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Santa Claus

Directed by Unknown
Written by Unknown
Starring Unknown
Unrated • 1948 • 9 minutes

by Mayzshon

After mulling over possible choice for this Holiday Roundtable, I decided to go a rather different route, review the classic art film: Santa Claus’ Punch and Judy. For those of you uneducated in classic theater, Punch and Judy is the most famous example of early absurdist minimalism in children’s theater. In absurdist minimalism, only parts of the actor, usually the hands, are ever shown on the stage. The hands are decorated with special elaborate gloves, which have been designed to look like miniature people, are named “puppets.”

Nothing says Christmas like spousal abuse.

In the original form, the plot revolves around Punch, the archetype of the classic anti-hero. The design of Punch includes a red nose, the classic symbol of drunkenness, and a high-pitched voice, indicating that Punch is a eunuch. (While the usual interpretation is that Punch’s status as a eunuch led to his drinking, a recent theory has been proposed that in fact his drunkenness may have resulted in the accident that made him a eunuch.) Early in the play his wife, Judy, leaves their baby in his care. Punch becomes angry with the baby, (implied but never stated is that baby can not possibly be his, something his status as a eunuch would confirm) and he murders the baby. When Judy returns, she becomes upset, and Punch clubs her to death. As the play continues, Punch continues to murder, finally killing Satan himself. Scholars debate the meaning of the ending of the play, has Punch’s violence caused him to become God? Has he been God all along? Or is indicative that he has conquered his evil nature? The debate has never been resolved.

In the film Santa Claus’ Punch and Judy, many of the original themes have been abandoned, to create a unique exploration of man’s relationship with a callous God. Actual actors are used to play God, and “The Children”, while Punch and those who interact with him, are, played by the traditional puppet. As the film opens we see God, here called “Santa Claus” granting the prayers of a woman for a child of her own. A small child plays the woman, and the child given to her is a doll. The camera pulls back and we see that God/Santa is giving an audience to a group of his worshippers. He answers a couple more prayers, one of which is the request for to witness a man’s degradation, in other words a Punch and Judy show.

Santa God summons a puppet stage into existence, and we go into our puppet show. However, though still a drunken eunuch, this Punch differs vastly from the classical version. Here, Punch is a pathetic creature, mocked and humiliated by all, including Santa God. Rather than the killing spree of the original, we see Punch’s constant rejection and humiliation by all he encounters.

Bad kitty! Bad kitty! Curious onlookers.

It begins as he seeks the affection of his wife Judy. She spurns him, and then physically abuses him. This precedes a number of humiliating episodes, including a couple of literally interpreted crude jokes. In the first, he is beaten by a cat (pussy whipped), and in the second, he attempts to strike a small furry primate, however, as a eunuch he is unable to “spank the monkey.”

The play is inter-cut with scenes of Santa and his worshippers laughing and mocking Punch’s torment. Interestingly, if you look closely, one little boy appears disturbed by what he sees (an agnostic perhaps), and the girl sitting next to Santa God appears to have been crying (possibly an atheist).

In the end, Santa God waves Punch out of existence. Then, declaring a pressing appointment elsewhere he vanishes himself. Interestingly, Santa God appears annoyed with his worshippers as he says this.

For those of you who wish to see this avant-garde classic for yourselves, it can be seen here.

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