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Critical analysis of Charlie Chaplin
Analysis essay film Charlie Chaplin modern times
Critical analysis of Charlie Chaplin
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Sight Gags and Charlie Chaplin
We have all seen it done before, either in real life or in the movies. A situation is funny because of the misinterpretation of someone's actions or the complete conflict of what a situation seems to be and what it really is. People come into contact with sight gags all the time. One might be trying to be sneaky and hide something and then when someone looks, one pretends to be doing something else not to get caught. One could also pantomime using an umbrella as a baseball bat. These are both basic forms of sight gags.
Sight gags are an essential part of comedy, especially the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin's time. A sight gag is a visual form of comedy. In this form of comedy, the actors rely on the way the audience perceives the actions on screen for humor. This could include a misunderstanding by characters or a misrepresentation of an everyday object. In order to make the gag work, the actor must use smooth, visible actions to convey his or her point. Noel Carroll outlines six different types of sight gags in the book, Comedy/Cinema/Theory. In this paper, I will talk about each gag and give examples from the three Charlie Chaplin films that we have watched.
The first type of sight gag discussed is the mutual interference. This type of sight gag is set up so that a character in the film misunderstands something that is happening in the scene, however the audience can see both sides of the situation and is aware of the truth. The author says that this "perception of incongruity in an event or situation amuses us, which in turn causes risible sensations - laughter, for example - that we feel in response to humor."(Page 27) This type of sight gag tends to be a favorite in the silent ...
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...nd I believe that these six techniques are excellent examples of how humor can be conveyed to the audience without words. Sight gags tend to suggest the possibility of interpreting a situation in more than one way. The author points out that "the sight gag flies in the face of the prejudice that movies can only brutishly recapitulate from a single point of view what stands before the camera." From the conflicts of interpretation to the literal and metaphoric points of view, it is these things that confuse but amuse us. I am sure that most of us have seen variations of these six basic techniques in both movies and real life. Hopefully with this information one will be able to better understand and appreciate the humor of the sight gags and silent films.
Works Cited
Horton, Andrew S. Comedy/Cinema/Theory. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 1991.
Wykes, Maggie, and Barrie Gunter. The Media and Body Image: If Looks Could Kill. London: SAGE, 2005. Print.
The skit known as, “The Great Flydini” from the late night talk show Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, can provide many examples of the types of humor. The skit starts off with the magician, Flydini, walking onstage and immediately pulling his zipper down. After pulling his zipper down, objects start to pop out of his pants such as flowers, rags, a puppet and much more. At one point, he has a phone come out and ring for a woman who is standing next to him. Once he walks offstage, the way that his left hand had been fake the entire time, and his real left hand was taking care of all the antics, was revealed. Then, he comes back onstage to bow and end his show.
And experimental social psychologists...have studied how social forces and the pressures of a given situation can change the way we behave, regardless of our personalities and background” (43). Many of the Candid Camera hoaxes highlight the fact that people are not accustomed to deviance from social norms. Thus, when roles are broken or reversed, the results prove laughter inducing. For instance, when the dentist launches into a sales pitch about gold-plated tooth necklaces and framed x-rays, it’s nearly impossible not to laugh at his flustered patient’s protest that, “The way our walls are set up in our house...this—this just won’t go with it.” But underlying this farcical situation is a human truth—the unfailing desire to adhere to normal social constructs. The dentist should be cleaning my teeth, our brains protest, not selling earrings bedazzled with them! Further on in the episode, during the dentist-turned-barber hoax, we encounter another universal crutch: white lies. “Please, don’t make me feel bad!” the patient pleads when the planted dentist becomes emotionally distraught after having slathered him in shaving cream, “You’re doing a good job, you are!” In this case, viewers can chuckle at the awkward situation while at the same time considering just how often they, too, voice such dishonesties in day-to-day
In the movie, the three main types of comedy I recognized were farce, parody, and satire. Farce is comedy designed to provoke the audience into simple, hearty laughter and often uses highly exaggerated or caricatured character types and puts them into improbable and ludicrous situations. It also makes use of broad verbal humor and physical horseplay. Some examples of farce in the movie are:
Before the beginning of the movie, cast members will wander around the theater, and yell out various lines from the movie. When the movie curtain starts to roll its way up, you see a bright pair of red lips singing. When the lips appear, people will start to yell out their favorite audience participation lines. One of my favorite spots in the movie to shout out lines would have to be in the very beginning when the lips on screen are singing the song "Science Fiction, Double Feature." The song is full of participation lines and props that people can bring to the theater with them. There is one line that I particularly like that comes from this song and it goes a little something like this; "and from a deadly place it came from (where?) outer space! (Thank you!)." Another example of audience participation/prop use would be when one of the characters, Dr. Scott, goes flying through the walls of the laboratory in his wheelchair. As he is rolling down the ramp from where he flew through, another character, Brad, yells out "Great SCOTT" and that’s when everyone takes the toilet paper they have brought with them and throws it all over the place. Once all the toilet paper has been collected by the cast leader, they pick out one person from the audience and DOUSE them with toilet paper and it’s the funniest sight one will ever see!
Laughter is an interesting topic. Mainly because of the lack of thought that goes with it as to why we laugh. In an article titled Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic by Henri Bergson, the theory behind why things are funny is explored. He mentions many different things in his article pertaining to the comic, however, there are a few that stand out more than others. He talks directly about the fact that things are only funny if they relate to humans. Then he touches on the idea that accidents are funnier than planned events. Finally, he speaks on laughter being directly related to social setting. The 1992 film Noises Off is a perfect demonstration of everything that Bergson writes about. Henri Bergson’s essay on laughter is perfectly supported by the film Noises Off.
For example, his mouth is twisted in a permanent grin. The bigger the smile gets, the more noticeable the dimples on either side of his lips appear. When he laughs, his whole mouth opens, exposing his slightly crooked teeth and pink tongue. Another exciting feature of the comedy lover is his shoes. They are bright high-tops with vivacious patterns dancing along the sides. His shoelaces are different colors that lay united atop the tongue of the shoe. Furthermore, his eyes are mirthful and full of life. They have a kind twinkle to them that gives his whole face a welcoming glow. Also, his hair is a messy mop of curls. The small locks stick up in different directions as if he’s run his hand through them multiple times. Finally, the comedy type’s shirt is entertaining. Although its color is old and faded, it still catches the eye. The t-shirt has rubbed off lettering displayed across the chest that says some kind of joke or comical phrase. The comedy moviegoer resembles the hilarious actor, Will
fun. What made him funny was these sort of pranks, and the contrast of his
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