One of the most important features
that allows a comedy to be well received is how well the audience is able to
relate to the motives in the plot itself. In The Broken Jug, there are two main driving factors that permit the
progression of the plot: the interaction between the inspector and the judge, and
the compounding of lies by the judge himself. These two features of The Broken Jug allow the plot to
continue, and contribute to the comic traits of the film, because they’re all
things that the everyday individual is going to be able to well relate to.
After all, relateability is one sort of source of laughter, for when an
individual experiences laughter at a situation, it’s required that he
understands the situation itself; otherwise, it wouldn’t be funny.
Everyone,
regardless of the time period, knows the feeling of having to meet the expectations
and pressure that are felt by the coming of a boss, auditor, or other
authority. Farmers might have to live up to the landowner’s demands, or the people
who buy their produce. Lawyers have to be winning cases, and engineers have to
be good at coming up with new solutions to old problems, and understanding
processes and mechanics. In The Broken
Jug, the judge could very well lose his job, and does, as a matter of fact,
if the judge finds his station unsatisfactory. This motivation for the judge is
something that the audience certainly would understand.
The compounding of lies in the film is something nearly everyone sees the results of in their own lives. When a man tells a lie, the need to continue telling lies to cover the first begins to present itself. Needs such as these are motivations, and the motivation of the judge to continue grasping at less and less-likely lies to cover his own follies. This becomes comic from the irony the audience sees as the film proceeds; we all know what happens when the lies get harder to come up with, and especially under pressure. Eventually you get found out, and watching the judge scramble is a certain source of laughter.
"We all know what happens when the lies get harder to come up with, and especially under pressure. Eventually you get find out, and watching the judge scramble is a certain source of laughter." I absolutely agree in that. Under pressure and keeping track of all the lies told is very difficult.
ReplyDeleteIn this play, I especially loved reading Adam's lies about why he didn't have a wig: it caught fire; the cat littered on it. Not only did I find Adam's lying funny, but I found it very interesting. A few times Adam surprised me because he just kept coming up with lies to save his neck. For example, when everyone was examining the dirty messed up wig found in Martha's grapevine trellis, I thought they had him for sure! But noooooo... Adam pulls up another lie by accusing Ruprecht of not delivering that other wig he owned to the wig shop. Although just a play, when I was reading it, I felt like a scientist observing an experimental rat put into a risky situation trying to escape.
I think here, where you say it's like watching an experimental rat, you've described my position on it entirely. I think it's unique to be able to observe people fiddle around in tense situation, in such a way as only a film or play can really provide, minus, say, "What would you do?" or something.
DeleteI love your analysis. To be sure we must be able to relate at some level to what is happening in the play according to Bergson's "Laughter." One of the ways I related was also a point you made; when telling lie on top of lie gets harder until you are found out. As a child I would occasionally do something I knew to be dreadfully wrong and would try to weasel out of it. Funny enough my parents always knew when I was lying because I was a dreadful lier and I would be punished. So Adam's incessant lies about his cats and what they would do to his wigs was rather funny to me because it was such a silly thing to lie about. Isn't it generally true that we lie about the most stupid and inconsequential things? I tend to think so.
ReplyDeleteI also liked Adam's lie regarding the found wig. I was surprised how he actually had given Ruprecht his wig earlier in the week (though Adam omitted the fact that he had gotten the wig back promptly thereafter). Thus, this lie was only a partial lie...in the film, Ruprecht's reaction in this scene is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this proves that Judge Adam was a bad liar? Maybe he was not practiced because he started out good, and his power corrupted him. Or maybe he just had so much authority that he didn't even have to try to lie. I also thought his lies were the best part of the story!
ReplyDelete