Is The Martian a Comedy? Director Ridley Scott’s 10-Year Debate Resolved

Renowned director Ridley Scott has finally addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the classification of his 2015 film, The Martian, as a comedy. The movie, which portrays astronaut Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, struggling for survival on Mars after a devastating storm, has been commended for its humor in the face of adversity. Notably, it won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture in a Comedy or Musical, prompting discussions about its rightful genre classification.

In a recent roundtable discussion hosted by The Hollywood Reporter, Scott shared insights about the film’s production history. He notably addressed a lingering rumor regarding the film’s cost, stating that while The Martian had a budget of approximately “$80 million,”the studio did not initially perceive it as a comedy. This misconception resulted in the film being shelved for two years until Scott revisited the project and recognized its comedic brilliance.

ROSS (To Scott): I heard The Martian was more expensive to make than it was to send a rover to Mars. Is that true?

SCOTT: No, I think we cost about $80 million. The studio didn’t realize it’s actually a comedy, so it sat on the shelf for two years and then they said, “Do you want to look at this?” And I read it and said, “It’s really funny.”

Implications for The Martian

A Comedic Intention Behind The Martian

Following the guidelines from the Golden Globe Awards, films are categorized based on their overall tone and content. For a film to qualify as a comedy, its comedic elements must significantly outweigh any dramatic aspects. Scott’s revelation that The Martian was designed as a comedy within a sci-fi framework supports his decision to submit the film in the Comedy or Musical category.

Beyond its Golden Globe win for Best Motion Picture, The Martian also secured a Golden Globe for Matt Damon as Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical. Scott received a nomination for directing, but the decision to classify the film as a comedy was met with criticism. This backlash led the Foreign Press Association to revise their rules starting in 2017, specifying that films with a predominantly serious tone should be entered as dramas, regardless of their comedic elements.

Evaluating the Comedy in The Martian

Reassessing Our Perspective

Scott’s strategic move to classify The Martian as a comedy rather than a drama may prove to be astute given the stiff competition it would have faced in the drama category, including heavyweights like The Revenant and Spotlight. The latter film, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a serious contender with strong award season momentum; thus, The Martian found a more favorable battleground by entering as a comedy.

While it is evident that The Martian contains significant comedic undertones, it also presents a sobering narrative of isolation and survival. This juxtaposition raises the question of whether audiences have grasped the deeper themes presented in the film, despite its lighthearted facade. Regardless of genre categorizations, The Martian remains a thought-provoking watch worthy of re-examination.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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