Bananas

film by Allen [1971]

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July 16, 2026

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Bananas (1971) is a film directed by and starring Woody Allen. It follows a neurotic Manhattanite who becomes involved in a revolution in a fictional Central American country. The film is noted for its absurdist humor, with some moments considered among Allen's funniest. While it was an early directorial effort for Allen, it is described as somewhat undisciplined. The term "banana republic" itself originated from O. Henry's 1904 novel Cabbages and Kings, which depicted a corrupt and unstable Central American country dominated by American fruit companies.12

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Woody Allen
The 1970s
Bananas (1971), the first of Allen’s directorial efforts for United Artists, starred him as a hapless, neurotic Manhattanite who is drawn into a revolution in a fictional Central American country. Though somewhat undisciplined, Bananas offered snatches of absurdist humor that rank among Allen’s funniest film…
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Bananas (1971), the first of Allen’s directorial efforts for United Artists, starred him as a hapless, neurotic Manhattanite who is drawn into a revolution in a fictional Central American country. Though somewhat undisciplined, Bananas offered snatches of absurdist humor that rank among Allen’s funniest film…
Read More