Everybody loves a classic screwball comedy, and His Girl Friday, is one of the best. This film follows the basic structure of a screwball comedy, the girl and boy start off by disliking each other and going through many obstacles; which, eventually lead to them falling for each other. But, don't be fooled, even though this film follows the basic outline of a screwball comedy, this film goes above and beyond and original material and techniques. This film uses Overlapping Dialogue, which adds to the already fast-paced plot and script. Overlapping Dialogue was rare and this film used it in the best, organized way. His Girl Friday does not skip a beat, and has the audience on their toes anticipating what is going to happen next-not to mention keeping the audience laughing the whole time. You would think being so fast-paced would make this film feel messy and too much, but it gives the opposite effect, it keeps the audience engaged and wanting more. The character development is outstanding. Howard Hawks(director) could have not picked a better cast. The chemistry between the two main characters, Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, made them the perfect screen pair; everyone was routing for them. Also, Russell's character wasn't the average 1940's women, she was independent, playful, sexual, and one of the "boys." This type of women was not the social norm, and seeing a powerful female lead excited people as well(mostly other women). The plot was original and quirky, the script was well-written and full of humor, and the music matched the energy of the film. Also, Hawks incorporated realistic sound effects throughout the film, which helped increase the quality of this film even more. Visually, the black and white photography was high quality and the camera work used a variety of angles and movement, with short scenes that had smooth transitions. On top of all the excellent effort, the movie had underlying messages through its humor and story line. Even though this film is upbeat and funny, many controversial issues are incorporated and joked about. These issues include: race, corruption, abuse of power(police, city hall), nepotism, politics, dealth penalty, and questions around privacy and freedom of speech. It's hard to believe all these serious issues are apart of the movies story and humor, but is it, and I think Hawks did that for a reason. These underlying messages are intense, he jokes about them, but he shines light on how these issues are apart of every day life and affect many peoples lives.
Overall, out of all the movies I've had to watch for my History of America Cinema class, I enjoyed screwball comedy and His Girl Friday the most. I usually don't like old films, but this movie was hilarious and incorporated love and social issues. I think it is important for famous people to shine light on social issues because they have a large fan base and audience who watches their content and they can make people aware of these problems through entertainment. Sadly, famous people talking about these issues can make people care about these issues when they normally wouldn't care, but since their favorite famous does, they do. Celebrities can do a lot with their platform, so I really like when they give these underlying messages, while still giving the public amazing films, music, television shows, radio shows, books, magazines, etc.
Overall, out of all the movies I've had to watch for my History of America Cinema class, I enjoyed screwball comedy and His Girl Friday the most. I usually don't like old films, but this movie was hilarious and incorporated love and social issues. I think it is important for famous people to shine light on social issues because they have a large fan base and audience who watches their content and they can make people aware of these problems through entertainment. Sadly, famous people talking about these issues can make people care about these issues when they normally wouldn't care, but since their favorite famous does, they do. Celebrities can do a lot with their platform, so I really like when they give these underlying messages, while still giving the public amazing films, music, television shows, radio shows, books, magazines, etc.