Archetypes of Comedy

Abstract

Who are the people we laugh at or with in movie comedies? What kinds of individuals are the most frequent targets or perpetrators of cinematic mirth? Chapter 3 focuses on three of the world’s most popular figures of fun—the clown, the trickster, and the comic duo—revealing through the movies how these comic archetypes cross national boundaries by adopting local customs and traditions. Among the world’s most famous cinematic clowns are Britain’s Charlie Chaplin, America’s Lucille Ball, France’s Fernandel, Italy’s Roberto Benigni, and China’s Jackie Chan. The modern-day mischief of trickster figures like Denmark’s Lars von Trier and Hong Kong’s Stephen Chow can be traced back to the pranks of the Old Norse god Loki, to the wily animal heroes of Africa’s oral tradition, and to Japan’s spiritual folklore. The odd-couple comedy of Laurel and Hardy has its counterparts in Argentina’s Olmedo and Porcel and Taiwan’s Brother Wang and Brother Liu.