Tag: comedy
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Aristophanes’s The Birds: A New City in the Sky
Aristophanes The Birds (“Ornithets”) is the only comedy written by Aristophanes whose entire action takes place far from the city of Athens. Consequently, the play makes little mention of the circumstances of the Peloponnesian War, or of contemporary Athenian politics. It won second prize at the Dionysia in 414 BC. It is a play about the […]
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The Courts Ridiculed in the Wasps
At the outset of the Wasps, we are presented with two slaves who are awakening after drinking. They have been tasked with keeping guard over the entrances and exits of their house. A huge net has been cast over the house. Their instructions come from their master, Bdelykleon (“Kleon despiser” -in the play, Aristophanes continues his […]
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The Circus (1928) Review
The Circus (1928) Director: Sir Charles Chaplin “Time brought many changes to the Circus; New Hopes and New Ambitions.” ★★★★★ The Circus is a wonderful film filled with humor and melancholy. It is one of my favorite Charlie Chaplin films, alongside The Kid, The Gold Rush, City Lights, and Modern Times. Filmed right at the […]
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The Navigator (1924) Review
9/5/2016 The Navigator (1924) Director: Buster Keaton and Donald Crisp ★★★★☆ The Navigator is another delightful and important silent film directed by Buster Keaton. It is prescient in a number of ways, not least of which foreshadowing the work of Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times with an examination of man in his unnatural habitat filled with confusing and anxiety-ridden […]
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Aristotle, Oedipus, and Greek Tragedy
There has been a longstanding debate, dating back to Aristotle, regarding the purpose or telos of tragedy, and whether or not the key “tragic” element is the result of a unique or particular character flaw caused by the protagonist. In other words, is Oedipus merely a flawed human being who has brought about the destruction of himself, his […]
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Our Hospitality (1923) Review
8/27/16 Our Hospitality (1923) Director: Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton and John G. Blystone ★★★★★ With Our Hospitality Buster Keaton delivers a delightful film, the second of his ten brilliant films produced under Buster Keaton Productions. Our Hospitality is more sentimental than some of his later films, such as The General or Sherlock, Jr. The vast luxury of […]
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