That's the question at stake in Woody Allen's film Melinda and Melinda, a kind of Sliding Doors look at life, but less saccharine and more substance. A man tells a story...
"A bunch of guys are discussing philosophy in a bar. Two writers with opposed views on life argue about it: is life tragic or comic? To illustrate their theories, they imagine a story of a woman. The comic writer presents the optimistic, bright tale of Melinda (Radha Mitchell), who just accepts life as it goes by. The tragic writer gives us a destructive, lonesome and troubled Melinda, who deals with depression and suicide..." IMDB ReviewIs there a real story behind the sparse anecdote?
Is life all about tragedy? Is it all about comedy?
What is the real substance of life? Got me thinking.
Given that acedemia still argues over whether some of Shakespeare is tragedy or comedy, I'm intrigued as to whether it can be discussed well in a film! Could be interesting or trite. On the life question, surely God has gifted us with a perception of such things (humour, empathy, sympathy, etc) for enjoying his world to his glory? I think to try to put life into one of those two categories is putting the cart before the horse.
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