Film comedy has been around as long as cinema itself. Over the years, particular forms of the genre have emerged, evolved, and spawned other branches of comedy. While these subgenres may vary in their approach to humor, all of them have the same goal: amusing audiences. In Reeling with Laughter: American Film Comedies—From Anarchy to Mockumentary, Michael V. Tueth examines some of the most enjoyable comic movies of all time. Beginning with the anarchic romp Duck Soup (1933), each chapter explores a specific subgenre through a representative film. Along with the Marx Brothers’ classic, other subgenres discussed in this volume include romantic comedy (It Happened One Night), screwball comedy (Bringing Up Baby and What’s Up, Doc?), musical comedy (Singin’ in the Rain), sex farce (Some Like It Hot), satire (Dr. Strangelove), parody (Young Frankenstein), neurotic comedy (Annie Hall), Dionysian comedy (Animal House), mockumentary (Waiting for Guffman), and animated comedy (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut). In this volume, Tueth provides the background of each film’s production and discusses their audience reception, critical appraisal, and the qualities that have characterized these enduring works. Reeling with Laughter will appeal to film students, as well as the general public eager to revisit these great American films.

マイケル・V・トゥースによる本書は、単なるコメディの紹介に留まらない知的な冒険譚です。黄金期から現代に至る「笑い」を精緻なサブジャンルごとに解剖し、喜劇の本質を浮き彫りにします。作品の製作背景を紐解く彼の筆致は、映画という表現が持つ多層的な魅力を鮮やかに証明しています。 笑いの変遷を文化の変容として捉える洞察は、読者に「笑うことの哲学的意義」を再発見させます。時代ごとの精神性を反映した喜劇の美学を語る本書は、名作を新たな視点で捉え直す至高の喜びを与えてくれるでしょう。情熱的な批評に導かれ、映画愛を再燃させること間違いなしの一冊です。