The Role of Females in War Films

Women are very important in war films. Even the lack of women changes the whole dynamic of a film. Without women, men have to prove themselves to older, more knowledgeable men who are like father figures to them. When women are brought into a setting that is a majority of men, they become objects of desire that men long for. Usually this desire is between two or more soldiers that battle to try to win their affection. This rivalry almost creates a tie between the soldiers. Women can be dangerous to men in war films. Women create emotions in a man that may make him weak. This vulnerability eventually results in the demise of the soldier because the emotions that he feels for the women lie outside of the realm of war. War is portrayed as very masculine, and any feelings that a man might feel for a women introduces femininity into this very masculine world.

Slapstick Comedy

Slapstick comedy is a type of comedy that is physical. Gags would quickly spiral into mix-ups and lead to physical rowdiness. Slapstick refers to the sticks that clowns would use to hit each other in theatrical pantomime. The 1920s brought out three heroes. The three major stars of the slapstick comedy genre during this time were Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd. Charlie Chaplins's character was a tramp that was odd and an outcast from society. He was a rebel who could not keep a job that had a daring nature. Chaplin hated many things in society and rebeled against it. Buster Keaton was unlike Chaplin in that he accepted the modern world. Most of his comedies consisted of him and a machine. Harold Lloyd was similar to Keaton because of his role as a middle-class worker, but he was devoted to impressing people and making it in his community. I think that the genre of slapstick comedy was a successful movie vehicle because the American people could relate to these heroes. I'm sure many people felt the way that Chaplin did and felt as if they were outcasts. Then there were people who accepted what was going on in society and embraced it as Keaton did. Lloyd represented the uncertainties that many people probably have had at one time or another. There was a little of something for everyone to relate to in their own lives, which is probably why these comedies were so successful.