In terms of ancient Greek comedy, scholars generally recognize Menander as one of the representative figures of this period. As Konstan, David (1995, P.4) puts it: “Menander adapts the plots to a subtle and sympathetic examination of contemporary social issues. “His work emphasizes the trivial as well as the comic aspects of civil society, maintaining a balance between “political criticism” and “humanity”. This tradition of real-life comedy laid the groundwork for the later development of humor strategies.
Back in the realm of cinema, Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times (1936) is widely regarded as one of the classics of comedy cinema. During this period, the balance between “humanity” and “political criticism” was upset. In the midst of social upheaval and professional danger, Chaplin attempted to combine cinematic technology with social critique by presenting the culture of the Modern Age as a profoundly unstable state of contemporary society (Howe, Lawrence, 2013, p. 45). The extreme mockery of the mechanized society shown in the film and the film’s depiction of unemployment and the current state of life show Charlie Chaplin’s thoughts on the reality of society. The silent format of the film allows the audience to focus on Chaplin’s unique body language, which can be understood as a quasi-ritualized and socially acceptable satirical act (Caron, James E, 2006, P.5). presenting the audience with a multi-layered comedic experience.
In contrast, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) represents another facet of modern comedy. Due to the film’s unique approach to artistic design, black humor, and borrowing from classical literary traditions, the film is attached to a form of comedy that is both absurd and insightful. Through an in-depth analysis of the complexity of the plot and the relationships between the characters, the innovative nature of the film and its unique focus on social issues have made it one of the most important representatives of contemporary English-language comedic cinema.
In the evolution of humor strategies, the ancient Greek form of comedy shifted from a purely political satirical genre to a new comedic genre that shifted the focus of portrayal from the “gods” to the “human”. From modern times to contemporary times, the humor strategies of film comedy have become more focused on using humor to free the audience from anxiety about the material world, dissatisfaction, and incredible relief in the face of danger (Hennefeld, Maggie, 2022, p. 102). Although modern comedies still view “human beings” as the main object of portrayal, they intentionally make “human nature” more prominent and reduce the “political criticality” of the story to an imperceptible depth. In modern comedies, there is often an undercurrent of melancholy, cleverly hidden behind technique and artistry, so that the audience is not immediately aware of this dimension (Seitz, Matt Zoller, 2015, p. 19). The story of the movie, however, is still based on the characteristics of ancient Greek comedy, making stories derived from life an integral part of the comedic production.
Overall, through a comprehensive study of Ancient Greek New Comedy, Modern Times and The Grand Budapest Hotel, we are able to understand the evolution of humor strategies in comedy films in a more intuitive way. From the classical era to the era of classic movies and finally to the contemporary era, the entertainment that comedy movies did not have at the beginning of their creation is being slowly tapped out, which is more of a skillful reflection of social and global cultural changes. This provides a theoretical basis for subsequent research and echoes the main question of this study, how comedy films reflect and shape social perceptions through humor strategies.
bibliographies
Caron, J.E., ‘2006. Silent slapstick film as ritualized clowning: the example of Charlie Chaplin’. Studies in American Humor, 14, pp.5-22.
Hennefeld, M., 2022. ‘The problem of film comedy in the twenty-first century’. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 20(1), pp.101-118.
Howe, L., 2013. ‘Charlie Chaplin in the age of mechanical reproduction: reflexive ambiguity in Modern Times’. College Literature, 40(4), pp.45-65.
Konstan, D., 1995. Greek comedy and ideology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Seitz, M.Z., 2015. The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel. New York: Abrams.