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After I read Geoff King’s Film Comedy, I discovered how he delves into the film genre of comedy and provides a basis for its widespread appeal. The book offers an extensive scope to the world of comedy by clearing up what the appeal is in iconic comedy films. Chapter three of the book discusses satire and parody. According to King, satire is a comedy with an edge and a target, ordinarily political or social in a way. It is also used to voice political or social criticism through mainstream film products, although it balances severe and comical.
I found most intriguing in this chapter how different political regimes prompted variant satire delivery in films. For example, during the Stalinist era in the Soviet Union, filmmakers were exempted from displaying any political or social shortcomings on-screen (King 49). This restriction catalyzed submerged delivery exemplified in films like The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks. King’s differentiation of satire and parody is strikingly informative as I have struggled to distinguish the two in the past. The book cites the target as the main difference by explaining that parody targets a formality or aesthetic.
Watching The Life of Brian was a shocking but enjoyable experience as the film is a satirical representation of the life of Jesus. It is no surprise that it sparked bad-tempered banning rows of its era as Various local authorities banned the film because it was offensive on the grounds of religious blasphemy. This film represents restrictions that have been placed on Satire films that discuss sensitive subjects, as discussed by King. The film contains all the good elements of a comedy film, especially with humoristic conversations delivered at excellent timings. However, seeing the film provides a perspective of why some authorities banned or placed age restrictions.
Reading Mattha Busby’s article published in The Guardian gave me a perspective on why Fawlty Towers was awarded the greatest British TV sitcom. The author describes the co-writers reasons for the show’s success as its ability to allow infantile rage and aggression in a well-mannered English society. It was surprising to learn that the show took the top spot ahead of Father Ted, and I’m Alan Partridge. I was also surprised to learn that despite the show taking a jibe at the broadcaster’s management, it did not face any repercussions, and Cleese attributes this leniency to the management’s previous experience in producing programs.
Watching “The Germans,” the last episode of the first season of the TV show Faulty Towers, was a more enjoyable experience than I first thought. This episode features the most famous quote of the show, “Don’t mention the war,” which Basil constantly mentions to his employees and ends up relentlessly breaking his own rule. His war jokes upset one of the Germans, and she starts crying, but this does not stop Basil from mocking the goose-stepping of Hitler. This episode helped me identify the show’s ability to comically portray a serious matter in a strict British society which warrants its award as the greatest British TV show. Fawlty Towers managed to cover a topic of great sensitivity in British society without attracting criticism.
References
BBC. (1975). Fawlty Towers [Video].
Busby, Mattha. “Fawlty Towers Named Greatest Ever British TV Sitcom”. The Guardian, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/apr/09/fawlty-towers-greatest-ever-british-sitcom. Accessed 15 Aug 2021.
King, Geoff. Film comedy. Wallflower Press, 2002.
Python, M., & Jones, T. (1979). Monty Python’s Life of Brian [Film]. HandMade Films.
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