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STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: FILM - “History of the World, Part I”

Jeffrey Tung
Mar 12, 2018
2 min read

Listening to a cliff notes version of world history as told by a master comedian is sure to gain anyone’s full attention, right?

Directed and written by Mel Brooks, History of the World, Part I tells the story of the world, starting from the dawn of time to the 18th century. The biggest stories are the ones about the Roman Empire, and the French Revolution, which closes out the film.

The Spanish Inquisition section is a musical sketch about a grim period of time.

During the Roman Empire in the 1st century, Comicus, a “stand-up philosopher,” and his friends have to escape from Emperor Nero and his soldiers after he accidentally mocks him in his routine.

During the French Revolution, or rather the beginnings of it, King Louis escapes before he can be captured by the people, but he is replaced by a lookalike, Jacques, to take his place so he can be blamed and beheaded by the people.

Brooks’ signature, crude humor is spread throughout the film. From the first frame, itself a parody of the opening scene to 2001: A Space Odyssey, you can tell what kind of tone and sense of humor the film will have. A majority of them rely a lot on sexual and racial humor that probably would never be acceptable in the 2010s.

My personal favorite jokes/sketches are the “15” commandments scene, and the one-off joke involving Oedipus and a really funny punchline. The ending of the Roman Empire story is also hilarious because of its surreal and nonsensical situation.

Like I said, the first frame sets up the kind of film you are in for, and if you’re not into it, it’s highly likely you won’t like the rest of the film.

The amount of anachronisms intentionally used can either incite laughter or groans. This includes the “coming attractions” sketches at the end of the film.

I came across this film after learning a lot about Mel Brooks’ films, and it was one that I never caught on television (not even HBO, Starz or the like). Brooks filmography as a director is very diverse in its genres, especially the kinds that were popular during the Golden Age of Hollywood. For him, focusing on one epic story during a time in history isn’t enough; he puts in five.

History of the World, Part I is made with absolutely no taste and, like with most of Brooks work, that’s what makes it memorable. Epics are meant to tell dramatic stories, and this film demonstrates that no matter the genre, it’s okay to have a little fun.