Raising Arizona (1987): A Film Comedy Evaluation
This paper evaluates the Coen Brothers' 1987 film comedy Raising Arizona using established criteria for the genre, including originality, humor, musical score, and moral resolution. The paper provides a plot summary and then analyzes what makes the film succeed: its blend of high- and low-brow humor, its elevated yet playful language, its inventive use of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" in a country style, and its heartfelt ending. The paper also engages with Roger Ebert's 1987 review, specifically his critique of the film's artificial dialogue, and argues that the stylistic embellishments are intentional and consistent with the screwball comedy tradition exemplified by films such as Twentieth Century and His Girl Friday.
- Introduction and Evaluation Criteria: Criteria for judging comedy; thesis statement
- Plot Summary: Overview of Raising Arizona's narrative arc
- Musical Score and Character Performance: Analysis of Beethoven score and acting
- Screwball Comedy Tradition and the Ebert Critique: Counter-argument to Ebert's dialogue criticism
- Originality Within the Comedy Genre: Film's originality while following genre conventions
- The Ending and Moral Resolution: Moral payoff and hopeful vision ending
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper opens by establishing clear, explicit evaluation criteria before applying them, which gives the argument a logical foundation and prevents the review from feeling purely subjective.
- It engages directly with a published critical source (Roger Ebert's 1987 review), quoting him accurately and constructing a counter-argument, which demonstrates critical thinking rather than simple description.
- The paper situates the film within a genre tradition by referencing classic screwball comedies, adding historical and analytical depth to what might otherwise be a surface-level review.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates criteria-based evaluation: the writer defines a standard at the outset and then systematically tests the film against each criterion. This method, common in film criticism and formal evaluation essays, separates reasoned judgment from personal preference and makes the argument falsifiable and transparent.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a statement of evaluative criteria, followed by a plot summary that establishes shared knowledge. It then moves through thematic analysis sections covering music, performance, language, and genre tradition, including engagement with a dissenting critical view. It closes with analysis of the film's ending, which the writer identifies as the emotional and moral climax. The structure moves from criteria → evidence → counterargument → conclusion, a classic evaluative essay arc.
Introduction and Evaluation Criteria
My criteria for judging a film comedy is that the material should be original while conforming to the rules of the genre. A comedy should be funny, down-to-earth, and ultimately have a happy ending. It should also have good music, because music can truly make or break a movie. Comedies should also contain elements of low-brow humor, high-brow humor, and innocence. The Coen Brothers' Raising Arizona is the kind of movie I love, because it fits the bill on all these criteria. It is off-the-wall zany, yet grounded in reality, and completely in love with innocence and goodness at heart.
Even though the characters are less than ideal by any standard, what makes them all sympathetic is that beneath the layers of gunk and ignorance, there is something good to be found. The only character who seems to lack any authentic goodness whatsoever is the bounty hunter — and he is annihilated at the end. Since the movie meets my criteria of a perfect comedy (it is original, witty, stupidly funny, sharp, intelligent, bold, genre-driven, and dark yet with a good moral), I view Raising Arizona as a great film that does a good job of reflecting our human nature by embellishing aspects of humanity to make them stand out and teach us lessons about ourselves in the process.
Works Cited
Ebert, Roger. "Raising Arizona." RogerEbert.com, 1987, https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/raising-arizona-1987.
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