MovieChat Forums > Zelig (1983) Discussion > What is the meaning of Zelig?

What is the meaning of Zelig?


What is the meaning of Zelig? We ask each other this, both noting that Zelig is clearly allegorical to something Woody - is it allegorical to his creative process, creative development? You suggest that maybe it was allegorical to some relationship he had with a beautiful busting buxom. Zelig´s progression begins with the death of his father. He goes from normal to strange, and begins blending in with everyone he speaks with. After his sessions with Dr. Fletcher, he is completely outspoken, having been shaped too far, via positive reinforcement, and after a few more sessions he is exactly what Dr. Fletcher wants him to be, which of course Dr. Fletcher is unwilling to admit to herself (really she didn´t change the underlying desire for approval on the part of Zelig). He then goes into remission, from which he is...
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I just saw Zelig tonight at the Film Forum in NY. It was a packed house. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Woody Allen fanatic. But I think Zelig is his most overrated movie. People love it because of the authentic early documentary style, but besides that there isn't much more. The film only has a few laughs, and to answer your question: Zelig doesn't have much meaning.

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To me, the "human chameleon", although exaggerated in this movie, is something a lot of people tend to notice in real life. They usually notice it more in others than themselves, although we are all prone to it from time to time. Insecurities, or at times just the desire to fit in, cause us all to slightly alter ourselves to accommodate our company. When we feel as though we are liked, we are more comfortable and feel free to be more ourselves, but when we feel as though we may not be liked or don't belong in a certain group, our insecurities can cause us to cover up our true selves and instead begin to imitate the people around us. Woody Allen just satirized this, and took it to a whole new level :)

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It's rife with meaning.

It's a satiric spoof about assimilation. As is the case with many of Woody Allen's films, questions about identity, particularly about Jewish identity, figure prominently.

What are the consequences of being a human chameleon? of attaining the "American Dream" Is America a land of hyperindividualism and equality or excessive conformism and privilege? Where does celebrity worship end and social pathology begin?

What would life be like in a world without masks?

These are some of the questions we can ponder while watching this film.

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The final lines of Zelig:

“Wanting only to be liked, he distorted himself beyond measure.” Wrote Scott Fitzgerald. “One wonders what would have happened if, right at the outset, he had had the courage to speak his mind and not pretend. In the end, it was, after all, not the approbation of many but the love of one woman that changed his life.”

This is the meaning of Zelig, which to me is not only Woody Allen's most creatively ingenious film, but also his most profound.

Its alright Ma, its life and life only

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Your meaning is very nice. Thank you. Now I don't need to watch the whole movie to get it. Because I don't like the movie. But I like your meaning.

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thelove angle tied things up in this film. but is it realistic? I don't think assimilation would stop. but maybe he gained so much confidence that it did.

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