After graduating from Yale University, Lloyd Kaufman started working for Cannon Films, where he met up-and-coming filmmaker John G. Avildsen. The two first collaborated on the 1970 film Joe, starring Peter Boyle and a then-unknown Susan Sarandon. Soon after, they worked on the 1971 film Cry Uncle, which Kaufman distributed under his then newly formed Troma Entertainment. Around this time, future Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone returned from Vietnam and earned a film degree from New York University. He attended Yale with Kaufman, so Stone decided to co-produce a few movies in the early 1970s. Kaufman also knew producer Frank Vitale, who would collaborate on Kaufman’s first major motion picture after The Girl Who Returned. With an $8,000 budget, Lloyd Kaufman assembled his team to helm a quirky comedy about life in 1970s New York. In June 1971, The Battle of Love’s Return made its way onto the big screen.
%
Rating
Synopsis
Abacrombie (Lloyd Kaufman) is a down-on-his-luck loser who can’t seem to catch a break no matter how hard he tries. After failing a big job from his boss Mr. Crumb (Stanley Kaufman), Abacrombie is fired and left wandering the streets. He passes by a coffee shop and sees his Dream Girl (Lynn Lowry), but he’s too shy to go inside. While trying to find himself, he meets a loafer (Andy Kay), who constantly hounds him for being a square. He even tries to help an old lady (Ida Goodcutt) cross the street but gets beaten by her. At one point, he tries joining a hippie commune only to get laughed at by them and the cops. Despite being scorned by his Dream Girl, Abacrombie is determined to make a name for himself at any cost. Will he succeed and win the battle of love’s return?
Review
Compared to Lloyd’s first film, The Battle of Love’s Return is more engaging and not as tedious to watch. While the film is a comedy, don’t expect a joke every five minutes as it veers closer to arthouse territory. There are these odd black-and-white vignettes between the narrative segments where some actors give improvised interviews. I’m not sure what their purpose is other than to paint a picture of people in the early 1970s. Admittedly, the only one I was mildly interested in was where Lynn Lowry plays a Southern belle looking for love. Speaking of, just like in Sugar Cookies, Lowry is positively stunning and is having fun saying some exaggerated lines. Also, look out for an early appearance from Oliver Stone, who has a bit part as Cliff, Abacrombie’s co-worker. He only has one scene, but it’s cool to see him at such a young age.
Lloyd Kaufman is a mixture of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and even some Mel Brooks in terms of acting. Most of the humor is rooted in old-school slapstick, so if you’re not a fan, you probably won’t enjoy this. He moves with exaggerated body movements and gives the same cartoonish faces you’d see in his later films. As far as filmmaking goes, he shoots this in an arthouse style with occasional black-and-white, extreme close-ups, and long takes. While there is a plot, there isn’t any particular structure or complete sequence of events. Things just happen without much of an explanation, like going from hanging with hippies to suddenly fighting in Vietnam. It might be somewhat confusing, but it’s a brisk watch at slightly under 90 minutes, and it’s an intriguing experience. Overall, The Battle of Love’s Return is a fascinating if disjointed early look at Kaufman’s long career.
Watch The Battle of Love’s Return on Troma Now: https://watch.troma.com/battle-of-loves-return.
