Annie Hall

The type of comedy displayed in Annie Hall is different of that in The Graduate, the other film we have viewed in our comedy unit. In Annie Hall, Alvy Singer's comedy is very direct, as he literally faces the camera when he narrates other people's conversations, and his own life. He is also funny on purpose because as a comedian, he naturally uses humor in any situation. He even tends to find light in his own misfortune, and to attempt to get out of sticky situations. We see this after the meet up with Annie Hall at the cafe in Los Angeles, when he backs into two cars due to his awful driving and frustration, leading to a police officer stopping him. Even though he tries to be funny with the officer, he ends up behind bars. This is probably the only time in the movie when Alvy's humor is not welcome or acknowledged.

In The Graduate, the humor is more natural instead of obvious, which sets it apart from other comedies. For example, Benjamin's reaction to Mrs. Robinson seducing him is hilarious because he is so naive and caught off guard. While he is clearly scared and uncomfortable, you can see that he somewhat enjoys it, and it eventually works, which is both funny and ironic.

Something that Benjamin and Alvy share is their self-consciousness, which adds comedic value to both movies, because what they see in themselves is not as noticeable to the audience. Alvy is insecure about his physical features, such as his body, and his own comedy, as well as his ability to please others. When he does stand-up, he often fears that he is not good or funny enough. Annie Hall shares this self-consciousness because whenever she sings on stage, she fears that she is not talented enough or performs her best. Benjamin also feels that he is unable to please others, which is due to the fact that he has no motivation to do so. The only person who forced him to please her is Mrs. Robinson, and the fact that he was forced into doing something he wasn't comfortable doing shows that he had no control over his life, which is entertaining to the audience.

Is direct or natural humor more appreciated in comedy films?