Thecomedy film is afilm genre that emphasizeshumor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh.[1] Films in this genre typically have ahappy ending, withdark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the oldest genres in film, and it is derived from classicalcomedy intheatre. Some of the earliestsilent films wereslapstick 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 bothburlesque situations but also from humorousdialogue.
Comedy, compared with otherfilm genres, places more focus on individual star actors, with many formerstand-up comics transitioning to the film industry due to their popularity.[3]
InThe 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 asaction comedy andromantic comedy.
In America, thesexual revolution drove an appetite for comedies that celebrated and parodied changing social morals, includingBob & Carol & Ted & Alice andFanny Hill.[6] In Britain, acamp sensibility lay behind the successfulCarry On films, while in America subversive independent film-makerJohn Waters made camp films for college audiences with hisdrag queen friends that eventually found a mainstream audience.[7] The success of the American television showSaturday Night Live drove decades of cinema with racier content allowed on television drawing on the program's stars and characters, with bigger successes includingWayne's World,Mean Girls,Ghostbusters andAnimal House.[6]
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 theAcademy Awards. 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 asShakespeare in Love."
Bathroom comedy (or gross-out comedy):Gross out films are often aimed at the young adult market (18–24) and rely heavily on vulgar, sexual, or"toilet" humor. They often contain a large amount of profanity and nudity.[10] Examples includePorky's (1981) andThere's Something About Mary (1998).
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.[12] Some examples include bothWag the Dog (1997) andThe Invention of Lying (2009).
Comedy of manners: satirizes the mores and affectations of a social class. The plot is often concerned with an illicit love affair or other scandal. 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 asMuch Ado About Nothing byWilliam Shakespeare, published in 1623.[13] Examples includeBreakfast at Tiffany's (1961) andUnder the Tuscan Sun (2003).
Farce:Farcical films exaggerate situations beyond the realm of possibility—thereby making them entertaining.[14] Examples includeWhat's Up, Doc? (1972).
Mockumentary: comedies are fictional but use a doc-style that includes interviews and "documentary" footage, along with regular scenes. Examples includeThis Is Spinal Tap (1984) andI'm Still Here (2010).
Musical comedy: a film genre has its roots in the 1920s, with Disney'sSteamboat Willie (1928) being the most popular of these early films. The subgenre resurged with popularity in the 1970s, with movies such asBugsy Malone (1976) andGrease (1978) gaining status ascult classics.
Parody (or spoof): Aparody 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.[16] Examples of this form includeYoung Frankenstein (1974) andAirplane! (1980).
Sitcom: where 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.[18] Examples includeAfter Hours (1985) andHot Tub Time Machine (2010).
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.[19]Anger Management (2003) andBridesmaids (2011) are examples of straight comedy films.
Slapstick film: 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] Stars of slapstick includeHarold Lloyd,Roscoe Arbuckle,Charlie Chaplin,Peter Sellers andNorman Wisdom. Some of these stars, as well as acts such asLaurel and Hardy andthe Three Stooges, also found success incorporatingslapstick comedy into sound films. Modern examples of slapstick comedy includeMouse Hunt (1997) andNacho Libre (2006).
Surreal humor: Although not specifically linked to the history ofsurrealism,surreal comedies comedies include behavior and storytelling techniques that are illogical—including bizarrejuxtapositions, absurd situations, and unpredictable reactions to normal situations.[19] Some examples areBrazil (1985) andBarton Fink (1991).
According toWilliams' taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) sub-genres.[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 inNorth America in the 1980s when comedians such asEddie Murphy started taking more action-oriented roles, such as in48 Hrs. (1982) andBeverly Hills Cop (1984).
Sub-genres of the action comedy (labeled macro-genres by Williams) include:[5]
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.[20] Examples include thePink Panther series,[21]Scooby-Doo films,Clue (1985) andKnives Out (2019). See alsoList of comedy-mystery films
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, theprotagonists 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 exampleThe Terminal (2004) orWaitress (2007). Character humor is also used extensively in day-in-the-life comedies, as can be seen inAmerican Splendor (2003).
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 wittyrepartee, some form of role reversal, and a happy ending. Some examples of screwball comedy during its heyday includeIt Happened One Night (1934),Bringing Up Baby (1938),The Philadelphia Story (1940),His Girl Friday (1940),Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941); more recent examples includeContinental Divide (1981),Rat Race (2001), andOur Idiot Brother (2011).
Sports comedy: Sports comedy combines the genre of comedy with that of thesports 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 (BASEketball - 1998), character humor (Space Jam- 1996), or the juxtaposition of bad athletes succeeding against the odds (The Benchwarmers - 2006).
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.[4] 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 enemycan be defeated if only the hero can figure out how.[23] Often, this strategic sensibility provides humorous opportunities in a war comedy. Examples includeGood Morning, Vietnam;M*A*S*H;Stripes 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).
^abcdWilliams, Eric R.Screen adaptation: beyond the basics: techniques for adapting books, comics, and real-life stories into screenplays. Ayres, Tyler. New York.ISBN978-1-315-66941-0.OCLC986993829.
^Henderson, Jeffrey (1991).The maculate muse : obscene language in Attic comedy (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-802312-8.OCLC252588785.
^"Black humour".Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved15 June 2020.
Weitz, Eric (2009).The Cambridge Introduction to Comedy. Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-83260-1.
Williams, Eric R. (2017) The Screenwriters Taxonomy: A Roadmap to Creative Storytelling. New York, NY: Routledge Press, Studies in Media Theory and Practice.ISBN978-1-315-10864-3
