What does that mean?
"On his death bed, Morris Zelig tells his son that life is a meaningless nightmare of suffering. The only advice he gives him is to save string."
Does this actually make sense? If so, I guess I'm not smart enough to get it, so please elaborate. I thought that maybe the string part is completely random, and therefor articulating the meaninglessness of life in the aforementioned quote.
I also want to know what "save string" means!
shareI took it as one of Woody's typical "self-hating jew" statements in regards to the stereotype of the "stingy jew" that on his death-bed, his father boils the meaning of life down to saving string, a reflection of how cheap he was.
I haven't seen this film for a while, but if I recall it had an unusually high quotient of anti-Semitic jibes (my favourite, "Let the little heeb hang")
Robert Altman
1925-2006
RIP
Actually, the line is: "I say...LYNCH the little heeb!", spoken hilariously by a very old woman giving a radio address.
This movie is brilliant. Pitch-perfect and ahead of its time in many ways. Imagine if this were made using all the film and digital technologies available today.
My apologies for bungling the best line of the movie! My thanks sir!
It *is* a brilliant film, given Woody managed it some ten years before 'FORREST GUMP' took a similar story telling approach and ran with it.
Robert Altman
1925-2006
RIP
I think "save string" is meant to be pointless, because life is pointless, and that is one of the frequent themes of Woody's films. Just nonsensical, funny, clever, and yes, pointless.
shareHe probably had an elderly relative that saved string. Many people have junk drawers in their kitchens where they put uselrss things like extra string that they've used from wrapping packages, etc. I myself had an aunt who saved string, and this is the one line in the film that gets me laughing hysterically, because I so relate to it.
shareAnd Being There was done about 10 years before this.
It ain't cool being no jive turkey so close to Thanksgiving
Well, 4 years, actually. And I don't see the connection, anyway - Peter Sellers's character in Being There never changed one bit throughout the film nor did he partake in any actual historical events over the span of several years.
"facts are stupid things" Ronald Reagan
Isn't it a reference to Allen's Love and Death?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi1PshYi7mc
The line "save string" has no deep meaning to it. It's just a silly, bizarre surreal line that makes no sense yet is terribly funny. It is funny because it is so random and unexpected.
share[deleted]
It means... save string.
God's an astronaut, Oz is over the rainbow, and Midian's where the monsters live.
It's a complete non-sequitur.
The line derives its humour by taking a complete non-sensical left turn.
I take it to be a wholly absurd remark from a man, who would send his son into a dark closet - pun intended I'm sure - and then join his son there when he, father became angry!?! Hysterically funny.
Ever tried, ever failed?
No matter.
Try again, fail again.
Fail better.