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00:00What is a black comedy?
00:03A movie that takes on controversial or taboo subject matter in a
00:07deliberately humorous way is often referred to as a black comedy.
00:12This type of movie tends to use sarcastic or sardonic dialogue to remove
00:17some of the audience's preconceived notions about the proper
00:20treatment of a taboo subject.
00:22There are certain subjects or themes that many people would consider
00:25too taboo or morbid to become the basis of a traditional comedic
00:29film.
00:31The realities of warfare, for example, generally lend themselves to
00:35documentaries or serious dramatic films.
00:39Director Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War movie Full Metal Jacket and
00:42Robert Altman's M.A.S.H. both treat the subject of war with
00:46unmistakably dark humor, however.
00:49The lead character of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, for example, spends
00:53much of the movie muttering sarcastic observations while the horrors
00:56of war unfold around him.
00:59A black comedy doesn't always have a heavy or morbid tone.
01:03Sometimes the humor comes from essentially straightforward characters
01:06who happen to be placed in traditionally bleak or controversial
01:09circumstances.
01:10The characters may have little idea that their occupations or
01:13lifestyles are morally or ethically questionable to outsiders such as
01:18the audience.
01:20One example, Sunshine Cleaners, features two women who start their
01:24own crime scene cleaning service, which juxtaposes the gruesome
01:27imagery of crime scenes with the upbeat pursuit of the American
01:31dream.
01:33A black comedy does not generally shy away from its darker subject
01:37matter but rather presents certain aspects of it in a comedic or
01:40satirical way.
01:43Morbid or dark humor can be a very subjective form of comedy, so
01:47producers and directors of these types of comedies must decide if a
01:50particular scene crosses the line of acceptability.
01:54The target audience of a typical black comedy is typically not
01:57mainstream, so the creators can and often do push the envelope when it
02:02comes to shocking or controversial sequences.
02:05A black comedy about the Korean War, for instance, could feature
02:09graphic battlefield or operating room scenes, but the filmmakers must
02:13decide if the comedic elements are strong enough to balance out the
02:16more dramatic or controversial sequences.
02:20A successful black comedy should still be viewed by audiences as a
02:24comedy, not a drama with a few instances of dark humor.
02:28Stanley Kubrick also created another film which many film critics
02:32believe to be one of the best black comedies ever produced.
02:36In Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the
02:41Bomb, a mentally unbalanced military officer refuses to recall a
02:45squadron of American bombers mistakenly ordered to drop atomic bombs
02:50on Russia.
02:52The efforts of various diplomats and military officers to prevent
02:55total global annihilation become the basis for dark comedy sequences.
03:01While the subject matter itself, the dangers of nuclear warfare, would
03:05not ordinarily lend itself to comedy, Kubrick and actor Peter Sellers
03:10managed to maintain the film's darkly comedic tone through brilliant
03:14dialogue and over-the-top character roles.
03:18This balance between comedy and pathos is what distinguishes a black
03:21comedy from more traditional comedies.
03:25For more clear, concise answers to common and not-so-common questions,
03:29visit the Conjecture Corporation website.