The Screwball Comedy

My favorite genre of all time has to be the 'Screwball comedy' of the 1930's to 40's.

Films like: "It happened one night", "You can't take it with you", and"Arsenic and old lace" are films that in my opinion, are some of the best films ever made.

Characteristics of the genre include:

• Romantic leads who are initially portrayed as complete opposites.
• Witty, fast paced dialogue and repartee.
• A range of backgrounds from the poorest to the ridiculously wealthy.

While some of these elements continued to be incorporated into comedies even today, I feel that on one has quite come up to the same level of artistry that they achieved with this genre.

One of the reason I think no one has been able to reproduce that same level of comedic quality is the development of cinematography. I feel that the cinematography of the time was just simple enough that the focus was on the dialogue and story rather than on the camera angle.

While we have progressed in our understanding of cinematography, I think we have lost that simple style which enabled a clearer telling of a tale.

Another thing which separates us from the genre of screwball comedy is that the 'shark has been jumped' concerning how far filmmakers will go to portray romantic interest.

Filmmakers today don't work with the same kind of tension and innuendo that they did then, they dive right into situations that are intensely personal and private, making the situations visceral instead of comedic.

As stories, they were much fuller in their list of characters. Films today don't have the same broad, 'real life' perspective that they did then.

While there was still the focus of the story on the main couple, there were often several minor couples who also had to work things out before the story could be fully told. I think this added to the overall enjoyment of the film.

One of the things I hope to do someday as a filmmaker is to revive this genre; perhaps the time has come and gone and what was done can't be done again... but even if it cannot be revived, I intend to tip my hat in their direction...