British Film and Genre (Comedy)

British Film and Genre (Comedy) LO: Prepare for mock exam

Mock exam question • What are some of the narrative features that are distinctive in the comedy films you have studied?

What you have to demonstrate/do • Knowledge and understanding of all 3 films • Focus on macro features (genre and narrative) • Compare all 3 films

Macro features • Understanding of narrative conventions (and how they change over time) • Understanding of the importance of genre with the context of British cinema: • Allows audiences and the film industry to categorize films • But genre conventions are constantly shifting as new films come out (the retain some conventions and challenge others) • Understanding of how genre can express issues

What is narrative? • The story of the film, comprising: • The plot (what happens, how does it start and finish?) • The characters • The setting (time and place) • Re-read the question and break it down – what are the key words in it? • So it is asking you which of the above features are made to stand out in the film and why?

Print out Ven diagram…

Narrative conventions • Todorov: Equilibrium>Enigma>Resolution • What was the last comedy film you saw? • How did it end? • How did it make you feel as a spectator? • Watch the endings of each film and answer the following question: • Is the enigma the films presents resolved at its conclusion? How do you know?

Characters • Task – in groups, describe each of the following characters from each film using a spider-gram: • Four Weddings: Charles, Carrie and Tom • Four Lions: Omar, Waj, Omar’s brother, Matt, the police • Hot Fuzz: Nicholas Angel, Dannie Butterman and Simon Skinner • Are there any common character types? • The clown? Typical to many British comedies (Charles, Dannie, Waj etc) • Inept police • Predominantly a male world (and white in Four Weddings and Hot Fuzz) • Which characters are we encouraged to identify with?

Setting – discuss… • Where is each film set? • What is “heritage Britain” and can it be related to any of the three films? • Did any of the films achieve success in the US? Why do you think this was?

Types of humour and issues • What types of humour are used in each film? Do any of the films share similar types of humour? Can they be said to be British (e.g. deadpan, self-deprecatory, satire)? • What issues does Four Lions raise? • Does Hot Fuzz poke fun at its characters and setting?

Hybrid genres • Remember genre is hard to define and most films will not fit neatly into a box • What is intertextuality? Can you remember the films that influenced Hot Fuzz? • Wicker Man, Straw Dogs • Point Break, Die Hard etc

Key words/terms • Todorov • Characters • “Heritage Britain” • Satire • Deadpan • Self-deprecatory • Hybrid genre • Ideological themes (zeitgeist) • Genre conventions – iconography • Inter-textuality

Tips • Remember to briefly introduce each film – when it was made, who starred in it, how successful it was (revenue and critical acclaim), studio etc • Always have an introduction and conclusion • Make sure you compare and contrast all three films

British Film and Genre (Comedy)