Comedy in the Modern Era

Abstract

The years following the May 1968 events were an auspicious time for comic movies in France. Most comedies of the 1960s rarely chronicled the faits de société (real-life chronicles); nor did they make faithful representations of everyday life. Once the wake of the 1968 era dissipated among general audiences, French comedy of the 1970s appeared as a much more transparent medium since its thematic content translated not only the state of mind of an eventful era but also, uniquely, the physical and emotional background of contemporary society. With an active production and distribution, the main themes of the time were novelties (1974 was the last year for cinematic censorship): racism (Gérard Oury’s Les aventures de Rabbi Jacob [The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob], 1973), female emancipation/gender roles (Coline Serreau’s Trois hommes et un couffin [Three Men and a Cradle], 1985), marital life (Yves Robert’s Nous irons tous au paradis and Pardon Mon Affaire, 1977), power (Francis Veber’s Le jouet [The Toy], 1976), unemployment (Michel Blanc’s Marche à l’ombre, 1984), homosexuality (Édouard Molinaro’s La cage aux folles, 1978), police corruption (Claude Zidi’s Les Ripoux [My Best Partner], 1984), and military service (Claude Zidi’s Les bidasses en folie [The Five Crazy Boys], 1971). French comedies addressed the desire to “deconstruct” the daily realities of the French people and were characterized by an unprecedented liberalist wave bringing modernity, relevance, and truth in their representation of the spirit of the times.