Before I begin I’d like to mention my frustration and agony, which was like a urinary infection lodged in a hemorrhoid (I know it doesn’t make biological sense, but you get the point), of not mentioning the following films:
BRINGING UP BABY (1938); a delightfully slapstick story of Carey Grant trying to get rid of a leopard, but more importantly the well-meaning Katharine Hepburn.
TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES (1987); superb Steve Martin tries to get home for thanksgiving, but when does transport work?
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (1988); Another Steve Martin (with another role for Michael Caine) masterpiece with great comedy and a fun twist, as two con artists face off.
BOWFINGER (1999); the final Steve Martin film I will mention, performed superbly with Eddie Murphy, and one that any filmmaker can relate to.
COMING TO AMERICA (1988); Eddie Murphy at his best, with Arsenio Hall (even James Earl Jones and a cameo from Samuel L. Jackson), fulfills such a great story, with so many funny moments.
A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964); Peter Sellers, the great Inspector Clouseau, solving so many murders with a trail of mistakes.
It is truly a torture for a critic to have to make these kinds of choices but they needed to be made. Each of these I feel was worthy of the top five…
[Oh damn, also THE PRODUCERS (1968) and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) and… Alright… Deep breath. Where was I? Oh yes…]
…But the line needed to be drawn (in the sand, by my own blood). I can only beg each of these filmmakers to take solace in the joint sixth position, but there will be no metaphorical golden award sent by my pet parrot.
However, I do recommend these films as great fun, and worth watching.
TOP 5 GOLDEN COMEDIES
Although, my loyal reader, I consider myself better versed in tragedies, dramas, and all-round depressing things (perhaps due to my uneventful and happy upbringing), I have a guilty envy of comedy. I consider it to be, not only extremely sophisticated, but the greatest way to project a point, without being obvious. Because even the smallest joke is a disassociation of two stories, as one of my favorite examples would attest:
1. A comedian walks on stage and says:
“When I was a kid, I told everyone I wanted to be a comedian, and they all laughed. Well, they’re not laughing any more.”
2. Another comedian stands in silence for ten seconds, then comes out with:
“A lot of people tell me…
Another long pause, and then:
… GET OUT OF MY GARDEN!”
In both cases, a story gets established and then a second gets brought in to completely throw the first one on its head. However, while I laughed at both of these, I felt that the first stayed with me longer, as there was a beautiful twisted logic to the first. The second misleads you, but the first misleads you twice.
I feel that this example very much captures how a truly great comedy can take a step above the rest. Not only should the film be ripe with these two shifts, but also it has to encompass the entire film. When considering the story, visuals and actions, in recollection, you cannot help but grimace at the hilarity. In other words, it’s not just the pear that should be sweet, but the seeds, the rind, the stem, the branch, the tree, and the entirety of China (I mention them as they are the largest pear producers. Shut up, it works!).
I find that to make it that top-level comedy, visuals have to contribute to this as much as the words that surround them, and there has to be some overarching brilliance to the end product. It never faltered at somehow making something horrifying, scary or serious; into laugh out loud, evacuate your bowels, go streaking through you parents-in-laws’ house, funny.
I have struggled to accumulate what I consider to be the superb films in this genre, as I have and will go on to, with others. But I consider these to be the ones that have certain qualities that put them above the rest:
5. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959); often considered the greatest. I have to admit that this is a lot lower than I had originally thought I would put this film, and I apologize to the great Billy Wilder for it (and more to the point; Jack Lemmon, who I have always wanted to hug, but they won’t let me near his grave any more… Or maybe that was Marilyn Monroe). However, I consider that it fulfills so many great criteria (superbly acted, directed, and written), that it cannot avoid being top five, no matter how hard I try.
The story of two musicians, fleeing from the mob during the Prohibition after witnessing a murder, may seem like a drama. But the direction it takes with the characters going undercover reminds many of the simple art of role reversing. ‘It doesn’t matter as long as you’re wearing a skirt,’ as Tony Curtis says. Throughout the film, characters go on self-discoveries all integral to each other, and throwing them in such ridiculous circumstances, where Jack Lemmon dances with an old man, who keeps telling him not to lead.
Without ruining too much, my loyal reader, I cannot help but consider it to be a marvelous and meticulous, musical marvel of misapprehension and even a murder (if anyone is looking for a box blurb). It is the kind of film that begins with an empathetic frown, but ends with nothing short of a smile that circles around your face twice and ties itself back together in a bright little bow (quite the disturbing image, but I stand by it).
4. A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988); could not help but enter in to the top five, because I consider it a victory for dialogue with the visuals. In the case of this film, not only are the visuals fantastic, but also John Cleese and Charles Crichton come up with the most beautiful lines to go with it, which take it past a simple; ‘man trips on a banana skin’, into ‘man trips on a banana skin, onto a pile of banana skins and slides slowly towards an avalanche of bananas’ (Yes. Bananas! Yes, metaphor; this does not happen in the film).
The story covers a group of jewel thieves, who struggle to escape with the loot, but they keep betraying each other. It’s a succession of situations in which characters are depicted as seamless, ridiculous and hilarious, that come together so very superbly. In any other context, it could have been a film-noire (with bank-robbery, lawyer corruption, and even a torture scene). But, enough of spoilers, my loyal reader.
The film toys with dark themes and throws them aside at each point, in favor of some obsessive and three-dimensional characters, who even drift in and out of characters themselves. It is unbelievable how many voices that these two great filmmakers managed to get into the film, but it will leave you delighted.
3. BLAZING SADDLES (1974) is Mel Brooks; unleashed and at his best, full of flamboyant mockery. To begin with, yes, there are many dirty words in this film. Especially, a certain word gets repeated more than others, which in any other context would be deplorable and disgraceful, but set in a Western it works. By demeaning this word so fully, Mel Brooks found a way to make it worse than deplorable (quite simply stupid and ridiculous). Of course the word I’m referring to is ‘land’.
The story circulates around a corrupt politician trying to steal the town from the locals, and an unlikely sheriff (I refuse to use any specific words. I told you I’m not mentioning ‘land’) manages to defeat him.
The film is slapstick, and refuses to apologize for it. It reaches out and hits the border of edgy, and sticks to it, swaying in and out with hilarity everywhere. By the end you will be laughing and you’ll have ridiculed racism and alienation, with the best of them. This is what comedy can do when really motivated; truly stick it to ignorance and prejudice, as they break into ‘I get no kick from Champaign’ (from the musical ‘Anything Goes’). I have felt that this film is the kind of art that can successfully bring people together, whereas often the result of Politically Correct barriers serve to distance people. Making a mockery out of something is the only way to condemn it to History and for any watcher to look forward to a pleasing future. It is a truly great aspect of comedy, which only Mel Brooks can pull off.
2. THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) as an American-German, born in England (I think that makes me Belgian), I have often felt guilty for being the kind of person who everyone loves to hate (England treated the world bad as a kid, Germany in adulthood, and America in its old age, so what is there for me not to feel guilty about?). The only consolation I can take is in my lack of being in control of that fact (plus the Germans gave us cars, the English; writers… YES, WRITERS, and the Americans; the ipod. Who’s complaining?). Added to that, my loving a certain Great film, by a Great man, who led a Great path, similar to my own. Charlie Chaplin (feel the joy, my loyal reader); if there was a Dollar bill for film, he’d be on both sides, and you’d have to kiss his face before handing it to the teller.
The entirety of the film follows an escape from Nazi Germany, and a call to arms with such brilliance, such vigor, and it is nothing short of brilliant. Not only is it funny, following a blissfully ignorant man slapping SS troopers for painting on his shop, but also it is a mockery of something far more tragic. In the context of this film, it was a desire to weaken Hitler, make him look like the cruel, monstrous person he was. It is, in its own way, a propaganda film, but the same could be said about all films with a point of view. It makes you laugh, and wish that you could be such a talented, gifted and well principled man as the Great Charlie Chaplin.
Even now, retrospectively, the film was not only prophetic, but it serves as the reminder of the Great freedoms that we all have, that we all need, that everyone has right to, and a true sentiment that should make us thankful for the times we live in, and wary of any global corruption that may come our way. It will leave the watcher a better person (simply said, and truthfully meant), not because of hatred or rage, but because of the great criticism that society should have in order to evolve and improve for Greatness (All personal guilt aside; I do not ask forgiveness for repeating that word).
THE GOLD
1. DR. STRANGELOVE OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964); my feelings for the superb ability of Peter Sellers notwithstanding, this film is black comedy, which outperforms because it makes the most serious incident funny. What could be more serious than the destruction of the entire world? How can you laugh at that? It involves a divine cast (where the aforementioned actor picks up three roles; and you can’t even tell), a talented Director (Stanley Kubrick), and a story that had to be visually told.
As a seemingly possible and scary circumstance gets drawn out, you cannot help but laugh at how delightfully insane each character is, yet they grow better and better, with some of the greatest lines of dialogue contrasted against actions and visuals that truly don’t get much more serious. This is comedy. Stories merge, and one disassociates the other. Sounds, visuals, actions, they all clash like a cymbal and leave you feeling great, with a new outlook over leaders and leadership. Who can say they have never been working for a General Jack Ripper, or received advice from an eccentric Dr. Strangelove, or had a desire to ride a bomb like Major ‘King’ Kong? To see people with such dignity, reduced to these sharp realities, brings a sense of great joy to the heart (Earth’s sacrifice will not be forgotten).
Thank you.
Over the next week, I will bring you:
TOP 5 GOLDEN TRAGEDIES
TOP 5 GOLDEN FAMILIES (the genre not my favorite family).
SPECIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
And completing with my:
TOP 5 GOLDEN FILM (the mesh of all and every significant factor that make film such a superb work of art).
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