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Bananas

Play trailer Poster for Bananas PG-13 1971 1h 22m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In this early Woody Allen comedy, the director stars as Fielding Mellish, a hapless product-testing New Yorker desperately attempting to impress a young and attractive social activist named Nancy. When Mellish travels to the turbulent country of San Marcos, he falls in with resistance fighters and, before long, becomes drafted as their leader. While Mellish's position of authority wins Nancy over, he has to deal with the many burdens of being a revolutionary leader.
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Bananas

Critics Reviews

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J. Hoberman Tablet Mar 16, 2021
...an inventive piece of filmmaking, full of cinephilic references and most evocative of the period during which it was made. Go to Full Review Michael McNay Guardian May 15, 2020
Woody Allen is funny by reason of being Woody Allen, but that is becoming a decreasingly cashable asset. Go to Full Review Jan Dawson Financial Times May 15, 2020
Much of the humour is blunted by Allen's self-indulgence as both a director and actor. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Sep 18, 2021
3.5/4
Choosing a favorite quip is a daunting task, although I'd have to go with Nancy telling Fielding that he's immature "emotionally, sexually, and intellectually," to which he replies, "Yeah, but what other ways?" Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Aug 27, 2020
6/10
Lighthearted, goofy, cynical, ridiculous, and scathingly critical in equal proportions. Go to Full Review Alif Majeed Battle Royale With Cheese Jul 8, 2020
It is safe to say that Bananas was one of the funniest movies among his earlier films and there is a lot in it that would get a laugh or at least a chuckle out of you. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ben W @Username618 Jun 17, 2026 *think* I've seen ... See more Levi J @Lev77 Jun 1, 2026 A perfect blend of cynicism, satire, and farce in this cult-classic comedy from the "early" Woody Allen! See more Alexsander F @Aelxs May 27, 2026 It is clearly a Monty Python sketch. See more Dave S @RT68722908 Jun 13, 2024 From early in Woody Allen’s career comes Bananas, the story of Fielding Mellish (Allen), a New York product tester, who finds himself in the middle of a revolution in the fictional land of San Marcos. There are some bits that are comedy gold (the break-up scene early in the film, for example), but there are an equal number of scenes that are either pointless or run far too long, like the excruciating courtroom scene. To make matters worse, it is marred by erratic direction from Allen, some really bad editing, and an exhausting and often pointless music score. Because it is mercifully short, it is not a total waste of time…but it’s pretty close. See more Feb 22, 2021 I found myself smirking dozens of times. I only laughed twice. This is classic Woody Allen humor, just without the strong characters and story driving it along. A great early exploration of comedy by the director, but it is not surprising the film has all but disappeared from public memory. See more Feb 17, 2021 Not that funny. And the editing was a mess. See more Read all reviews
Bananas

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Cast & Crew

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Woody Allen

Director

Woody Allen

Fielding Mellish

Louise Lasser

Nancy

Carlos Montalban

General Emilio M. Vargas

Natividad Abascal

Yolanda

Jacobo Morales

Esposito

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Bananas

Bananas (1971) Bananas (1971) Bananas (1971) Bananas (1971) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In this early Woody Allen comedy, the director stars as Fielding Mellish, a hapless product-testing New Yorker desperately attempting to impress a young and attractive social activist named Nancy. When Mellish travels to the turbulent country of San Marcos, he falls in with resistance fighters and, before long, becomes drafted as their leader. While Mellish's position of authority wins Nancy over, he has to deal with the many burdens of being a revolutionary leader.
Director
Woody Allen
Producer
Axel Anderson, Antonio Encarnacion, Jack Grossberg, Manolon Villamil
Screenwriter
Woody Allen, Mickey Rose
Production Co
Rollins-Joffe Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 28, 1971, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 22m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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