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Genre

Genre. Genre . French for category, kind or type. Examples: Horror, Musical, Martial Arts, etc. 1) Formulas and conventions that films adhere to or modify. 2) Profoundly impacts how we experience certain films. . déjà vu?. The Hollywood economic model relies upon genre. Mass production:

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Genre

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  1. Genre

  2. Genre French for category, kind or type. Examples: Horror, Musical, Martial Arts, etc. 1) Formulas and conventions that films adhere to or modify. 2) Profoundly impacts how we experience certain films.
  3. déjà vu? The Hollywood economic model relies upon genre. Mass production: Recycles sets Recycles familiar plots Recycles popular stars Hollywood attempts to constantly modify successful films.
  4. Conventions Genre films operate within a framework of conventions. The viewer recognizes these conventions and thus knows how to “read” the film. Defined: the indentifying properties of a genre. Western = cowboys, landscapes Crime = alleyways, cigarette smoke Musical = sudden singing (?!)
  5. Formulas Story patterns in genre films. Like a math formula (x + y = z) X and Y are conventions May be substituted for other conventions
  6. Why do genres survive? We like and NEED predictability. Genre helps us determine what we want to see. Genre minimizes mental labor. Genre creates a ritual experience. Genre cues EXPECTATIONS for the viewer
  7. Expectations Once we determine what genre we are watching, we expect the film to follow certain RULES. Example: Jaws
  8. The Six Core Genres There are subgenres—variations on the major genres that have their own sets of conventions and formulas. Examples: Zombie films, Screwball comedies, “Bromance” Hybrid genres: a blending of distinct genres. Examples: romantic comedy
  9. #1 - Comedies Protagonist overcomes obstacles through physical or verbal humor Happy endings
  10. Comedy, con’td Major subgenres: Slapstick – physical comedy (“fall down, go boom”) Examples: Tommy Boy Screwball comedy – sexual tension as verbal sparring Examples: Romantic Comedy – conflict between potential love partners Example: Sleepless in Seattle, Knocked Up
  11. #2 - Western Lone, misunderstood cowboy goes into wilderness and relies on toughness to succeed; American myth of exceptionalism.
  12. Western, cont’d Subgenres Epic – Character’s actions define the nation; mythic figures Example: Dances with Wolves Revisionist Western – Imperfect hero, self-doubting, fails at the end Example: McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Unforgiven
  13. #3 - Melodrama Emotional dramas; emphasis on twists of fate; tearjerkers.
  14. Melodrama, cont’d Subgenres: Physical – Overcoming body type, race, sexuality Example: Jungle Fever, Boys Don’t Cry Social – Issues of class, economics, culture Example: Precious Family – domestic problems; usually female protagonist Example: Most Tyler Perry movies
  15. #4 - Musicals Thoughts expressed through song & dance; Plot interrupted by musical numbers. Subgenres: Backstage – set in film industry or theater company; film-within-a-film Example: Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line Integrated – Plot doesn’t justify the singing
  16. #5 - Horror Characters w/ spiritual, psychological, or physical deformities Suspense, surprise, and shock Plays up tension between seeing/not seeing
  17. Horror, cont’d Subgenres: Psychological – Source of horror is within the mind of a character; downplays physical violence. Example: Silence of the Lambs Supernatural – ghosts and spirits threaten humans Examples: The Exorcist, Paranormal Activity Physical – graphic violence/threat to human bodies Examples: Saw, Halloween
  18. #6 - Crime Focuses on either criminals or law enforcement Frequently urban settings Good guy/bad guy dynamics
  19. Crime, cont’d Subgenres: Gangster - Criminal subcultures (mafia, drugs) Examples: Scarface, Public Enemies, The Godfather Film Noir – Cynical, pessimistic films in which innocent people are lured into or affected by crime. Chinatown, No Country for Old Men, The Maltese Falcon
  20. Evaluating Genre Films 1) How closely does a film adhere to the classical (unchanging, ideal) form? 2) In what ways (and for what reasons) does the film deviate from the norm? 3) How has the genre changed over time? How has the formula or conventions been modified? 4) Modification of existing genre, or emergence of a new genre or subgenre?
  21. Classical vs. Revision Classical-style films will closely follow the generic structure. Revisionist-style films see genre as constantly in flux and shifting with historical change. Test case: True Grit (Coen Bros., 2010)
  22. Reflexivity Self-consciously acknowledges its generic precedents. A) Homage B) Irony Examples: Scream, Scary Movie, Not Another Teen Movie
  23. Test Cases Breakfast Club (Hughes, 1985) She’s All That (Iscove, 1999) Not Another Teen Movie (Gallen, 2001)
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