Why The Big Lebowski is so Funny | Video Essay

[Music] sundown Shannon the Coen brothers have some of the best comedic chops of any directors or writers around today and the general consensus tends to be that at least in terms of comedy The Big Lebowski is the best for many including myself as one of the best comedies ever made but what is it that makes a big lebowski so loved and so funny to so many people I've seen people have watched the movie and thought it was just an enjoyable comedy or sometimes an OK comedy but also really weird so while I'm not banking on changing these people's minds we'd like to see if I can sum up some of the elements that I think that the Big Lebowski its unique edge now I've never 100% agreed with the statement that comedy is easier than drama I would say that certain types of comedy not terribly difficult to write particularly those that live in an absurdist broad-strokes parody or goofy humor world but what is definitely not easy is character based comedy and this is one of the areas that the Cohens have always shown unlike more absurdist Isles character based comedy is always to some extent grounded in consistency and reality why certain characters talk the way they do act the way they do why they make the jokes they do and have their reactions to situations affect the plot characters don't just act goofy because it's funny there's a reason behind it if a character in The Big Lebowski says another characters aligned it changes the context of that line they're not interchangeable smokey this is not Nam this is bowling there are rules a Walter come on it's just a man it's smokey so his toe slipped over a little you know it's just the game man this is a league game despite the fact that the fun does not attempt a heavy psychological analysis of the characters the Coens constantly infused them with little details that make them very complex what are you saying when you get divorce you turn in your library card you get a new license you stop being Jewish the dude is not just a hippie he's a man with an obvious knife towards the establishment who is more outwardly rebellious in his younger days but has settled into a more relaxed state in his middle age until trouble comes to his door he's lazy by nature but not without motivation this is the [ __ ] guy I could find this [ __ ] Lebowski guy frugal but not beyond the lure of easy money occasionally devious in order to stick it to the man and ironically considering his preference for peace and simplicity is clearly frustrated throughout the entire movie which makes it more funny seeing a guy like this completely out of his comfort zone and as with most of the characters in The Big Lebowski he seems to be stuck in his glory days clinging to a time when his personal philosophy seemed more purposeful and meaningful and he loves white Russians the dude is a character with a clear center but is well-rounded which allows for flexibility in his comedic style without ever filling incongruous with who he is all of the major characters are the same Walter the Big Lebowski Lord even Donnie is given some depth near the end of the film moments like these were a character who might seem to be already crystal clear suddenly shows greater depth history and complexity are found in not just great comedies but great films in general the depth extends to the relationships between characters large sources of comedy being cultural clash between the wealthy establishment and bums like the dude as well as between pacifism and militarism counterculture and establishment etc but more than just a great character comedy a massive part of what makes a big lebowski special is the delivery the koans of fantastic directors who know how to cast their films perfectly nobody but Jeff Bridges could be the dude nobody but John Goodman could be Walter they consistently choose actors who are as great as portraying real human emotions as they are at exaggerating and being goofy but what makes the Big Lebowski stand out above the others is their script and the timing one of the most common impressions people get from the Big Lebowski is that it sounds like improv but the reality is that every single line in this script every every you know every interrupted thought shifting and re shifting train of conversation is right there in the script and through talented actors an extremely meticulous Direction they manage to make it sound completely organic and to me it's extremely playful scenes don't get right to the point they dance around it toss it over your head hide it behind their back and point to something else to make you think that's it until they get to it in an unconventional and then get back to dancing so mother yeah what's your point huh Walter what is the point look we all know who is at fault here what the [ __ ] are you talking about huh now what the [ __ ] you I'm not we're talking about unchecked aggression here forget it Donna you're out of your element not only does this create the feeling of an unusually naturalistic conversation for film but it's also constantly surprising inflected with personality and keeps the vo trying to keep track of it speaking of naturalistic speech this leads me to repetition now this is a little harder for me to explain but the cones have a hallmark in their scripts involving characters repeating lines I guess why this works for comedy may simply be how repetition drives a point and form strong memories people remember catchphrases slogans memes etc because they call back loss from before owes money all over town and they pee on my rug they pee on your [ __ ] rug Peter my [ __ ] rug that's right dude they peed on your [ __ ] rug I guess there could be an element of absurdity of it all as well and perhaps the idea that people get stuck on sitting thoughts and ideas and repetition of lines show you have their feelings towards a single thought can change over time have you ever heard of Vietnam you're airing the world of pain son we know that this is your homework we know that you stole a car and the [ __ ] money and the [ __ ] money and we know that this is your homework I cut your dick off man the big lebowski includes a particularly notable example of this that is not found in other conan films where the dude seems to act like a sponge absorbing the parlance of other characters what does this mean why does this make me laugh well I have to say I don't quite know lastly there's the more meta element the Cohen sir experts are playing with genres and conventions and The Big Lebowski is perhaps the most fun and fancy free with this of all their films at a glance the Big Lebowski might look like a STONER comedy but beyond the central characters archetype and recreational use of marijuana it has little in common with the genre it has a Marge's to countless genres but most dominantly it draws from westerns and especially noir it does this lovingly at times but it also takes the genre expectations and flips them on their head there's a complicated mystery with many twists and turns but rather than reveal large conspiracy most of the parties end up being clueless competitors who all know as little as a detective and rather than the detective being some suave Private Eye he's laid-back stoner hippie one of the minor details that I find hilarious is how during the scenes of the alley the movie often threatens to turn into a dodge ball esque sports comedy we're constantly reminded of the League of the Sammy's coming up and we're introduced to a cartoonish villain who constantly tries to provoke the protagonist into competitiveness yet ultimately they mostly ignore him the game is never shown hell the dude never even bowls who's crackin the film poke slide at all kinds of genres and all kinds of trends and cultural groups but it never feels malicious simply quirky humorous texture to this wonderful quirky Stuermer meeting when all is said and done a lot of crazy [ __ ] happens throughout the Big Lebowski and it ends rather obscurely what was it all for well it's hard to say but it's a film that leaves you with something to mull over and a lot of stuff to look back on Andrey watches The Big Lebowski is a movie that calls back on itself build strong and quirky niveus and kradic characters is full of surprises twists subversion emerges spectacular comedic performances and some of the most well crafted conversations I've seen in a film and for me that's why there's a strong contender for the greatest comedy ever made [Music]

Channel: DysnomiaFilms

Views: 5,556

Keywords: the big lebowski, coen brothers, coens, joel coen, ethan coen, video essay, roger deakins, filmmaking, the dude, mark it zero, donny, you're out of your element, greatest comedy of all time, 1998 movies, film technique, masterclass roger deakins, how it works, your opinion man, jeff bridges, steve buscemi, john goodman, fargo

Id: ReRRfhPTNoI

Length: 7min 51sec (471 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 08 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/R0cky9]

Is this your homework Larry?

[u/Packtray]

The story is ludicrous.

[u/levine2112]

Yeah well, ya know, that's just, like uh, your opinion, man.