This document provides discussion questions and context about the 1973 French comedy film "The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob". The questions address the conventions of comedy used in the film and how they compare to more dramatic treatments of topics like race and identity. Additional context discusses the sociopolitical climate in 1970s France around issues of immigration, multiculturalism, and nationalism. Visual elements of the film's cinematography are also mentioned.

1. Discussion Questions
 1. This film is the first comedy we have seen. What are
the conventions of comedy? How are they used (or not)
in the film? How do questions of race, racism, and
identity change when they are treated in a comic versus
a dramatic film?
 2. What concerns, issues, or events shaped France (and
the world) in the 1970s? How do these issues and
events leave their imprint in this film?
 3. The cinematographer for this film was Henri Decae,
who was also the cinematographer for Elevator to the
Gallows and The Four Hundred Blows. Are there
recognizable elements to his visual style? If so, what
are they? How does this shift (or does it) from dramatic
to comedic films?

2. The Adventures of
Rabbi Jacob
Gerard Oury

3. Settings

4. Urban / Cosmopolitan Spaces
New York (Brooklyn)
CDG Airport
Le Marais (Paris)
Cars
Taxis
Motorcyles

5. Rural / Traditional Spaces
 The
countryside
 The village
 The church
 The rural
road

6. Immigration and
Multiculturalism

7. Themes
 The changing /shifting
nature of identity
 The increasing
interconnectedness of
the world
 The influence of the
past on the present
 The historical
multiculturalism of
France (vs. that of the
US)

8.  Changing nature of
France
 Nationalism / Racism
 Classism
 Globalization
 Post-colonial
independence
 Holocaust
 Global oil crisis
(recession)