Reflecting on “Red Laughter”: English-Language Studies of Soviet Comedy

In this article, I address foreign English-language works on Soviet film comedy, tracing the waves of researchers’ interest to it, and identifying time periods as well directors attracting scholars most often. The first surge in comedy came half 1990s was largely associated with fall Iron Curtain. major subject research during those years were avant-garde cinema 1920s, musical comedies 1930s, films Perestroika period. second wave 2010s emigration a large number Russian who had personally witnessed Union. Thanks them, range studied material has significantly expanded through analysis 1960s 1970s. main thematic directions topics study genre are structured accordance history timeline. 1920s–1930s specific researchers terms ideological regulation art, how mythology new socialist society formed, filmmakers adapted or rejected Western standards. 1970s, analyze discordance between declared unspoken humor Aesopian language famous (Ryazanov Gaidai above all). Finally, late-Soviet films, note growth absurdist motifs sign complete no longer hidden disillusionment communist ideals.