Love and Death

As the Napoleonic Wars ravage Europe, Boris Grushenko (Woody Allen), a reluctant scholar and pacifist, is coerced into enlisting in the Russian army following Napoleon's (James Tolkan) brutal invasion of Austria. The news of his cousin Sonja's (Diane Keaton) impending marriage to a herring merchant sends Boris reeling with despair, leading him to unwittingly transform into a war hero. Upon his return, he finds solace in marrying the recently widowed Sonja, who has agreed to tie the knot solely to grant Boris one night of happiness before what she assumes will be his inevitable demise in a duel. Miraculously, Boris emerges victorious from the duel, leaving him and Sonja to navigate a loveless marriage filled with philosophical debates but devoid of financial security.

As Napoleon's forces march into the Russian Empire, Boris is torn between fleeing and staying, while Sonja becomes increasingly consumed by her desire to start a family that year. Her solution is to hatch a plot to assassinate Napoleon at his headquarters in Moscow, an endeavor she hopes will spare their future together from the war's devastation. As they deliberate on the matter with philosophical ambiguity, Boris reluctantly acquiesces to Sonja's plan.

Their attempt to take down the French emperor ends in failure, and Sonja escapes capture while Boris is executed, despite being forewarned by a supernatural vision of his impending pardon. As Boris' ghost bids farewell to Sonja and the audience, he vanishes into thin air with Death, leaving behind a trail of existential questions and philosophical conundrums that linger long after the credits roll.