9. Politics, Gear Change, Comedy

"Politics". Another aspect of everyday life. From silent cinema to the twenty-first century, movies from the visually astonishing The Enchanted Desna to Divorce Iranian Style to Strange Days have gained their energy and attack from their politics. "Gear Change". We like to be taken by surprise in films. This short chapter, narrated by Sharmila Tagore, looks at such surprises. "Comedy". Is comedy universal? Who have been the great comedy filmmakers around the world? Narrator Sharmila Tagore talks us through scenes from Big with Tom Hanks, Ida Lupino's The Trouble With Angels, the great movies of Elaine May, the classic Norwegian comedy Fools in the Mountains, and more.