I often find it humorous, what the French find humorous. Because I'm noticing more and more that they often think things are funny that maybe aren't MEANT to be funny.
I've noticed this the most when I'm at an American movie. One of my fave things to do in Paris is go find out which theatres are showing reprises of beloved old movies, like with Cary Grant, James Stewart, and Audrey Hepburn. Even though I have some of these films on DVD with me here in Paris, it's a novelty to go and see the classics on a big screen.
Tonight, it was Breakfast at Tiffany's (en français, the title is "Diamants sur Canapé" or "Diamonds on a Canapé") with Audrey who, let's face it, is sheer perfection. I used to think she was too thin until I spent time HERE, where her thin form now looks très normal in comparison with the many gaunt French women I see daily. But don't get me started.
So, OK, the predominantly French audience at the movie tonight did laugh in most of the RIGHT places, like the crazy cocktail party Holly Golightly throws where she's running around with a cigarette on a 3-foot long holder and she sets fire to some woman's hat. They also seemed to think the scenes where Holly and "Fred"/Paul-baby go to Tiffany's and later shoplift some Halloween masks from a 5-and-dime were utterly hysterical.
And they went "awww" when Cat gets tossed out of the cab and is soaking wet in the pouring rain; an entirely appropriate reaction.
But there were chuckles when Holly says goodbye to Doc at the bus station; since when are tears that funny? And they also laughed heartily all the way through the tragic scene when Holly finds out her brother Fred has been killed and she freaks out and trashes her apartment. That was definitely NOT one of the comic scenes... but the French sure seemed to think it was really funny. And that was just one of several such bizarre reactions that happened all through this particular movie.
Every single American movie I've been to see here in Paris, where there are serious moments in the film, inevitably there are people in the audience who find them amusing, and I can only assume they're French. And I find that really, really strange. Is it the subtitles perhaps? Maybe some snide sub-titlist has been sneaking funny words into the sad bits? I've heard it said that the French don't even HAVE a sense of humor, but maybe what that means is: their sense of humor doesn't quite jive with that of the anglophone world. At least not all the time.
But then again, I'm told that Jerry Lewis was something of a god here in his heyday. So sometimes, the French DO get the punch line.
Well, I'll have lots of time tonight to reflect on this strange French sense of humeur. Because my own sense of humor is fading fast... the kid downstairs is throwing himself an 18th birthday party, it's 1am and the loud music shows no signs of fading and in fact seems to be getting louder as the hour grows later. I know it's his 18th birthday even though I don't actually know the kid because he quite thoughtfully left notes tacked to the front door of the building thanking all the residents for their understanding of the excessive noise that was sure to come.
He wasn't kidding, either. Now they are screaming out the window. Oh, it's gonna be a LONG night. And I thought the whiny flipping cat was bad.
