Tom Gunning states that a mischief gag in early comedies required “a preparatory action” which was “undertaken with a very precise aim in view. The audience usually anticipates what the result of this preparatory action will be (which is sometimes obvious, sometimes surprising).”[1] I found the idea of the audiences not knowing exactly what the result of the “preparatory action” will be particularly interesting. I immediately thought of the traps scenes in Home Alone (Chris Columbus, US, 1990).
Home Alone is a family comedy film which consists of numerous mischief gags. There is Kevin – a rascal – and his victims – Harry and Marv. Although we get to witness how Kevin carefully prepares for the burglars’ visit and even see some of the traps, we still cannot know for sure how they work. Therefore, by not letting the audience witness all of the mischief “apparatuses” makes the film’s gags more exciting and surprising.
In the short video from the movie we can first see the toy cars and thus, expect the robbers to step on them and fall (which is exactly what they do). However, next we see Kevin dropping cans with paint on the bandits as they walk upstairs. We expect the can to hit Harry in the face, but he dodges it in the last moment, so it hits Marv instead. The viewer couldn’t predict whether Harry will dodge the can, but he did, which made it a surprising and humorous turn. However, what makes the scene even more fun is that the gag does not end there and Harry still gets hit with the second can which he (and arguably the viewers) did not see coming. Therefore, I would conclude that a “mischief gag” is definitely a very common device in modern and classical comedy films, which proves effectiveness of its comedic structure.
Footnote:
1. Tom Gunning, “Crazy Machines in the Garden of Forking Paths: Mischief Gags and The Origins of American Film Comedy,” in Classical Hollywood Comedy, ed. Kristine Brunovska Karnick, Henry Jenkins (New York: Routledge, 1994), 90.
Link to the Home Alone clip: