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Producer Max Bialystock is in a rut. He used to be the über-producer on Broadway, churning out hit after hit. Now he’s fallen on hard times and has to scrape the bottom of the fundraising barrel to put together any type of play. Existence is looking pretty low until accountant Leo Bloom enters to balance the books from Max’s last flop. Leo finds out that Max raised more money than he used to create the play, and is just told to hide it. It’s then that Leo theorizes that one could make more money from a flop than with a hit, by doing the same thing on a larger scale. The two go into business together and set out to make the worst play the theater community has ever seen.

Established TV writer, Mel Brooks, makes his feature-length directorial and writing debut in this brilliant and occasionally funny film. The whole film screams of a vaudevillian influence. Actually, the whole movie screams. There are countless moments where a joke is delivered at the top of the characters’ lungs. I guess the louder it is, the funnier it is (and that rule of thumb works most of the time here). But back to the vaudeville thing; the twist comes in that neither of the two leads in the mismatched duo plays the straight man. Zero Mostel (as Max) plays the boisterous manipulative loudmouth that can’t possibly be used effectively as a set-up guy. That is unless there’s a continual back and forth between him and the sweet, shy, yet overly neurotic Leo (played by Gene Wilder). The story line bounces around from one crazy scene to the next bringing us some predictable jokes while introducing us to a cast of wacky, unpredictable characters. Brooks gets some nice satirical jabs in there, as well as some good laughs, but most of the best humor is more clever or subtle.

It’s hard to imagine that such an escalating crazy adventure could be considered subtle, but it is. A lot of that has to do with the incredible comedic performances given by Mostel and Wilder. Both are talented actors who perfectly assume the identities of their characters. Mostel plays the sleaze ball wonderfully while still allowing the audience to feel this odd pity for him right from the start and then makes us question if that’s just part of his game. Wilder has already completely mastered the art of facial expressions and subdued body language for comedic effect without looking like a cartoon. The other actors provide the more animated aspects. The two-dimensional supporting cast probably could have been more over-the-top, but that wouldn’t have been as enjoyable. It’s good that it seems like in some strange way they held back.

The film isn’t amazingly funny, but it’s beautifully crafted. Brooks’ direction and collaboration with cinematographer Joseph F. Coffey provides us with some surprisingly beautiful shots that you normally wouldn’t see in a comedic film. The most noticeable of this can be found with Max takes Leo out on the town to convince him to go along with the scheme. It’s just another example of how such an up front movie can have some great subtle aspects that make it truly entertaining.

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