film analysis

Romantic Comedy

One of the most enduring and endearing genres in Cinema is the Romantic Comedy. The genre has come to be defined as one in which a developing romance leads to comic situations. The tone of the films are consistently humorous and the plot is supported by the various rituals of courtship.

While each genre contains conventions and characteristics which make them easily recognizable, the notion of genre itself is not a stable construction. Film genres are impacted by history and social context so the form Romantic Comedy took in the 1930’s is very different from the form it takes now. However, we can see how today’s Romantic Comedy is the progeny of all that came before it. Genre evolves over time.

Historical Context

In the 1920s, silent era comedy was recognized by its reliance upon physical humor. While these silent comedies often had a romantic element, most of the plot was driven by the physical challenges of the story. Therefore, romance was present but secondary.

The film industry started its shift toward sound in the early 1930s which allowed dialogue to become an important space for a film’s humor. This also allowed the romantic aspects of stories to move to the forefront. With dialogue, human relationships could be more fully explored and expressed and exploited for laughs.

Logistically, the industry had to rework itself to properly incorporate dialogue since up to the early 1930s this was not written into the screenplay. This posed challenges for both actors and directors who had not needed to consider the nuances of captured dialogue before. The second big concern during the shift to sound and dialogue was the specter of censorship.

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In 1930, The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. published a code of rules governing the production of motion pictures in the United States. The Code was a set of moral recommendations concerning what was and was not considered appropriate content for a motion picture. Kissing, for example, was not acceptable on-screen. Because Romantic Comedy contained narratives often driven by flirtation, desire, and even seduction, the Code was an important consideration. Ernst Lubistch, a German-American filmmaker is credited with creating a visual language of innuendo which allowed films to be fairly risqué and suggestive while remaining clear of Code violation. (Grindon and Leger)

1934 is considered a turning point for the Romantic Comedy. Frank Capra released It Happened One Night to great public and critical acclaim.

The movie went on to serve as the prototype of the “screwball comedy.” (Grindon, 2011). The term “screwball” is a reference to the difficult to hit baseball pitch. The term was first used to describe the heroine in the film My Man Godfrey, in reference to her headstrong, unconventional nature. “The screwball protagonist was daffy, playful, quick, and usually the woman of the pair, though there were male screwballs as well… Assertive, self-reliant, and intelligent, the screwball woman was ready for the battle of the sexes and often provoked it.” (Grindon, 2011)

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Movie still from It Happened One Night

It’s important to note that screwball comedies emerged within the context of The New Deal. The landmark collection of programs pushed by President Franklin Roosevelt in an effort to rejuvenate the American Economy embodied a new spirit of hope. This spirit was reflected in the energetic narratives of screwball comedy. This would all change a decade later following World War II.

The Romantic Comedy narratives shifted during and after World War II. The upbeat, sassiness of screwball gave way to the Homefront Romance, wherein our dual protagonist would find love and marry just before the man shipped off to war. These narratives were darker and less hopeful than Screwball. Homefront romances also reinforced traditional gender roles in line with the expectations of men returning from war who were concerned their status as head of household was being challenged by the previous age of Rosie the Riveter. The gender parity gained in Screwball was summarily relinquished in Homefront romance.

In the current era we have seen a recurrence of many aspects of the Screwball in particular. Plucky heroines and commitment phobic heroes trade verbal barbs, insult one another, and find amusement in the misfortune of the other, all the while falling further and further in love. Unlike the original Screwball, censorship is no longer a serious concern and kisses and or lovemaking are commonly seen along with the snappy dialogue. The current era has also seen the centrality of the family as the guiding force of many characters move to a treasured group of friends. Sexual diversity has also become the norm and it is not rare to find Gay and Lesbian characters playing very important roles in the narrative (albeit, not part of the dual protagonist).

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Dual Protagonists

The stories in Romantic Comedies most often contain a dual protagonist. A story driven by a dual protagonist is simply one that follows two people (main characters) instead of one. The nature of the Romantic Comedy makes this both possible and necessary. The halves of our couple must be developed as full characters. We must get to know both of them equally so that we can empathize with them. This creates particular challenges for the screenwriter to ensure both characters reach successful resolution at the end of our film.

The conflict in Romantic Comedy is often presented as a conflict between generations, a conflict between the sexes, or a conflict within oneself.

In the contemporary film, Leap Year the story set-up involves a young woman who decides to step out of tradition and instead of waiting for her beau to propose to her, she has decided to propose to him. She learns of an obscure Irish practice which allows for women to propose to men on February 29th. Her decision is presented as a conflict with societal norms but it’s also presented as a conflict within herself. Leap Year is a great example of a contemporary Screwball Comedy where the female half of our dual protagonist is sharp, plucky, and driven which leads to many comedic situations.

Another twist on the Screwball Comedy is Hitch. While less common, Romantic Comedies can and do spotlight the male half of our dual protagonist.

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Hitch movie poster, Fair Use

The film Hitch revels in its comedic exploration of the battle of the sexes, more specifically the notion that “women are from Venus and men are from Mars.” The title character, Hitch works as a dating coach to help men better understand women in an effort to make them more successful at their relationships. Hitch functions as a kind of translator helping men understand what women “actually mean” when they say or do things. This ability to translate seems to work for others, but when it comes to his own romantic endeavors to court a woman he’s interested in he seems incapable of taking the right action. This of course leads to many comedic situations.

As a construction, genres are malleable and shifting. Though they may retain some basic, fundamental characteristics, they change with the times and era. Social norms, values, and practices all impact the content and context of a Romantic Comedy. The advent of sound in Cinema is a force which has reshaped the way we tell stories and Romantic Comedies benefitted tremendously from that advance in technology. Sound and dialogue allow a deeper exploration of thoughts and feelings on screen.

While new films do explore more contemporary issues, the pairings we see in Romantic Comedies have remained fairly traditional. The most commonly seen dual protagonist is a man and a woman. This may change as society’s values change, but for now Romantic Comedies remain one of the most traditional genres in Cinema.

Grindon, L. (2011). Hollywood Romantic Comedy: Conventions, History, and Controversies. Wiley.

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