The term "comedy" is presumably derived from κωμῳδία, a Classical Greek compound word that means "to take pleasure in music and stories." The etymology encapsulates the essence of this extremely popular genre. Comedy exists to amuse, entertain, and periodically inspire audiences. English-language comedies have largely Greek, Roman, Italian, and Elizabethan roots, but the 19th and 20th centuries saw a rapid influx of non-traditional styles like surrealism, slapstick, and screwball humor.

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However, the Anglosphere doesn't have the only claim over this art form. The history of comedy in Ancient India and China stretches back thousands of years, and the genre evolved along radically different lines. In fact, some of the funniest films ever made don't have a single word of English in them.

10 Siu Lam Juk Kau Is A Delightful Blend Of Transcendent Spirituality & Team Sports

Language: Cantonese

Shaolin Soccer

Directed by and starring Stephen Chow, Shaolin Soccer is a flawless blend of two seemingly disparate elements - transcendent spirituality and team sports. Protagonist Sing promotes the ancient art of Shaolin kung fu by embedding it within soccer, a trendier pop-cultural vehicle. The movie went on to shatter all records at the Hong Kong box office, earning acclaim from local and international critics alike.

Despite its title, Shaolin Soccer has nothing to do with the actual sport — footballs soar and fly at speeds exceeding the Earth's escape velocity, while players perform nigh-impossible acrobatics during each game. Roger Ebert called Shaolin Soccer "superior piffle," citing the film's hyperbolic slapstick and Quidditch-like atmosphere.

9 La Cage Aux Folles Deftly Employs Comic Irony Without Plunging Too Deep Into Satire

Language: French

La Cage Aux Folles

Adapted from the eponymous play by Jean Poiret, La Cage aux Folles examines the relationship between queer nonconformity and conservative politics through an absurdist lens. This unconventional movie borrows heavily from Susan Sontag's avant-garde essay, Notes on "Camp", but shrewdly avoids plunging into the murky undercurrents of pure satire.

La Cage aux Folles is rich with comic irony, employing this oft-misunderstood narrative element to stunning perfection. It received three Academy Award nominations and won Best Foreign Language Film at the 37th Golden Globe Awards. La Cage aux Folles was later remade into The Birdcage, an equally popular English movie starring Nathan Lane and Robin Williams.

8 Avvai Shanmugi Set The Framework For Slapstick Comedy In Kollywood

Language: Tamil

Avvai Shanmugi

For all intents and purposes, Avvai Shanmugi is considered a remake of 1993's Mrs. Doubtfire. Protagonist Pandian struggles to maintain his faltering marriage by disguising himself as an elderly nanny. By pretending to be the titular character, he spends several joyous weeks reunited with his beloved daughter.

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Avvai Shanmugi's storyline might be similar to the original plot, but this Tamil film is filled with a uniquely hilarious compilation of puns, tributes, and wisecracks. Avvai Shanmugi ultimately set the framework for slapstick comedy in Kollywood. Kamal Haasan's engaging performance won him near-universal acclaim from critics as well as viewers.

7 Mei Ren Yu Explores A Range Of Complex Concepts From Capitalism To Environmentalism

Language: Mandarin

The Mermaid

Mei Ren Yu may not be as groundbreaking as Kung Fu Hustle, actor-director Stephen Chow's magnum opus, but this refreshingly quirky movie went on to make over half a billion dollars at the global box office. Also known as The Mermaid, this movie's farcical tone underscores its surprisingly positive message.

The Mermaid refuses to limit itself to a single genre, exploring a range of complex concepts from capitalism and environmentalism to the deleterious effects of unbridled technological development. Writing for The New York Times, Glenn Kenny rightly praised the movie for surpassing the limits of "ordinary fantastical rom-coms."

6 Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios Established Director Pedro Almodóvar's Signature Style

Language: Spanish

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Pedro Almodóvar's Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios can be loosely translated to Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. It chronicles protagonist Pepa Marcos' jittery journey, both physical and psychological. Pepa's pilgrimage of self-discovery doesn't have a permanent end, but that's the point of this masterfully designed movie.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown catapulted the Spanish director into the international spotlight, not to mention earning nominations for Best Foreign Language Film at the 61st Academy Awards and the 45th Golden Globes. Almodóvar's trademark style, an elegant cocktail of parody and melodrama, was first achieved with this movie.

5 Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amélie Poulain Is Regarded Among The Greatest Movies Of The 20th Century

Language: French

Cover of Amelie film

Amélie is arguably one of the most famous foreign-language films in the English-speaking world. Filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, then known for his sci-fi and post-apocalyptic movies, took a fundamentally different route while directing Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain.

Audrey Tatou's titular protagonist openly celebrates her eccentric personality. Although Amélie was nominated for five Oscars, it unfortunately failed to win a single award. That said, both contemporary and retrospective critics list it among the greatest films of the 20th century.

4 The Intouchables Takes A Heartwarming Approach Toward Its Sensitive Subject Matter

Language: French

Omar Sy In The Intouchables

Éric Toledano & Olivier Nakache wrote and directed The Intouchables, a French dramedy movie starring Omar Sy and François Cluzet. It garnered numerous César nominations, winning Best Actor. According to Rotten Tomatoes critics' consensus, The Intouchables "gets by thanks to its strong cast and some remarkably sensitive direction."

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In comparison, The Independent's Anthony Quinn criticized it as "a third-rate buddy movie that hardly understands its own condescension." Despite vastly differing opinions, The Intouchables takes a heartwarming, occasionally poignant, approach toward its sensitive subject matter.

3 Kamera O Tomeru Na! Seamlessly Switches Between Cinematic Red Tape & Delicious Irony

Language: Japanese

Takayuki Hamatsu in One Cut of the Dead

Kamera o Tomeru na!, or One Cut of the Dead, is an intricately crafted Japanese-language meta-comedy. Director Shin'ichiro Ueda effectively transformed the zombie genre into something completely different, seamlessly switching between cinematic red tape and delicious irony.

Audiences are taken deeper and deeper into One Cut of the Dead, which reveals more and more about the filmmaking process without sacrificing a single ounce of humor. In a review for Variety, Richard Kuipers praised the movie's "irresistibly bouncy spirit" and called it "three films for the price of one." One Cut of the Dead takes a while to get going, slowly increasing its narrative momentum until it reaches the point of no return.

2 Männer Wie Wir Dissects Homophobia In Soccer Without Sacrificing An Ounce Of Humor

Language: German

Manner wie wir

Homophobia is rampant in the sporting industry, especially association football. Former NBA player John Amaechi lambasted soccer's toxic culture, stating that its anti-gay climate would continue to hinder players from "playing at their very best." Director Sherry Hormann dissects the prevailing bigotry in Männer wie wir, meaning "Men Like Us" in German.

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On the other hand, the English title, Guys and Balls, is a delightfully cheeky double entendre. Männer wie wir's technically formulaic plot doesn't prevent it from delivering its hopeful message: that soccer, or any game for that matter, has no intrinsic connection with the player's sexual identity.

1 Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro Is One Of Bollywood's Most Sophisticated Dark Comedies

Language: Hindi

Jaane Bhi do Yaaron

Kundan Shah's Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro works on multiple intersecting levels. On the surface, it can be interpreted as a screwball comedy, but the film's grim humor eventually materializes — like peeling the layers off a satirical onion. Boasting incredible performances from Om Puri, Satish Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Neena Gupta, and Naseeruddin Shah, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is widely recognized as one of the most sophisticated dark comedies in Bollywood.

This movie is an insightful analysis of bureaucratic dishonesty and corruption, with a particular focus on urban India during the 1980s. Interestingly, the subplot involving D'Mello's corpse bears several similarities to Weekend at Bernie's, which was released six years after Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.

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