"Beware of the Car", "Operation Y", "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath", "The Diamond Arm", "Gentlemen of Fortune" - both mean a lot to the domestic audience, these and many other names of Soviet comedy films. We can review them many times, they are inseparable part of our lives, we have become an integral part of it. When this happens with the art, it means that they are not only successful, they truly loved. So what's the secret of the phenomenal success of the best Soviet comedies?

First of all, do not forget about the fact that these films and therefore are the best examples of Soviet comedy that created them amazingly talented people. Suffice it to mention the names of two classics of national cinema, Leonid Gaidai and Eldar Ryazanov, to see just how high the level was the most important thing in any movie - directing. Of course, talented people in the director's profession is, in our time, it is undeniable. But they became a lot less (for various reasons), and creative people, at least in terms of the upcoming talent to the classics, there is no trace. Already on the part of the comedy writing and directing unequivocal.

Next, you need to say a good word in the address of the harsh political censorship that prevailed in our culture in general and cinema in particular, just as the heyday of Soviet comedy, from the mid 1960s to early 1980s. Yes, censorship is basically a negative phenomenon, but in certain circumstances it has some positive features. Under the conditions of Soviet ideological censorship directors and writers had to mobilize all its forces to deliver its promise to the audience through the second, third, fourth meanings through subtle, but read clues, through visual images and so on. To the audience realized that the authors wanted to say that he laughed excitedly, or through tears over the fact of what excitedly or laughing through tears authors had to really try and use almost all of its artistic potential.

Recall, for example, the famous song "There is no bad weather" of the legendary film "Office Romance" - in fact quite a stretch of the imagination and logic to understand that it is necessary to replace the word "nature" to the word "God" and get quite a distinct "religious propaganda ", in the language of the then party meetings. And now a pronounced there is no censorship, so not too talented people have the freedom to shoot too talented films and pester their audience and have a really talented people no reasons and incentives for creative tension.

In addition, not to mention the fact that the Soviet comedy was peculiar to the highest level of the cast. Not that major or minor roles, and even on the occasional role of invited outstanding performers and great - it can be a long list, from Vladimir Basov to Borislav Brondukova. Talented actor and is now missing, but most of them since childhood, his youth, "overwritten" their faces and souls in the series, they get used to working in stamps (otherwise impossible in the conditions of shooting fifty episodes in six months). And then here's the stamped his mask, which has nothing to do with this unique and individual personality, carried in the film and at the same comedy. But the personality of the actor in a comedy, its differences from other sometimes much more important than in the drama.

There is also the concept of cultural environment, without which fully understand the phenomenon of Soviet comedies fail .  They were created in the conditions of the unity of the cultural environment, which is perceived by all those comedy with jokes, regulations, situations and contexts .  These jokes are understood by all and accepted by all the same, because everything is within a single cultural tradition .  Now a single cultural tradition and common cultural space is not .  The separation was not only by age, what else can understand - but after all, among the same young people, there are different and sometimes opposing cultural groups, ranging from the "golden youth" to "goths" .  Therefore, the old comedy possess virtually impossible in modern conditions the line - versatile humor .  Relatively speaking, there was no danger of that really funny thing do not understand, and some commonplace, it is only necessary for the technical hitch episodes, erected to the rank of genius finds .

To the above it does not seem senile grumbling in the spirit of "Oh, our years of grass was greener, the sky bluer, the sun warmer, bread cost 20 cents, and Sophia Loren looked, imagine it is even better than it is now," the author decided to appeal to a young generation .  Indeed, the author still belongs to those "born in the USSR", which is very young, but already conscious age still had time to absorb the classic Soviet comedy as an integral part of their personal culture .  Meanwhile, very interesting to know the opinion that what was good Soviet comedy films of those for whom the function and moms and dads, and many other relatives in terms of film education already performed came to us from across the ocean to the VHS-cassette Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jean-Claude Van Damme .  It was made a kind of sociological survey among younger friends of the author .  And the results of this survey was that most of the newly minted "respondents" said that the main advantage of the best Soviet comedies was that they completely lacked aggression .

And in fact, if we compare the Soviet comedies to modern comedies, be it domestic or foreign films, shot over the last 15 years, it would appear that the first really no aggression .  As funny as reel of film of a new era, and the humor is based on aggression .  The Soviet comedies were not jokes that would be based on the humiliation of one man by another, and this humiliation would constitute an occasion for fun and others viewer .  The Soviet comedies were not aggressively vulgar jokes, which subjects would always fluctuated in an area bounded knees and belt (whereas now we see it is an aggressive and intrusive humor like poshiba) .  The Soviet comedies were very, very few so-called "black humor" and where they are still present, it was to the point and always successful .  But now the number of "black humor" is a sign of good manners, jokes and comic situations in a similar style are brought anywhere and the "black" comedy, so it is considered to be funnier .  Such are the differences between the Soviet comedy of modern comedy, and, of course, these differences can and should be regarded as the strengths of the old movies and important reason for their success .

Alexander Babitsky