Sunday, 27 September 2026 at 9 pm
Directed by: Leo McCarey
b/w, 68 min, USA, 1933
The state of Freedonia is on the brink of bankruptcy, so a wealthy widow, Mrs Teasdale, offers a donation of 20 million dollars on the condition that all power in the state is handed over to Rufus T. Firefly. The condition is accepted and the sarcastic Firefly becomes the leader of Freedonia, causing numerous misunderstandings with his unconventional methods. He also clashes with the ambassador of the neighbouring state of Sylvanian, Trentino, in a battle for the affection of Mrs Teasdale. Trentino relies on his spies, Chicolini and Pinky, to help him…
Duck Soup is the final, fifth film the Marx Brothers made for Paramount Pictures, and was directed by the future three-time Oscar winner, Leo McCarey. Upon its initial release, contrary to high expectations, the film achieved “only” very good box office results and was generally received with restraint by critics; however, years later, all that changed. Duck Soup has gained classic status and is considered by many to be the finest film in the celebrated brothers' oeuvre, a work that some critics have compared to the pioneers of the Theatre of the Absurd, Beckett and Ionesco.
The film's main theme is the breakdown of the social order, achieved by satirising institutions, mainly through the verbal exchanges of Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly, as well as the complete disregard for social conventions by all three protagonists (the other two being Chicolini and Pinky, played by Chico and Harpo Marx, while Zeppo Marx played a less important supporting character). The film also has a metatextual and intertextual layer, realised, among other things, through ironic quotes and pastiches, as well as Groucho's direct address to the camera. Groucho once again shines with his verbal humour, while Chico and Harpo win over with their visual gags. According to Variety, the leading American magazine for the film industry, Duck Soup was ranked seventh on its list of the 100 greatest comedies of all time, and in 1990, the American Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry as a work of special cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
Commentary by: Damir Radić
Tickets for the screening on 27 September 2026 at 9 pm can be purchased online HERE, as well as at the Surogatkino KIC box office one hour before the start.