Humor in Three Films

Humor in 3 Films

Comedy has often provided the perfect vehicle for social and political commentary. Three films that use comedy to as the basis for social and political commentary are Duck Soup (1933), The Great Dictator (1940), and Some Like It Hot (1959). Duck Soup, The Great Dictator, and Some Like It Hot provide commentary on social and political issues, as well as on issues of sex and gender.

Duck Soup is a Marx Brothers classic directed by Leo McCarey in which Groucho Marx plays Rufus T. Firefly, a man who is appointed to the position of Freedonia, a small country that has recently gone bankrupt (Duck Soup). Firefly's appointment as leader is made as part of an agreement between undisclosed members of the country in exchange for continued financial support from Mrs. Gloria Teasdale, a wealthy widow. At the same time, Freedonia's neighbor, Sylvania, is plotting to take over the bankrupt country with the constant threat of war looming over Freedonia. Duck Soup is presented as slapstick with everything in the film being highly exaggerated. In the film, the Marx brothers attempt to demonstrate the issues that contribute to political unrest, the extremes people will go to so as to provoke another into war, and the consequences thereof. For reasons unknown, Sylvania is trying to find a way to take over Freedonia. While no motive is given for Sylvania's interest in its neighbor, it is implied that so long as Mrs. Teasdale is funding Freedonia, Sylvania cannot take the country by military force. By wooing Mrs. Teasdale, McCarey helps to demonstrate how sex can be used to influence politics. Furthermore, in the film, Sylvanian Ambassador Trentino shows that he will go to any lengths to attempt to find an excuse to attack Freedonia by sending spies to spy on Firefly, a tactic that ultimately backfires as Chicolini and Pinky, two spies sent by Trentino, are shown fighting on Freedonia's side at the end of the film.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact political message McCarey and the Marx brothers were trying to convey in Duck Soup because much of the film's narrative features gags and puns that are unnecessary and do not advance the plot. Moreover, there are no explanations given as to why Sylvania is looking for a reason to attack Freedonia; it clearly does not have anything of value because it has gone into bankruptcy. Additionally, it is difficult to ascertain exactly what Freedonia and Sylvania are representative of. While it may argued that Firefly's appointment as leader of Freedonia parallels Adolf Hitler's appointment as chancellor of Germany in 1933, there are not enough parallels in the film to further support this contention (Polsson).

On the other hand, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator provides a clearer political statement on Hitler and the political and social upheaval in Germany during World War II. Chaplin's film, unlike McCarey's and the Marx brothers', provides a clear, cohesive, and politically charged narrative that explores issues of political and social unrest between World War I and World War II. The Great Dictator begins with Chaplin, reprising the persona of "The Tramp" one last time, as a Jewish barber who was the triggerman in Tomania's artillery who had developed amnesia as a result of a plane crash while attempting to escape the film's equivalent of Allied forces (The Great Dictator). In a way, the barber's amnesia and confusion after returning to his home can parallels global uncertainty and unawareness of how intense and how deep political turmoil and unrest ran in Germany. Chaplin also assumes the role of Adenoid Hynkel, Tomania's dictator. Although the film's opening scene features an intertitle card stating, "Note, any resemblance between Hynkel the Dictator and the Jewish Barber is purely coincidental," there is no arguing that Hynkel is intended to be a satirical interpretation and parody of Hitler. One of the most impressive scenes in the film is Hynkel's dance with the globe. Unlike the Marx brothers' musical number in Duck Soup, which is absurd and does not really serve to advance the plot, Chaplin's dance is a visual metaphor for Hynkel/Hitler's ambitions. He views the world as something that can be played with and possibly conquered. In a sense, the globe balloon is representative of his ambitions and dreams and when it unexpectedly pops, Hynkel is forced back to reality and dealing with politics. Additionally, Hynkel is also preoccupied with trying to make allies with Benzino Napaloni, the Dictator of Bacteria and a parody of Italy's Benito Mussolini (The Great Dictator).

The most impactful scene in the film is its closing sequence. In a case of mistaken identity, the Jewish barber is mistaken for Hynkel as he attempts to flee Tomania to Osterlich, where he believes he will be safe. This final scene is especially important because it allows Chaplin to voice his criticisms on Hitler and the political turmoil in Europe. In this speech, Chaplin states, "Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed…The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress (The Great Dictator). Chaplin's speech continues to resonate to modern times and demonstrates that although times change, people do not.

Some Like It Hot, directed by Billy Wilder, provides social commentary on a completely different issue altogether. In the film, issues of sex and gender are explored through cross-dressing and courtship. In the film, Joe and Gerry are forced to disguise themselves in order to escape Chicago after witnessing a mob hit and subsequently assume the identities of Josephine and Daphne, respectively (Some Like It Hot). Throughout the film, there is much sexual tension that arises because of their disguises. For example, although Joe and Gerry are attracted to Marilyn Monroe's Sugar Kane, they are unable to act upon their impulses, at least when they are in drag. However, drag costuming does not prevent Gerry/Daphne from being pursued by a wealthy Mr. Fielding who attempts to woo her with flowers and jewels and ultimately proposes to her at the end of the film; Mr. Fielding also completely overlooks the fact that Daphne is in fact Gerry and does not let gender and sex come between them as he refuses to withdraw his proposal on the sole fact Gerry is not a woman.