Sahil Patel - March 17th Assignment

This movie is absolutely ridiculous. The target audience for this film most definitely appears to be children. The film is highly amusing and utilizes physical/slapstick comedy to great effect in overtly ridiculous and funny situations. There are a lot of physical gags that would make any child scream in laughter. For example, in the very beginning, the flying hammers scene, and the ones preceding and following it, hav numerous components of physical humor. There is a man who goes crazy wondering why the hammers flew so high into the air. The main character jumps into a basket to avoid being hit by one. Once the hammers destroy the roof, everyone is covered in debris. In the following scene, when a villager asks the official why he is collecting the money, there is another character whose entire purpose is to echo, with a unique voice, everything the official says - with greater emphasis. Later on in the film, when the villagers are taunting and threatening the official, the main character tries to escape by hiding in a barrel and dragging himself slowly through the room. The site of a moving barrel, and the reactions of a couple of men who notice this are both incredulous and ridiculous - a great gag to make children laugh.

Furthermore, the facial expressions and acting style of all the actors, especially the main character, are extremely over the top. There is no subtlety in their portrayal of the characters and that is simply because the target audience for the film, children, does not care too much for subtlety. As I mentioned earlier, one character almost goes berserk because the hammers flew too high into the air and another chooses to repeat everything an official says. If they are angry, the audience will know they are angry - to comic effect. The same goes for all of the basic emotions represented within the film. Childrens' films are generally known for their over-the-top portrayals of characters and plot. "The Devil's Three Golden Hairs" fits perfectly into this mold of children's entertainment.