Genre of film which emphasizes humour
A
comedy film
is a
film genre
that emphasizes
humor
. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh.
[1]
Films in this genre typically have a
happy ending
, with
dark comedy
being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the oldest genres in film, and it is derived from classical
comedy
in
theatre
. Some of the earliest
silent films
were
slapstick comedies
, which often relied on visual depictions, such as sight gags and pratfalls, so they could be enjoyed without requiring sound. To provide drama and excitement to silent movies, live music was played in sync with the action on the screen, on pianos, organs, and other instruments.
[2]
When sound films became more prevalent during the 1920s, comedy films grew in popularity, as laughter could result from both
burlesque
situations but also from humorous
dialogue
.
Comedy, compared with other
film genres
, places more focus on individual star actors, with many former
stand-up comics
transitioning to the film industry due to their popularity.
[3]
In
The Screenwriters Taxonomy
(2017),
Eric R. Williams
contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character, and story, and therefore, the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre.
[4]
Instead, his taxonomy argues that comedy is a type of film that contains at least a dozen different sub-types.
[5]
A number of hybrid genres have emerged, such as
action comedy
and
romantic comedy
.
History
[
edit
]
Silent film era
[
edit
]
The first comedy film was
L'Arroseur Arrose
(1895), directed and produced by film pioneer
Louis Lumiere
. Less than a minute long, it shows a boy playing a prank on a gardener. The most notable comedy actors of the
silent film era
(1895?1927) were
Charlie Chaplin
,
Harold Lloyd
, and
Buster Keaton
,
[6]
though they were able to make the transition into “
talkies
” after the 1920s.
[7]
Social commentary in comedy
Filmmakers in the 1960s finessed the use of comedy film to make social statements by building their narratives around sensitive cultural, political or social issues. Such films include
Dr Strangelove, or How I Learned to Love the Bomb
,
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
and
The Graduate
.
[8]
Camp and bawdy comedy
In America, the
sexual revolution
drove an appetite for comedies that celebrated and parodied changing social morals, including
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
and
Fanny Hill
.
[8]
In Britain, a
camp
sensibility lay behind the successful
Carry On films
, while in America subversive independent filmmaker
John Waters
made camp films for college audiences with his
drag queen
friends that eventually found a mainstream audience.
[9]
The success of the American television show
Saturday Night Live
drove decades of cinema with racier content allowed on television drawing on the program's stars and characters, with bigger successes including
Wayne's World
,
Mean Girls
,
Ghostbusters
and
Animal House
.
[8]
Present era
[
edit
]
Parody and joke-based films continue to find audiences.
[8]
Reception
[
edit
]
While comedic films are among the most popular with audiences at the box office, there is an 'historical bias against a close and serious consideration of comedy' when it comes to critical reception and conferring of awards, such as at the
Academy Awards
.
[3]
Film writer Cailian Savage observes "Comedies have won Oscars, although they’ve usually been comedy-dramas, involved very depressing scenes, or appealed to stone-hearted drama lovers in some other way, such as
Shakespeare in Love
."
[4]
Sub-types
[
edit
]
- Anarchic comedy:
The anarchic comedy film, as the name suggests, is a random or
stream-of-consciousness
type of humor that often lampoons a form of authority.
[10]
The genre dates from the silent era. Notable examples of this type of film are those produced by
Monty Python
.
[11]
Other examples include
Duck Soup
(1933) and
Caddyshack
(1980).
- Bathroom comedy
(or gross-out comedy)
:
Gross out films
are aimed at the young adult market (age 18?24) and rely heavily on vulgar, sexual, or
"toilet" humor
. They often contain a large amount of profanity and nudity.
[12]
Examples include
Animal House
(1978) and
Freddy Got Fingered
(2001).
- Black comedy:
The
black comedy
film deals with
taboo
subjects?including death, murder, crime, suicide, and war?in a satirical manner.
[13]
Examples include
Dr. Strangelove
(1964) and
The Death of Stalin
(2017).
- Comedy of ideas:
This sub-type uses comedy to explore serious ideas such as religion, sex, or politics. Often, the characters represent particular divergent world views and are forced to interact for comedic effect and social commentary.
[14]
Some examples include both
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
(1986) and
Swing Vote
(2008).
- Comedy of manners:
A
comedy of manners
satirizes the mores and affectations of a social class. The plot of a comedy of manners is often concerned with an illicit love affair or other scandals. Generally, the plot is less important for its comedic effect than its witty dialogue. This form of comedy has a long ancestry that dates back at least as far as
Much Ado about Nothing
created by
William Shakespeare
, published in 1623.
[15]
Examples for comedy of manners films include
Breakfast at Tiffany's
(1961) and
Under the Tuscan Sun
(2003).
- Farce:
Farcical
films exaggerate situations beyond the realm of possibility?thereby making them entertaining.
[16]
Film examples include
Sleeper
(1973).
- Mockumentary:
Mockumentary
comedies are fictional but use a documentary style that includes interviews and "documentary" footage, along with regular scenes. Examples include
This Is Spinal Tap
(1984) and
Reboot Camp
(2020).
- Musical comedy:
Musical comedy
as a film genre has its roots in the 1920s, with Disney's
Steamboat Willie
(1928) being the most recognized of these early films. The subgenre resurged with popularity in the 1970s, with movies such as
Bugsy Malone
(1976) and
Grease
(1978) gaining status as
cult classics
.
- Observational humor:
Observational humor
films find humor in the common practices of everyday life.
[17]
Some film examples of observational humor include
Knocked Up
(2007) and
The Intern
(2015).
- Parody (or spoof):
A
parody or spoof film
satirizes other film genres or classic films. Such films employ sarcasm, stereotyping, mockery of scenes from other films, and the obviousness of meaning in a character's actions.
[18]
Examples of this form include
Blazing Saddles
(1974) and
Spaceballs
(1987).
- Sex comedy:
The humor in
sex comedy
is primarily derived from sexual situations and desire,
[19]
as in
Bachelor Party
(1984) and
The Inbetweeners Movie
(2011).
- Situational comedy:
Situational comedy
films' humor comes from knowing a stock group of characters (or character types) and then exposing them to different situations to create humorous and ironic juxtaposition.
[20]
Examples include
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
(1987) and
The Hangover
(2009).
- Straight comedy:
This broad sub-type applies to films that do not attempt a specific approach to comedy but, rather, use comedy for comedic sake.
[21]
Chasing Amy
(1997) and
The Shaggy Dog
(2006) are examples of straight comedy films.
- Slapstick films:
Slapstick films
involve exaggerated, boisterous physical action to create impossible and humorous situations. Because it relies predominantly on visual depictions of events, it does not require sound. Accordingly, the subgenre was ideal for silent movies and was prevalent during that era.
[1]
Popular stars of the slapstick genre include
Harold Lloyd
,
Roscoe Arbuckle
,
Charlie Chaplin
,
Peter Sellers
and
Norman Wisdom
. Some of these stars, as well as acts such as
Laurel and Hardy
and
the Three Stooges
, also found success incorporating
slapstick comedy
into sound films. Modern examples of slapstick comedy include
Mr. Bean's Holiday
(2007) and
Get Smart
(2008).
- Surreal comedy:
Although not specifically linked to the history of
surrealism
,
surreal comedies
comedies include behavior and storytelling techniques that are illogical?including bizarre
juxtapositions
, absurd situations, and unpredictable reactions to normal situations.
[21]
Some examples are
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(1963) and
Everything Everywhere All at Once
(2022).
Hybrid subgenres
[
edit
]
According to
Williams' taxonomy
, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) subgenres.
[5]
This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides a better understanding of the film.
- Action comedy
Films of this type blend comic antics and action where the stars combine one-liners with a thrilling plot and daring stunts. The genre became a specific draw in North America in the 1980s when comedians such as
Eddie Murphy
started taking more action-oriented roles, such as in
48 Hrs.
(1982) and
Beverly Hills Cop
(1984).
- Sub-genres of the action comedy (labeled macro-genres by Williams) include:
[5]
- Martial arts films
Slapstick
martial arts films
became a mainstay of
Hong Kong action cinema
through the work of
Jackie Chan
among others, such as
Who Am I?
(1998).
Kung Fu Panda
is an action comedy that focuses on the martial art of
kung fu
.
- Superhero films
Some action films focus on
superheroes
; for example,
The Incredibles
,
Hancock
,
Kick-Ass
, and
Mystery Men
.
- Other categories of the action comedy include:
[5]
- Buddy films
Films starring mismatched partners for comedic effects, such as in
Midnight Run
,
Rush Hour
,
21 Jump Street
,
Bad Boys
,
Starsky and Hutch
,
Booksmart
,
The Odd Couple
, and
Ted
.
- Comedy thriller
Comedy thriller is a type that combines elements of humor and suspense. Films such as
Silver Streak
,
Charade
,
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
,
In Bruges
,
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
,
Grosse Point Blank
,
The Thin Man
,
The Big Fix
, and
The Lady Vanishes
.
- Comedy mystery
Comedy mystery
is a film genre combining elements of comedy and mystery fiction. Though the genre arguably peaked in the 1930s and 1940s, comedy-mystery films have been continually produced since.
[22]
Examples include the
Pink Panther
series,
[23]
Scooby-Doo
films,
Clue
(1985) and
Knives Out
(2019). See also
List of comedy-mystery films
- Crime comedy
A hybrid mix of crime and comedy films, examples include
Inspector Palmu's Mistake
(1960),
Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
(2000),
Take the Money and Run
(1969) and
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
(1988).
- Fantasy comedy
Fantasy comedy films use
magic
,
supernatural
or mythological figures for comedic purposes. Some fantasy comedy includes an element of parody, or satire, turning fantasy conventions on their head, such as the hero becoming a cowardly fool or the princess being a klutz. Examples of these films include
Big
,
Being John Malkovich
,
Ernest Saves Christmas
,
Ernest Scared Stupid
,
Night at the Museum
,
Groundhog Day
,
Click
, and
Shrek
.
- Comedy horror
Comedy horror is a genre/type in which the usual dark themes and "scare tactics" attributed to horror films are treated with a humorous approach. These films either often goofy horror cliches, such as in
Scream
,
Young Frankenstein
,
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
,
Little Shop of Horrors
,
The Haunted Mansion
, and
Scary Movie
where campy styles are favored. Some are much more subtle and do not parody horror, such as
An American Werewolf in London
. Another style of comedy horror can also rely on over-the-top violence and gore such as in
The Evil Dead
(1981),
The Return of the Living Dead
(1985),
Braindead
(1992), and
Club Dread
(2004) ? such films are sometimes known as
splatstick
, a portmanteau of the words
splatter
and
slapstick
. It would be reasonable to put
Ghostbusters
in this category.
- Day-in-the-life comedy
Day-in-the-life
films take small events in a person's life and raise their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western.
[5]
Often, the
protagonists
deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film.
[5]
The day-in-the-life comedy often finds humor in commenting upon the absurdity or irony of daily life; for example
The Terminal
(2004) or
Waitress
(2007). Character humor is also used extensively in day-in-the-life comedies, as can be seen in
American Splendor
(2003).
- Romantic comedy
Romantic comedies are humorous films with central themes that reinforce societal beliefs about love (e.g., themes such as "
love at first sight
", "love conquers all", or "there is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love.
[24]
Amelie
(2001),
Annie Hall
(1977),
Charade
(1963),
City Lights
(1931),
Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994),
It
(1927),
The Lobster
(2015),
My Wife, the Director General
(1966),
My Favorite Wife
(1940),
Pretty Woman
(1990),
Some Like It Hot
(1959),
There's Something About Mary
(1998) and
When Harry Met Sally...
(1989) are examples of romantic comedies.
- Screwball comedy
A subgenre of the romantic comedy,
screwball comedies
appears to focus on the story of a central male character until a strong female character takes center stage; at this point, the man's story becomes secondary to a new issue typically introduced by the woman; this story grows in significance and, as it does, the man's masculinity is challenged by the sharp-witted woman, who is often his love interest.
[5]
Typically it can include a romantic element, an interplay between people of different economic strata, quick and witty
repartee
, some form of role reversal, and a happy ending. Some examples of screwball comedy during its heyday include
It Happened One Night
(1934),
Bringing Up Baby
(1938),
The Philadelphia Story
(1940),
His Girl Friday
(1940),
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
(1941); more recent examples include
What's Up, Doc?
(1972),
Rat Race
(2001), and
Our Idiot Brother
(2011).
- Science fiction comedy
Science fiction comedy
films often exaggerate the elements of traditional
science fiction films
to comic effect. Examples include
Spaceballs
,
Ghostbusters
,
Galaxy Quest
,
Mars Attacks!
,
Men in Black
, and many more.
- Sports comedy
Sports comedy combines the genre of comedy with that of the
sports film
genre. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption; the story does not always have to involve a team.
[4]
The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. The comedic aspect of this super-genre often comes from physical humor (
Happy Gilmore
-
1996), character humor (
Caddyshack
-
1980), or the juxtaposition of bad athletes succeeding against the odds (
The Bad News Bears
- 1976).
- War comedy
War films typically tell the story of a small group of isolated individuals who ? one by one ? get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war film.
[25]
War comedies infuse this idea of confronting death with a morbid sense of humor. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy
can
be defeated if only the hero can figure out how.
[26]
Often, this strategic sensibility provides humorous opportunities in a war comedy. Examples include
Good Morning, Vietnam
;
M*A*S*H
; the
Francis the Talking Mule
series; and others.
- Western comedy
Films in the Western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outside so we can soak in nature's rugged beauty.
[4]
Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky.
[5]
Western comedies often find their humor in specific characters (
Three Amigos
, 1986), in interpersonal relationships (
Lone Ranger
, 2013) or in creating a parody of the western (
Rango
, 2011).
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Comedy Films"
. Filmsite.org
. Retrieved
29 April
2002
.
- ^
Tucker, Bruce (13 December 2021).
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.
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- ^
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.
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The Screenwriters Taxonomy: A Roadmap to Collaborative Storytelling
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.
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"John Waters Is Ready to Defend the Worst People in the World"
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(2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
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.
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{{
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Grable, Tim (24 February 2017).
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. London: Wallflower.
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. New York: Focal Press.
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.
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.
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Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Thomas W. Bohn and Richard L. Stromgren,
Light and Shadows: A History of Motion Pictures
, 1975, Mayfield Publishing.
- Horton, Andrew S. (1991).
Comedy/Cinema/Theory
. University of California Press.
ISBN
978-0-520-07040-0
.
- King, Geoff (2002).
Film Comedy
. Wallflower Press.
ISBN
978-1-903364-36-9
.
- Rickman, Gregg (2004).
The Film Comedy Reader
. Limelight Editions.
ISBN
978-0-87910-295-1
.
- Weitz, Eric (2009).
The Cambridge Introduction to Comedy
. Cambridge University Press.
ISBN
978-0-521-83260-1
.
- Williams, Eric R. (2017) The Screenwriters Taxonomy: A Roadmap to Creative Storytelling. New York, NY: Routledge Press, Studies in Media Theory and Practice.
ISBN
978-1-315-10864-3
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