Documentary Asks Jewish Comedians: Can Nazis and The Holocaust Be Funny?
Mel Brooks made us laugh with “Springtime with Hitler” and Colonel Klink made us chuckle but, generally speaking, Nazis and The Holocaust have been somewhat verboten subjects in the world of comedy.
Ferne Pearlstein’s new documentary, The Last Laugh, explores one of comedy’s greatest taboos, as Brooks, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Sarah Silverman, Susie Essman, and other Jewish comedians discuss how comedians are able to approach the sensitive issue of Nazis and The Holocaust. Is it possible – or morally acceptable – to make jokes about the most deplorable tragedy of the 20th century?
The documentary combines the voice of the comedians with stories from Holocaust survivors and analysis of films such as Roberto Benigni’s Life is Beautiful, to examine the role comedy has in dealing with unspeakable sadness and tragedy.
“We weren’t trying to make a comedy,” co-writer Robert Edwards told Deadline. “We were making a film about comedy. Ferne has made a film about bad taste in a tasteful way. Which is not easy to do.”
For Brooks, the distinction about what is allowable and what is off-limits is clear. “Nazi humor, that’s OK. Holocaust humor, no,” he says in the documentary.
Other comedians included have more complex guidelines. “Judy Goold, who is fearless and brave, when we asked her she replied, ‘Oh, I have a Holocaust joke.’” Gilbert Gottfried’s response was, “There was a Holocaust? Nobody told me!,” Edwards said.
The Last Laugh is screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.
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