Overview
A hilarious satire that takes aim at politics and war, filled with absurdity and wit.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- irreverent
- frantic
- witty
- classic movie night
- family comedy night
What critics said
Critics now broadly regard the film as a classic political farce whose anarchic Marx Brothers comedy and antiwar satire outweigh its deliberately thin story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rufus T. Firefly becomes president of crisis-stricken Freedonia and immediately mocks the rituals and rationality of government while drifting toward war.
The Marx Brothers’ barrage of insults, interruptions, costumes, songs, and slapstick gives the film its famously relentless comic rhythm.
The Freedonia-Sylvania conflict escalates through spies, diplomatic maneuvering, and a chaotic war sequence led by Firefly’s incompetence.
The black-and-white presentation, multiple costumes, musical interludes, and broad Marx Brothers performances translate stage-derived comic energy into cinema.
Films like Duck Soup, and why
The Great Dictator
shared anarchic ensemble comedy, political satire, rapid-fire verbal wit, and anti-authoritarian irreverence
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
shared surreal slapstick, musical comedy, institutional absurdity, and attacks on social pretension
A Night at the Opera
shared classic physical comedy, rebellious comic protagonists, and escalating farce
The Mouse That Roared
shared antiwar satire, absurdist humor, and comic dismantling of political authority
Movie Details
- Director
- Leo McCarey
- Release Date
- 1933-11-12
- Runtime
- 68 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (888)
Cast
- Groucho Marx
- Harpo Marx
- Chico Marx
- Zeppo Marx
- Margaret Dumont
- Raquel Torres
- Louis Calhern
- Edmund Breese
- Leonid Kinskey
- Charles Middleton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Duck Soup about?
- The Marx Brothers turn a bankrupt nation, diplomatic intrigue, and looming war into a delirious assault on political authority.
- What is Duck Soup like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Duck Soup as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Duck Soup violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Duck Soup as mild.
- What did critics think of Duck Soup?
- Critics now broadly regard the film as a classic political farce whose anarchic Marx Brothers comedy and antiwar satire outweigh its deliberately thin story.
- Which films are like Duck Soup?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Dictator, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Night at the Opera, and The Mouse That Roared.
- How long is Duck Soup?
- Duck Soup runs 68 minutes.
- Where can I watch Duck Soup?
- In United States, Duck Soup streams on YouTube TV.
