Anarchic Comedy

Nonsensical Lampooning

The anarchic comedy film, as its name suggests, is a random or stream-of-consciousness type of humour which often lampoons a form of authority.

The humor in these films tends to be nonsensical with exaggerated characters and situations. Anarchic film often uses slapstick tendencies, yet is considered to be less psychically violent. Unlike classic comedy, Anarchic films tend not to rely on narrative to explain the context of the humor.

The genre dates from the silent era, and the most famous examples of this type of film would be those produced by Monty Python. Others include Duck Soup (1933) and National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978).