Monday, February 8, 2016
A Little Bird Told Me . . .
The gossip of the members of his community about his demotion, rather than the demoition itself, is the direct cause of the doorman's downfall in The Last Laugh. Some of the most expressive images in the film demonstrate the spread of gossip and the resultant mockery of the neighbors: the camera moves to an outstretched ear, the camera follows the doorman along a walk of shame, grotesque and blurry heads superimposed on the neighborhood mock him with unabashed laughter. What is the movie saying about gossip as a form of communication? What is it saying about the community that listens to it? How does what other people think of us influence how we think of ourselves?
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ReplyDeleteThis scene shows that the ego of a man among his peers is more important than his social status. The way the director portrays this is through camera movement and optical effects. As the former doorman walks through his village to his house, he passes tens of people who shout taunts about him losing his job. It is very obvious that the town’s people are happy he lost his job; maybe it is because they were jealous or maybe the doorman would brag about working at such a high class hotel. Either way, as he passes them and they yell at him about his demotion, they all seem to be laughing and smiling. The laughing is exaggerated by the optical effect. The director decided to blur close up shots of people laughing and yelling while they fade on top of each other to show the mass amounts of people and how it puts the man into a seizure type state. He is so concerned that these people know he is nothing that he becomes depressed and is so shocked by all of the people taunting him that he can’t think or see straight. It is the beginning of his limping and sudden aging. They use the camera movement to keep the camera on the man as he moves through the village with the people taunting him. The reason for this is to show that all of these bad things happened to him at one time on this one walk, there were no cuts which meant no interruptions in the walk and makes it seem more impactful to a viewer. The movie is obviously saying that gossip and others opinions are extremely important, especially to a man with an ego as large as this one. He was so affected by all of these people not respecting him that he actually began to age faster. He couldn’t walk without a limp, had trouble completing minimal tasks like giving a man a towel, and walking down stairs without leaning on the wall. This shows that the way other people thought of him changed his own opinion of himself so much that he convinced himself he was lesser of a man than he was just a few days before when he still had the job.
ReplyDeleteThe movie shows how much of an impact gossip can have on an individuals mindset and feelings. Considering the doorman was more upset and bothered by his friends and family finding out about him getting demoted than the actual demotion letter shows how important it their opinion is to him than anything else. Because of this,he couldn't even complete normal tasks anymore because of how much people's opinions of him affected him. Simply walking became an issue for him all due to the harassing comments he was receiving. The sad thing about all of this is that this situation happen to this very day. Bullying is a serious issue in America and this comes from someone or a group of people targeting an individual based on their looks, beliefs, background or etc. And because of this, many kids and teens have or have tried to commit suicide. This is an alarming situation because now we see how big of an impact gossip and other's opinion can have on you and your health. This is interesting how early we can see these features especially in an early 1900s movie. Overall, i think that the movie is stating that gossip has a huge impact on people whether it be positive or negative. This has and most likely will always be the case because no one wants others to be antagonized by a group of people, they want everyone to be treated the same and felt about the same too.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Laugh depicts gossip as a powerful and unfriendly form of communication that is the main cause of the doorman’s downfall. In the film, most of the characters are well aware of how powerful gossip is and the potential consequences of spreading it. An eavesdropper strains her ear behind the safety of a door and overhears two women talk about the doorman’s demotion. The eavesdropper’s actions when she is listening and when she is whispering the gossip to others in the community show her knowledge of its importance. In addition, as the gossip is spread from window to window the viewer sees the community’s apparent desire to inform everyone else about the gossip. The suddenly unkind community transforms in some ways after they learn of the gossip as they switch from saluting the prideful doorman to laughing and mocking him. A very powerful scene is when there is a tracking shot of the doorman walking through the street while the community laughs and teases him on his “walk of shame”. The mocking and blurry heads of his community are superimposed on the neighborhood to make the embarrassment seem everlasting and therefore truly show how the doorman feels about himself. Before this scene the doorman was simply regretful, but after it there is a clear change in his demeanor as he is ashamed and depressed. The doorman casts himself away in the bathroom, the only place that he can call home, and hangs his doorman uniform up and with it all of his pride and joy in life. In the end, The Last Laugh shows how powerful words are because they can change how a person is viewed at a time when they’re fragile as the movie exhibits so well.
ReplyDeleteThe unnamed protagonist in The Last Laugh is immeasurably proud of his occupation of a doorman, going to great lengths to flaunt his elegant coat—even when it is not his to wear anymore—and hesitating tell his family and neighbors of his demotion out of shame. One might initially see this as passion and love for his job, but another question can be prompted: is the old man sad because he has lost his occupation, or merely because he has lost the respect and admiration of others? Supporting the latter are the gossip and humiliation that the ex-doorman faces when the townspeople learn of his demotion. Accustomed to salutes and appreciation, the man has entirely built his life and self-esteem on the thoughts of others. But he is not the only one to do so: gossip in itself is sparked by the neighbors’ need to put down one person in order to feel better about themselves. Many of the other townspeople likely have less respectable jobs than the old man even after his demotion, but they jump at the chance to feel higher and better than him—because they are just as dependent on society’s opinions about them as the old man is. The grotesque laughing scene goes to show how all of the strength and confidence of the man collapses as he shrinks below the inflated self-esteems of his neighbors and friends. Gossip, therefore, can be extremely dangerous: when a person rests their happiness and self-respect in the hands of society—which is all too common in The Last Laugh and in the world today—the spreading of mocking words not only causes one to lose his position in society but also his confidence in himself.
ReplyDeleteIn The Last Laugh the doorman is very proud of his job, and because of his job he is very well respected in his community. When his "lover" finds out that he is no longer the doorman she sprints home to tell her neighbor unknowingly that other neighbors are listening in on the conversation. Once one neighbor heard they told another neighbor and then that neighbor told a different neighbor, and the gossip spread like a wild fire. During the time of gossip the camera zooms in on the ear of a woman. This is showing how all it takes is to hear it one time, and then the story keeps spreading and gets bigger and bigger. When the doorman went back home he was scared to walk into his community, because he knew that if people had heard the news that he would be terrible humiliated. Finally he worked up enough courage to walk in, and that's when things got worse. The people of the community began to heckle him and laugh at him and the humiliation completely demoralizes him. The respect that his community once had for him vanished, and he is left with nothing but his new job of the bathroom keeper. The once doorman protagonist let the thoughts of other people tear him apart from the inside out. This is an example of how society works. People in society care more about what other people think of them rather than what they think of themselves. The protagonist in the last laugh is a perfect example of this.
ReplyDeleteAlthough in The Last Laugh gossip is the reason the doorman’s demotion is made into such a big deal, it is the source of communication that keeps the community together. The doorman was respected and admired in the beginning of the film, everyone would smile and greet him, the gossip about him would only be positive. As soon as he loses his job, the whole community turns against him. He is gossiped about all around the community, tightening their bond with one another. They begin to look down upon him and treat him as if they never respected him. This community clearly believes in every piece of gossip that is told, which ultimately crushes the doorman’s self-confidence. This shows that the community is being very impractical because, as everyone knows, not everything that you hear is actually true. The doorman’s lowest point throughout the movie is when he mops the bathroom floor on his hands and knees. Since he is low to the ground, it proves to us that he is weak and unhappy with little to no self-esteem left. He cares more about how he is perceived by his community than the actual demotion. Without the gossip floating around, he probably would have been fine and would have easily moved on. But due to the constant judgement coming from his neighbors, he starts to think very poorly of himself, which is proved by his difficulty to do everyday tasks such as walking down his street.
ReplyDeleteThe movie The Last Laugh clearly portrays gossip as a negative and destructive form of communication. The doorman’s demotion was inevitable but he was not ready to accept it. It is human nature to be proud of one’s work and being independent. The demotion woke the aging doorman and reminded him that he is becoming dependent on others. It is natural for people going through that experience to feel sad or useless. During this time, his community should support him and help him accept that everyone will go through the experience sooner or later. However, instead of comforting him, his community gossips and turns him into a laughingstock. This all starts with his nosey neighbor who eavesdrops and discovers his demotion. She quickly turns around and tells everyone in sight without thinking twice. Within minutes his demotion is publicized throughout his neighborhood. The magnitude of the gossip is conveyed through a variety of editing and camera effects. An example can be seen when a woman leans out the window and shouts the news to her friend in the building across the street. The camera zooms across the street at an outstretched ear to show how fast the gossip traveled. The inconsiderate neighbors find the doorman’s demotion hilarious and welcome him home through laughter and mockery. It is upsetting to see that the community is united through gossip. For some reason the doorman’s community does not understand that as human age, the body deteriorates and eventually when people reach a certain age, they cannot avoid needing assistance from younger people. The director of the movie may have used the gossiping scenes to show the negative effects of gossiping.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Laugh reveals that society finds excitement in gossip and that it changes people’s perception of others. Gossip is a fast way to gain information because once someone hears a piece of information he/she immediately begins spreading it. Not only does gossip spread quickly but it is also believed without question and people immediately change their views on others based on the gossip. This is shown in the movie when the bride groom’s aunt learns the shocking news of the Doorman’s new job as a bathroom helper and how quickly the news spreads though the community. This news is so shocking because the doorman is a respectable job while being a bathroom helper is a step down. Though the aunt only shares what she has learned with the Doorman’s niece, a few women in the neighborhood eavesdrop on the conversation. The women happily spread the news and within hours the entire neighborhood knows about the Doorman’s new position. None of the neighbors ask the Doorman or his family if the rumor about his new position is true; they automatically assume that it is. They immediately turn not only against the Doorman but also his family. Before the community found out that the Doorman lost his job, people loved the Doorman; always greeting him, smiling at him, and wanting his attention. Everyone loved him. But after hearing the gossip, their views of him changed. The neighbors laugh, point, and whisper about the Doorman and his family whenever they see them in passing. They became the joke of the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThe way people thought of the Doorman influenced the way he thought of himself. When everyone loved him, he felt happy and confident. He walked with his head held high and with a smile on his face. When he no longer a doorman he worried about what people would think of him and tried to hide his new position as a bathroom helper. When the bride groom’s aunt discovers his secret and the neighborhood looks down on him, he becomes sad and insecure. He walks hunched over, pressed against the wall, trying to hide from people. Even his family is embarrassed by him since people’s perception of him also brought down their status in the community. The Doorman becomes an outsider because his happiness came from the good perception people had of him. It is not until his status in society rises with the money he inherits does the Doorman find happiness again. He is joyful again because once again, his neighbors like him and everyone wants to be his friend. The Last Laugh, through the doorman’s reactions to people’s view of him, shows that the way people think of themselves is influenced by the opinions of others.
The Last Laugh undoubtedly represents gossip as a negative, yet effective means of communication. While it is clear when analyzing the film that gossip is shined in a negative light, what is more subtle is how the film depicts gossip as a fast, efficient way of spreading knowledge and rumors. Specifically, the way that the doorman’s family, lover, and friends all instantaneously turn on him once they catch word of his demotion shows how effective gossip is as a means of communication. Within an extremely short period of time, the words of a few people were spread throughout an entire community, turning the doorman’s loved ones upon him and changing his perception forever. The film truly does an excellent job portraying the evils of gossip. The Last Laugh doesn’t just comment on gossip as a means of communication though, it also speaks about the community that listens to said gossip. When analyzing what The Last Laugh claims about community, one can see that the film is making a point to say that all communities are prone to letting gossip spread throughout themselves, not just this one fictional one. The film demonstrates this through the extreme and frankly unrealistic examples of how the community reacts to the doorman’s demotion. His lover, family, and friends who know him so well in so many different ways, all suddenly call the doorman a liar and discredit, shame, and abandon him just because of what a few people in the community have begun saying about him. In the real world, while gossip is a powerful means of communication, it could never be taken to this extreme.
ReplyDeleteThe characters in The Last Laugh use gossip as a form of communication in order to make the unnamed protagonist feel sad. Gossip is a hateful form of communication that is often used to spread, what should be secret information, about somebody else to as many people as possible. The protagonist takes great pride in his work, and his entire persona relies around the idea that he is an important man with an important job. Consequently, when the information about his demotion is spread to all of his neighbors, who ridicule him for it, he is left feeling belittled and ashamed. All of the protagonist’s sadness is a direct result of the gossip between his neighbors and not his demotion itself. His neighbors choose to listen to what is clearly secret information that could make him feel bad about his predicament. While it is tragic that the protagonist loses his job, which means the world to him, but the real tragedy of the story, is how the people close to him mistreat him after his job loss. The fact that the protagonist’s family and friends truly like him when he does not possess an important job demonstrates how shallow and inconsiderate society can be. The Last Laugh, is trying to personify all the problems that exist in society in the neighbors and family, of the protagonist, that choose to gossip in order to prolong his suffering and increase his sadness. Gossip is a horribly mean-spirited form of communication that is only used for the spreading of hateful messages, and The Last Laugh attempts to highlight these issues in order to fix the existing problems in society.
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