Irony of Fate Pt. 2

Divided into two almost equal length sections, the second half of "Irony of Fate" is a much more dramatic display of the love story encompassing most of the plot at this point in the film, the love story being between the the Doctor and Nadya. When compared to modern American comedies, it seems this film would barley register as one today. Although there are a few running jokes throughout the entire thing, such as finding humor in drunkenness, usually paired with the line "You really shouldn't drink so much", the "comedy of errors style of the entire work, and the doctor's constant repetition of the phrase "We have a tradition...", the jokes are few and far between, especially in the second half. The film takes a serious turn when we begin to see the budding of actual affection between the two main characters, with the plot revolving around their treatment of each other, as well as the constant intervention of Ippolit to further confuse the feelings of Nadya. However, one can examine the dramatic style of Zhenya's views towards Ippolits picture, as well as his rather violent refusal to leave on the appropriate forms of transportation. The comedic element is all but lost between Ippolit's last exit and Nadya's exit to purchase the train ticket. Besides a one liner here or there, the only, seeming, comedic relief comes from the friends at the very end. None of these aspects take away from the film as a wonderful piece of cinema, but are merely observations on the difference between what would be classified as a comedy by Russian standards vs. American standards.