DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2663-4619/127/223-229
Khidir Ibishov 
Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts
Baku, Azerbaijan
Master student
khidiribishov@gmail.com
The Evolution of Comedy in the Silent Film Era:
From the Lumières to Chaplin
Abstract
After briefly examining the concept of comedy within a socio-cultural context, this article primarily focuses on the developmental process of comedy during the silent film era. It demonstrates that comedy initially functioned as a tool for collective laughter and the regulation of social behavior, and explores how this function transitioned into the realm of visual expression with the birth of cinema. The Lumière brothers’ film L’Arroseur Arrosé (The Sprinkler Sprinkled) is analyzed as a foundational example of slapstick comedy, followed by an examination of the Pathé company's activities and the competitive dynamics of the early film industry. The works of comedy masters such as Max Linder, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd are evaluated as pivotal stages representing various facets of silent film aesthetics. In conclusion, it is determined that the early years of comedy played a fundamental role in the formation of cinematic language, facilitating the development of visual expression, physical dramaturgy, and layers of social meaning. This historical overview provides the groundwork for transitioning to the essence of comedy and the theoretical foundations of comic situations.
Keywords: history of comedy, silent cinema, slapstick, Max Linder, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, cinematic language, visual comedy