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Humor is a subjective art. It is prone to being offensive or not offensive enough, and arriving at the perfect middle ground between these two extremes is a talent that’s difficult to master. Only a handful of performers throughout the years have been able to accomplish this most daunting of tasks.

The past works that have fallen into the category of comedic film are as diverse as the characters behind them. Movie making has matured and changed over the years, and so has all of its many classes. The study of film from its genesis onward is a fascinating and worthy endeavor.

Movies first gained a wide audience in the early 1900s. Soon after, film makers came to the realization that audiences enjoyed a good laugh just as much as they enjoyed the twists and turns of a fine drama. Thus, the comedic film was born, and has since grown into a wide assortment of sub-genres within the class.

The preferences of movie buffs have always been somewhat of an unstable thing. All forms of entertainment have had to adapt to this through the years. The comedic film is no exception to this rule.

Something that has played a part in the advancement of film, is simply the technology of an age. When movies could only be silent, the actors and actresses of the day had to respect that limitation. Comedy of a more physical nature was the flavor of the moment, seen by such performers as Buster Keaton.

A movie that talks is something that we take for granted today. This simple thing brought early comedians a completely different method with which to work. The Marx Brothers were one of the first to take advantage of this, and blaze a trail on the path to the creation of bold, new styles of film.

Then came the television. Something the modern household couldn’t even imagine living without. As a result of this new advancement in gadgetry, many movies began to be turned into episodes which fit perfectly in the new format. Shows such as “I Love Lucy” thrived under these conditions.

The next clear advancement in comedic endeavors would be due not to a bright, new technology, but to a bold, new style. Woody Allen introduced a way of doing things that entailed infusing his characters with colloquy that was well above average. This brand of exceptional speech represented a clear break from anything that resembled the sight gag, and brought in a new era.

Film serves, in part, as a window into the past. We can count ourselves lucky to live in such times when this window is so easily available to anyone interested in looking through it. The next time you’re searching for something to do, why not rent several comedic releases of bygone times, and witness the progression for yourself.