Madame Pickwick Art Blog Art and media blog of the unexpected

Maginot Line of Laugh Resistance

A hyperactivity bordering on cartoon animation. Excessive bad faith.Spontaneous fits of anger , excitability, impatience and crankiness bordering on the absurd. French actor Louis de Funes was undoubtedly the French King of Comedy in the 60-70′s and created a cinematic personality that would resonate to the American screen in such variations as Archie Bunker and Homer Simpson.

Bourvil, de Funes

A champion of the irrational and incoherent, de Funes is only known in North America for his role in ” The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, his only film to enjoy some level of mainstream distribution. This complex plot of mistaken identity was weathered by breathless pacing, crisp sequencing and a clever script, resulting in a sort of cult film incorporating elements of Chaplin’s pre-sound work which provides torque to the narrative. The connection with Chaplin is both on physical similarity and use of gestural humour, but more predominantly ,their reflections on modern life. In the film ”L’aile ou La Cuisse’‘ from 1976, there are apparent similarities regarding industrial production similar to the theme in Chaplin’s Modern Times.

In Rabbi Jacob, the character ”Pivert” a French industrialist lives a nightmare, a karmic reincarnation of his worst fears by assuming the disguise of a popular ultra-orthodox Rabbi from New York visiting Paris. This epiphanic twist of fate is thrust upon him by necessity in order to avoid assassination from Middle Eastern gunmen…. Du Funes was an anti-star who had to overcome a deep seated fear of rejection based on his physique, before  courageously promoting his talents into the European celebrity he became during middle age.

His mastery of facial expressions and engaging, snappy manner resulted in a somewhat formulaic approach that limited the versatility he possessed  to being fully projected. Ironically, De Funes was voted most popular actor in France the year of the May ’68 demonstrations throughout the country. This was either an antidote to the intellectualism of Guy Debord, the Situationists et al. or completely logical given de Funes ability to skewer and ridicule the ways and means of the French bourgeoise and their disconnect from authenticity.