My film study TALK will focus on the black comedy, notorious for pushing the boundaries of decency, good taste, and moral certainty. As a film genre, it encourages the viewer to find
humor in its twisted outlook on otherwise taboo subjects. In what other medium can you vicariously have your wife kidnapped so that you can extort a ransom from your wealthy father-in-law (Fargo) or swap murders with your two best friends to collectively get rid of your bosses (Horrible Bosses)? This two-part course will look at several cinematic variations on the black comedy, with a main focus on Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales (2014), an anthology film comprised of six shorts united by a common theme: revenge. Delve into the cathartic, visceral power of the black comedy in this film study. Isn’t it better to choose laughing over crying?