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Zoo in Budapest (1933)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 2000
Once upon a time, in a far earlier age, cinematic romances differed from the modern-day variety. They were simple affairs, straightforward examples of a man overcoming social obstacles to be with his chosen woman. Forget about same-sex relationships, unwieldy threesomes or frank discussions on how to provide oral stimulation; as far as Hollywood was concerned such topics just didn't exist. Have audiences come a long way since Zoo in Budapest, breaching all sorts of taboos in the process? Perhaps.

What seems more certain is that a film like Zoo in Budapest couldn't be made today, and not only because we've lost an essential naivety of belief. No, the problem is director Rowland V. Lee's dependence upon his city zoo location and the beasts corralled within; there are too many shots of animals looking bored or behaving unnaturally for human vultures. To see these confused captives caged up and pacing, driven to neurosis by extreme confinement, is to be disturbed; people's attitudes seem fundamentally opposed to the current Western viewpoint. Mistreatment is ingrained within random acts of abuse (lit cigarettes tossed into stalls, animals tossed about) to the extent that it feels pervasive, altogether alien.

Yet beyond this somewhat repellent convention, the story is fundamentally both decent and charming (in the style of wealthy, male benefactors bestowing freedom upon those born less fortunate). Zoo in Budapest matches the raw beauty of Loretta Young, as Eve, with the virile athleticism of Gene Raymond, as Zani. They create a very photogenic pair. He gallivants around the zoo, bonding with creatures large and small, entertaining tourists and burning found furs (very progressive). She's a runaway orphan, escaped from a life of bonded slavery and hitched to the vagaries of love. Thus they have no one but each other, if only each could recognise the purity of their devotion (never mind that this marks their first ever meeting).

Lee Garmes, possessor of a delicate touch, photographs the proceedings with diligence. He shrouds Young's finely structured features in light and shadow, drawing out both striking beauty and untutored innocence. Even after pressing herself close to the damp soil of a lake edge, Young still rises radiant and gorgeous. Raymond, as was the custom, gets less soft focus and a much greater opportunity to play with the animals. In the twilight that follows closing time, Garmes enhances Zani and Eve's romance, irising in on their courtship as the light fades into mist. It's true that his fine work cannot make up for the images frozen within Zoo in Budapest, but it still soothes the soul.

As the movie scrolls by it becomes clear that director Lee is aiming for a unique atmosphere. Not much takes place in this peculiar romantic fantasy, situated entirely within the zoo walls; the camera trails around after the actors, recording conversations. Zani and Eve meet up, then start running. There are parallel narrative threads (a little kid breaks loose from his nanny and disappears, a chimpanzee gets sick with pneumonia and elsewhere a rich lady has her stole stolen) but they're side-shows. Fundamentally Zoo in Budapest, is concerned with two innocents, both long shielded from the world beyond the one they know. Relaxed performances don't tax the attention and an undemanding score lies easy on the ear; hardly gripping entertainment but a harmless enough fairy-story.

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