Visual Literacy
Dina Coloma
March 17, 2010
According to Wikipedia, romantic comedies “are movies with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as a true love able to surmount most obstacles.” Romantic comedies have elements from comedy films as well as romantic films.
The history of romantic comedies has a very early history with the ancient Greeks, as their comedies have included “sexual or social elements.” Shakespeare had some romantic comedy plays including “Much Ado About Nothing” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His comedies still have influences on today’s comedies. There was a decline in romantic comedies during World War II; after the “screwball cycle” was over in the early 1940’s, a new type of romantic comedies came out that “focused not on getting the central couple together but on how they get along with each other.” (David R. Shumway). In the 1950s and 1960s romantic comedies hit a low point, and the genre had “virtually disappeared from Hollywood.” This all changed starting in 1977 when Woody Allen made a movie called Annie Hall. This movie uses techniques like flashbacks, voice-over narration and other effects that make the movie funny.
Modern romantic comedy films have similar basic plots, a man and woman “meet, part ways due to an argument or other obstacle, then ultimately reunite.” (Wikipedia). The parting ways is often because one person thinks they don’t actually like the other person romantically, or that one is already committed to someone else. In the film though, there are clues that leave it clear that the man and women do in fact like each other and would make a nice couple. They need time alone to figure out what they are actually feeling. Eventually either or both of them figure out that they are meant to be. There is then usually the “grand gesture” where “after one of the two makes some spectacular effort to find the other person and declare their love… or due to an astonishing coincidental encounter, the two meet again.” Romantic comedies tend to have a happy ending, even if the couple doesn’t get married. There are obviously variations to this, for example if one of the main characters meets a new character and falls in love.
Udhaya Kulandaivelu seems to have a problem with these modern day romantic comedies. He says, “a good story, chemistry between the characters, funny and romantic actors of these are essential, but those alone do not make a good romantic comedy.” He offers three big suggestions to current filmmakers on how to improve romantic comedies. First of all he thinks that the problem the man and woman have to overcome has to be big, so the audience can feel the tension between them. Kulandaivelu’s next argument is that the “supporting cast must be endearing, well rounded, and give a solid foil for the leads.” This makes the audience root for the leads. His final suggestion is that the person that wants to prevent the couple from getting together cannot be a “monster or a pushover,” because that would mean the decision to get back together or not would be too easy too make.
An example of my favorite movie of all time is a romantic comedy. In Legally Blonde, Elle and Warner are together at first as a perfect couple. Warner then breaks up with Elle because she is not serious enough for him. Elle then goes to Harvard to follow Warner, but ends up meeting Emmett. This follows a variation of the basic plot of the romantic comedy.
The link I have shows the last few minutes of the classic movie, which shows Warner trying to get back with Elle, but Elle realizes she doesn’t want Warner anymore, and fast-forward two years, Warner asks Elle to marry him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNyfdUHSUhg
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Romantic Comedy Film." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
Web. 14 Mar. 2010.
Shumway, David. "Decline and Reinvention - Romantic Comedy."
Film Reference. Web. 14 Mar. 2010.
Kulandaivelu, Udhaya. "Romantic Comedies—A Dying Genre:
How to Keep Romance Alive On Screen." Filmmaking 101. Web. 14 Mar. 2010.
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