hufilmtv1-5, Exercise 3: Comedy as release and criticism

Model answer (example: A tanu; check the details):

As release: audiences laughed at the absurdity of officials, rules and daily frustrations, which gave a shared way to cope with them. Comedy let people recognise their situation without the risk of open protest.

As criticism: the humour in A tanu shows how an arbitrary system treats an ordinary man, and the jokes work because viewers see them as true. Laughter exposes the gap between what officials say and what happens. That is why the film was held back and why it became a cult film once it was shown.

The two functions can pull in opposite directions: critics of satire under restriction argue that it lets off steam and so makes the system easier to live with, while others argue that it keeps ideas of criticism alive. The evidence on which effect was stronger is thin and the question remains open.