The film is structured through several scenes that, on the one hand, respond to the events of the story linearly, and on the other, introduce different comic sketchs that mark the humor of the time, ranging from the influence of the Marx Brothers to the future contribution of comedies. as Airplane! (1980).

Plot

The film opens with a ridicule of American newspaper coverage of the rise of the new dictator of San Marcos, a small fictional country in South America.

Fielding Mellish is a quirky Manhattanite who is dedicated to testing new products in a clear analogy to Modern Times. He is a puny dwarf, insecure, obsessive and unsuccessful with women. At that point, a scene will unfold that includes the then very young Sylvester Stallone as a thug on the subway.

By chance, he meets Nancy, a young activist who was collecting signatures for the United States to support democracy in San Marcos and not the dictatorial regime. The two begin a romance, much to the chagrin of Nancy, who soon leaves him because, according to her, there is something missing from her. It happens that she wants someone stronger, more self-confident: in short, she wants someone with leadership skills.

After a situation in his parents' operating room, Fielding decides to go to San Marcos to see up close what is happening in the country and impress his former girlfriend.

General Vargas (the country's new dictator) receives him with honors. But only to plan to assassinate him and make it appear that it was the work of Exposito and his rebels. According to them, that would earn the full support of the United States. Either way, Fielding escapes and ends up with the rebels.

Finding himself in debt, Fielding joins the guerrillas and will only be able to return to Manhattan once the revolution has triumphed. It is there that he clumsily learns to be a guerrilla. There are several funny scenes: learning to fight, to survive, his romance with the guerrilla from the band, and the extremely absurd looting of a town store.

Battle ensues and, complete with a parody of Battleship Potemkin, the Revolution triumphs. Vargas will go into exile by plane in a possible analogy with respect to the ousted Fulgencio Batista. Expósito, although he is physically similar to Che Guevara, goes crazy giving contradictory and crazy orders to the people. Fielding gains popularity among the guerrillas in a similar way to Peter Sellers' character in the sitcom Being there. He is elected as the new president of San Marcos, and travels to the United States to ask for money in disguise. of Fidel Castro.

By meeting his former girlfriend, it will be discovered who he is, and he will be put on trial. Everyone is against him, even the first director of the FBI, John Edgar Hoover, who is disguised as a black woman. Fielding defends himself and is ultimately convicted, but pardoned on the condition that he does not live in the judge's neighborhood.

The film will end with the same bizarre and absurd report from the American news, but this time comparing the consummation of the marriage to a boxing match.

The name of the film

Responds to a double meaning joke that mixes banana countries with the phrase to go bananas (go crazy).