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Film Genre

Hanna-Mariam Chowdhury

+Define: FILM GENRE

“In film theory, genre refers to the method based on similarities in the narrative elements from which films are constructed. Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre criticism. Besides the basic distinction in genre between fiction and documentary, film genres can be categorized in several ways” Source- Wikipedia.

In essence, what the wikipedia definition of “film genre” means, is that narrative elements construct films. There are many sub-sections of film genre, ranging from fiction to documentaries.

+Genre: Drama

The sub-genre of Drama in film includes many Dramatic themes such as violence, moral dilemmas, prejudice, domestic violence and poverty.

+Genre: Drama- The substance within. In a drama, the main character is one who the audience can

connect and interact with. The main characters personality develops as the film progresses, emotions and tensions follow the character throughout the film. The audience are able to empathize with the character and understand what they are feeling as the film progresses.

Dramas often challenge stereotypes and generalizations of particular groups or people. Films that are of dramatic genre often therapeutic in the essence that the audience can understand what the character is experiencing and can identify themselves in relation to the characters problems.

Dramatic films include a massive range of sub-categories including law and order dramas, historical dramas (such as “Downtown Abbey”) and thriller dramas.

+The Evolution of Dramatic Film.

Early movies

From the silent era to the 1950’s Drama’s were tools to teach the audience. Films like The Grapes of Wrath (1940) show the effects of the depression. Citizen Kane (1941) was said by Orson Wells to not be a biography of William Randolph Hearst, but a composite of many people from that era.

1950s

In the 1950s, began a rise in well-known dramatic actors. Glenn Ford, James Dean, Bette Davis, and Marilyn Monroe were notable dramatic actors. Dramatic Films focused on character relationships and development. All About Eve (1950) focused on women, and their relationship with men. Rebel Without a Cause (1955) showcased teenage angst. Films like 12 Angry Men (1957) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959) show the inner workings of a courtroom. The 1950s was the debut of Akira Kurosawa, and films such as Rashomon (1950) and Seven Samurai (1954).

1960s

The 1960s brought politically driven drama’s focusing on war, such as Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Sports dramas became inspiration such as The Hustler (1961) and Downhill Racer (1969).

Source: www.filmbug.com