Black Comedy.
-intensive social commentary
-trivialization of normally subjects, such as death, illness, or suicide
-unclear distinctions between protagonists and antagonists
-endings are often tragic
-audience often meant to feel uncomfortable
-most often includes comedy, but is not “a comedy”
-very clear themes, such as the absurdity of the world and the
omnipotence of death
-prolonged suffering for the characters
-understatement is used regularly
-inappropriate use of music
-slower editing, not many quick cuts
-bright color scheme, especially in usually tragic scenes
-not usually of intentional poor quality
-doesn’t usually advertise as a black comedy (either as a comedy or a
drama)
-emphasizes either the humor or the tragedy, rarely both
-American Psycho is one of seminal examples of a black comedy in modern cinema. The films has very strong themes, such as the dehumanization inherent in late capitalism, the subjective nature of reality, and oblivion. It emphasizes these themes through the juxtaposition of ideas that don’t, or shouldn’t, mesh, such as the scene where Patrick Bateman gives a critique of the band “Huey Lewis and The News”, and then almost immediately murdering Jared Leto’s character in cold blood. This juxtaposition of imagery and ideals creates the cognitive dissonance that black comedy deals in so frequently.
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Inglorious Basterds is another good example of a black comedy due to the comical grey area occupied by the protagonists. While the bad guys in the film are truly the worst of the worst, ie Nazis, it portrays its protagonists as, if not equally bad, then also partaking in immoral behavior. This is played to humorous effect with the affability of the main “villian” who is actually the closest thing the film has to a central protagonist, “Hans Landa” and in the war crimes, and pure savagery that the Basterds inflict upon people. The happy ending is achieved through grotesque violence, and no morality other than the true extent of man's inhumanity to man is explored and expounded upon.
-Pushing Daisies
-Heathers
-Fargo
-Shaun of the Dead
-Trainspotting
-Harold Maude
