When it comes to Romantic Comedies/Dramas, personally I’m a fan of the classics. This prompt made me begin to look at these films, that I’ve seen each over a dozen times, with a new set of eyes.
I did some homework and re-watched a couple films, and in that have noticed that these strong female leads are often shown more powerful in the "comedic" situation and more importantly, over themselves. You can't help but wonder if this was meant to add to the comedic material.
In works such as His Girl Friday, Blithe Spirit, Arsenic and Old Lace, and the well known (pictured above) A Philadelphia Story, the female leads often play the “straight man”--a term used in comedic works to describe the one character whose responses range from aplomb to outrage, or from patience to frustration. They make their partner look all the more ridiculous by being completely serious.
In works such as His Girl Friday, Blithe Spirit, Arsenic and Old Lace, and the well known (pictured above) A Philadelphia Story, the female leads often play the “straight man”--a term used in comedic works to describe the one character whose responses range from aplomb to outrage, or from patience to frustration. They make their partner look all the more ridiculous by being completely serious.
It was funny for the audience of that time to see the men struggle and the women have the control (until of course he finally reached her and she melted into his arms).
While Rom-Coms can be seen as nothing but airy cinematic fluff that fill your heart with desire and your head with false hope, there is a lot to be said for how these “light-hearted” films comment on gender, class, etc. in a very palpable manner that becomes useful when doing such studies.
And as a side note, while there is most definitely a huge correlation between the love stories seen in romantic comedies and “love delusion” or fabrication by the average viewer--that isn’t to undermine the art of the films in anyway. And it quite possibly might be another reason why these films are in fact forms of art, and powerful ones at that.
While Rom-Coms can be seen as nothing but airy cinematic fluff that fill your heart with desire and your head with false hope, there is a lot to be said for how these “light-hearted” films comment on gender, class, etc. in a very palpable manner that becomes useful when doing such studies.
And as a side note, while there is most definitely a huge correlation between the love stories seen in romantic comedies and “love delusion” or fabrication by the average viewer--that isn’t to undermine the art of the films in anyway. And it quite possibly might be another reason why these films are in fact forms of art, and powerful ones at that.
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