Escola do Riso

Sakisaka, working as an inspector of comedy script, hardly laughs. One day, he meets a scriptwriter named Tsubaki Hajime. Tsubaki comes to him to get the script checked, then it can be on at his theater. However, Sakisaka doesn't say "ok", he asks him to rewrite and bring it the next day. Tsumaki follows his advice and the two come to make the script more interesting together. But it doesn't last so long. One day, Tsubaki brings a sad news with a great comedy script and then,,,

I laughed a lot seeing this movie. Koji Yakusho, acted Sakisaka, is one of the greatest actors in Japan. I'm a big fan of him. Sakisaka is a serious person. He doesn't laugh and dislike comedy, but gradually changes. Yakusho expressed the small change faithfully in the film. And I'm also a fan of Koji Mitani. His movies are always funny and interesting.

This movie must make you laugh and give you bravery to keep going what you like to do.

Entirely realistic depiction of the relationship between a government censor and a writer. They each come to respect the other - to enjoy each other's company - with interesting results. The action, such as it is, mostly takes place in one room. Yet the picture isn't stagey, it flows like a movie, the viewer keen to know what will happen next. This wouldn't work except for the marvelous chemistry between the younger and older actor, who close the generation gap while each staying true to himself. The end is especially moving.

In Showa era, before the World War 2, a prosecutor named Sakisaka and a dramatist named Tsubaki meets in an investigation room of the metropolitan police department. At first Sakisaka tries to prevent Tsubaki's theatrical company "University of Laughs," but as they rewrite the script, Sakisaka comes to enjoy the rewriting with Tsubaki…

This movie is almost composed of the conversations of the two and the situation hardly changes from the investigation room. Thus, some people may think this movie do not have passionate scene and the images are boring. On the other hand, the two actors play the contrastive characterized men. I think it great that their conversations which draws the attentions of the audience. Tsubaki has a ready wit and promptly thinks of the lines which are full of humor. The humor which Tsubaki think every time made me laugh.

I was also impressed with the set of the structure. Actually they are buildings now exist, they looks like the real Tokyo in the beginning of Showa era.

Warai no Daigaku is a comedy with a serious message. Stone-faced WWII censor Koji gives aspiring playwright Goro a run through the ringer as both men trade barbs on their way to unexpected fates. The tempo is brisk, laugh out loud moments aplenty, and the pay-off adds depth to what could easily have been an extended pun session. Koji excels as the authoritarian bureaucrat who lets his guard down to reveal thespian longings. His change from stone-faced oppressor, to collaborator, back to oppressor, is complex and perfectly timed. Unfortunately, Goro is a lightweight who manages not to offend too much by giving a tolerable performance here. His variety TV background carries him through the comedic moments, but when something heavier is called for, he simply isn't up to it. A pity, because this film could have been a classic but for that one moment of miscasting.

The simple locations, and rhythmic cutting between interrogation room, street and vaudeville theatre, imbibe the film with a simplicity in terms of pace that belies the gravitas of the themes. Warai no Daigaku never insults the tragic events that it is based upon. The filmmakers manage to get humour out of a situation that, historically, must have been soul- destroying for the individuals involved. Inventively shot, well-acted, convincingly cut, this is a film to watch and go back to.

Writing comedy is hard, especially, if you have to face an authoritarian, ex-soldier censor officer who never laughed all his life and was proud of it. That's the premise of this extraordinary movie which is set in Japan during WWII. It is originally a play, so we can hope for tons and tons of witty dialogs between the young playwright and the censor officer. The former is struggling to get approval of his next comedy script while the latter is determined to close down all theater performances in the city, simply because "…it is inappropriate to get a few laughs during this time of war…" Then, suddenly, the movie turns into a lesson of how to write a good comedy as the censor officer keeps criticizing the script and demands changing. There are lots of warm and funny moments, but toward the ending, it suddenly becomes tense and heartbreaking. It almost becomes a tragedy. The whole movie is basically played by those two characters. Other characters can easily be extras. The setting is very minimalist as nearly 80 percent of the movie is located inside the interrogation room. The message we can get from this movie is that there is always comedy inside anybody's life, whether you want it or not. It is no use denying it. Just as it is no use denying not to like this incredible movie once you see it.