Modern TV influenced by Commedia
Chucklevision is very clearly influenced by Commedia. Which stock characters are Paul and Barry most like?
Consider the difference in status between the two.
How many lazzi can you identify?
Not just in what they do but also what they say and the language they use.
Fawlty Towers -
Which stock characters from Commedia can you identify?
How many lazzi can you identify? What other similarities to Commedia can you identify?
First Chucklevision: Barry is the servant/zanni, Paul is a bit like Pantaloon, very strong, controlling, always wanting money, thinking his ideas are better, lying about where they got the ice cream from, Crashing their van, Grumalot (adadad), customers going backwards and forwards, dressing up - disguise like Beatrice to get what he wants, slipped over melted ice cream, Italian accent, swapping food, falling over, ice cream over faces,
ReplyDeleteFirst Fawlty Towers: Manuel is the servant/zanni, pantaloon (Basil), Beatrice is like Sybil, very strong but has to be dictated by Basil, Polly is like Smeraldina a feisty servant who tries to stand up to Basil, pie in faces, slaps manuel, sexual reference to when opening bottles, repeating other peoples lines, swapping seats.
First video- Paul- similar to Pantaloon, cares about money and takes credit for idea that aren't his, gently pushes Barry. Paul also shows characteristic of Doctore as he's difficult to stop talking and interferes. Barry- similar to Zanni, he acts as a servant and gets blamed for mistakes that aren't always his. They both use grummelot. There are comic moments such as slipping on ice cream, shouting something offensive after loud sound has stopped, miscommunication in language, falling over and mess being created with food. There was also the use of disguise.
ReplyDeleteThird video- Basil seems to represent Pantaloon, he always thinks he is right, he cares about money and his social image. Polly is similar to Colombina, she is feisty and sassy and even though a servant type she is referred to as bright. Manuel is a lot like a Zanni he is light on his feet and makes many mistakes especially in the dinning scene, he is confused by simple orders. There were comic scenes such as a language misinterpretation "P off", the placement of the wine bottle looked crude, there was the missing wine bottle, and the pies at the end.
Second video:
ReplyDeleteBarry is trying to put the shelf up and they use a type of grum a lot to communicate. The shelf is then wonky and they take it in turns to put a tin on the shelf to make sure it is wonky.
The whole truck is unbalanced and they use me to try and balance the truck using different utensils. They then place just one sugar cube on the counter and the whole truck becomes unbalanced again. They don't realise as soon as one of them moves it will happen again.
Barry cracks an egg on Paul's head, and then he does the same back. They repeat "You wouldn't." "I would." "You did."
They use the fact the truck is unbalanced to help them make a steak pie by rolling the onions to each other, to pour the flour etc. Then when getting the pie out of the oven Barry throws it to Paul because it's to hot. They repeat "To me, to you".
Third video:
Basil is like Pantaloon because he's an older man who's argumentative and thinks he knows it all. He's very sarcastic and focused on money. Manuel is like a Zanni with his posture and how he has a spring in his step, he also uses exaggerated facial expressions.