ENEZETA
presents
Elements of Genre in
Film Analysis
GENRE
A category used to classify a film in terms
of certain general patterns of form and
content.
Cook, D. A History of Narrative Film p.966
Genres are defined in terms of
.Narrative
.Characterization
.Theme
.Setting
.Iconography
.Filmic techniques
.Tone and Mood
Narrative
Refers to similar or formulaic plots and
structures, predictable situations, sequences,
episodes, obstacles, conflicts and
resolutions.
For example:
Boy and girl meet, fall in love, are separated by random
event or fight, spend miserable time while apart, reunite
and marry at the end of movie.
The Romantic Comedy
Pretty Woman (1990) Gary Marshall
Characterization
Similar types of characters (sometimes stereotypes),
roles, personal qualities, motivations, goals, behavior
may help us identify a film’s genre.
For example:
The nerd in high-school comedies, the femme fatale in
film noir, the outlaw in the Western.
The femme fatale
Gilda (1946) Charles Vidor
Theme
Refers to the subject matter of the film, the topic that
is developed through the story.
For example:
Domestic conflict in melodramas, justice in courtroom
dramas, corruption in gangster films, human hubris in
science fiction.
Justice (Courtroom Drama)
Philadelphia (1993) Jonathan Demme
Setting
The place where the story takes place, whether a
particular geographical location or a time in history,
can give us clues about genre.
For example:
The Western in the mythic frontier, the film noir in the
corrupt city, melodramas in domestic spaces, the future
in science fiction.
The Dystopian Future
Blade Runner (1982) Ridley Scott
Iconography
The recurrence of familiar stock of images or
motifs such as décor, costume and objects, certain
'typecast' performers, familiar patterns of dialogue,
characteristic music and sounds, and appropriate
physical topography usually are indications of
particular genres.
For example:
Chicago+Tommy guns+Prohibition = gangster films.
Nerd+Jock+Cheerleader+high school=comedy.
Nerds and Cheerleaders
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) Jeff Kanew
Filmic techniques
Stylistic or formal conventions of camerawork,
lighting, sound-recording, use of color, editing etc.,
are also factors in defining genre in films.
For example:
Dark ambiances in film noir, bright lights and vivid
colors in musicals, parallel action in suspense or horror
films.
Barely lit streets
The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001) Joel Coen
Tone
Tone refers to the attitude the author transmits to the
work or the way the theme is approached within the
work.
For example:
Depending on the tone, a film about death can be a
comedy or a drama.
Ever thought nuclear holocaust
could be hilarious?
Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubrick
Mood
Mood pervades throughout the film and causes
particular feelings and sensations in the audience. The
mood of a movie can be constructed by means of the
music, lighting, camera movement, editing etc.
For example:
Sunshine, beach, upbeat music, people laughing set a
happy, optimistic mood for a story.
Songs and bright colors give
musicals a happy mood
Grease (1978) Randal Kleiser
Genre and Parody
Parodies exploit viewers’ knowledge of generic
conventions and use them to make fun of certain film
genres.
For example:
Austin Powers vs. James Bond
Scary Movie vs. Ring
Spies were never so funny!
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
(1999) Jay Roach
References
Chandler, Daniel (1997): 'An Introduction to Genre
Theory' [WWW document] URL
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/intgenre/cha
ndler_genre_theory.pdf
Cook, David A. A History of Narrative Film. New York
and London: W.W. Norton and Company, 1996.
Music: Colossus. Kevin MacLeod. incompetech.com
Presentation by Nahirana Zambrano
Cultura y Sociedad_Inglés
English Department
School of Modern Languages
University of Los Andes, Venezuela