Synopsis
In pre-war Japan, a government censor tries to make the writer for a theater troupe alter his comedic script. As they work with and against each other, the script ends up developing in unexpected ways.
University of Laughs
Director
Writer
Editor
Cinematography
Executive Producer
Production Design
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Alternative Titles
Warai no daigaku, Escola do Riso, 笑の大学：2004, 笑之大学, 笑之大學, 웃음의 대학, Vysoká škola smíchu
Releases by Date
Premiere
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Czechia
Eiga-Sai Film Festival
Theatrical
30 Oct 2004
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Japan
Releases by Country
Czechia
21 Feb 2017
- Premiere Eiga-Sai Film Festival
Japan
30 Oct 2004
- Theatrical
Popular reviews
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EDIT: This is on Archive.org now.
Man it’s so unfair that this movie is so hard to find. Mitani’s writing is great as ever, and whoever directed this just understands exactly the right style to go for. You’ll never see a single room this differently. Like 12 Angry Men but there’s a single Angry Man and one timid guy. I really loved how much of this was about thinking of art as a living shared thing.
I’m thinking Koji Yakusho might be slowly becoming one of my favourite actors ever. Is there any role he can’t do? His line delivery in this is so perfectly honed. Every single time he contradicted himself with the most brazen confidence, he had me laughing out loud. How does he achieve this level of farce and still come across like a real character? God tier acting.
This was absolutely wonderful—you gotta see this if you loved Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald.
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A whimsical yet simple war-time comedy (and an enemies to lovers romance, one could argue) about a cold hearted imperialist public servant assigned to the theatre censorship office, where he finds he cannot resist the wits and charm of a bright-eyed scriptwriter eager to get his new play approved. First giving out censorship rewrite orders, the public servant finds himself carried away into helping the man perfect his work.
Sweet and endearing until the end, and even bittersweet at times, University of Laughs is a wonderful anti-imperialist film celebrating the victory of comedy, truth, freedom and camaraderie over control and obedience. Yakusho and Inagaki work like two opposite sides of the same coin that eventually meet each other with respect and affection, bringing the film not only great comedic chemistry but unexpected emotional depth.
And well, really, it's not like I needed more than that gorgeous Showa aesthetic to be sold in the very first few seconds. -
THANK YOU, JAI, FOR SUGGESTING THIS!!
what a movie to start the year off with! easily and early on, i knew this would be a favorite. ugh. i need to watch everything koki mitani has ever touched.
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If I had a nickel for every time this writer made a delightful, wholesome, and perfectly structured/paced comedy about writing revisions, I’d have two nickels etc etc…
He really is the master of “bottle episode” type storytelling, can tell this is a great playGod bless Koji Yakusho (Perfect Days prequel?)
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If you don't know, I love Japanese comedy. I watch comedy shows and comedians' talk shows daily, I go to comedy threatres regularly, and I have also been listening to comedians' radio shows lately as well. I have merchandise and everything, it's ridiculous 💀😂 I love comedy!
Anyways, so this is just something I very much was interested in seeing. It's also written by Mitani, as it is an adaptation of his play. I love Mitani's works very much, so I had high hopes despite not knowing this director. Plus I've been on a Yakusho run lately 😅
The characters had a very cute dynamic. One that gradually built up in respect, admiration, curiosity and comedy. It was really endearing…
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the amount of mileage this crew was able to get out of a bare room with a table, two chairs, a bench, and three windows is nothing short of astonishing. lighting babey! it's all about lighting!
did not think this would make me cry as much as it did, but there's something so truthful and human about Mitani's writing. there's such an obvious love of art, and comedy, and the collaborative process. required viewing if you've ever attempted to make something with other people.
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University of Laughs presents an epic battle between a grumpy censor and a spirited play writer. The censor doesn't understand comedy at all and wants to see a more upright play, while the play writer is working against a deadline and is doing his best to please the censor as well as his theater group.
Most of the film is set in a single, bleak and uninviting room, where the back and forth between these two characters happens. There are some scenes outside too, yet they are scarce. Hoshi really didn't make it easy on himself, but some cinematic tricks help him to keep the film from becoming stale, even though it still ends up being a little too long.…
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absolutely love this film about a successful comedy playwright who must get his work passed by a new censor who is an utterly cheerless stickler and virtually autistic. As the censor abused his power to fist his cheerlessness on the wider population of Tokyo the playwright uses judo style cunning in his requires to slowly undermine the censors sourness. Based on 1940 which was, of course, a particularly undemocratic period Japan's ppry Meiji history.
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お国のために死んではいけない。
死んでいいのはお肉のためだけだ。稲垣主演で期待していなかったけどとんでもない。めちゃくちゃおもしろかった。役所広司いい…
テーマや舞台設定どんぴしゃで好き。ノスタルジックというか、昭和のポストモダンな感じというか、服装やセット、建物の空虚な感じ(西洋風建築なのかな？天井が高い)もいい。
特徴のない空虚な部屋に、2人の男が机に面してひたすら喋る。これだけなのに面白い。
これは好みだけど、セットや登場人物の多い作品はごちゃごちゃしちゃって苦手だから、こういうシンプルな中に笑いがあるタイプがいいな。
漫才に近いかも（笑）
最後もしっかり伏線(というほどではないけど)回収して感動オチ。
久々にハマった！素晴らしい作品。 -
Pretty darn good. Mitani knows how to write a whole ass movie with just two chars. Another film he did (Welcome back Mr. Mcdonald) had him writing for Several people inside a building and it was just as engaging. Starting to think this Mitani guy is onto something here!