Upon finishing Irony of Fate, I noticed that there was quite a significant difference between the two sections of the film. I felt that the first half of the movie was extremely comedic, while the second half took on a more serious tone, as Zhenya becomes sober and the viewer can see his character without the influence of alcohol. There were moments throughout the second part of the film that I considered humorous, such as Nadya’s friends or Ippolit’s driving. Though there were entertaining moments in the second half, the movie seemed to focus on the developing relationship between Zhenya and Nadya.
I enjoyed how the film was able to simultaneously develop a comedic and a stern tone. It is an impressive feat to be able to have two different moods develop concurrently throughout the film. One aspect of the movie that I found particularly impressive is that when the serious tone of the movie appears with the emergence of Zhenya’s and Nadya’s relationship, the transition from mainly comedy to the serious tone is flawless. The film director was able to effectively switch to a different mood without the transition feeling abrupt.
Overall, I thought that Irony of Fate was a great comedy. While being humorous, the movie was able to intertwine a serious tone and provide an insight to the viewer of life in Moscow and Leningrad. One example of this is that I learned from Irony of Fate the great importance that is placed on New Year’s Eve by people in Russia.
The film is a fine example of the Russian expression "laughter through tears" (смех в слёзы/smekh v slyozy) and I too have always been impressed with the way this film simultaneously develops the comedy along with the drama. Ippolit's disturbing shower-in-his-overcoat scene heightens the ambiguity of the film.
ReplyDelete