Alison Rheaume, Andrew Korogyi, Evan Seccombe, Hannes Arason,

Jacob Doforno

GENRE I: ESTABLISHING THE PARAMETERS

Rick Altman – A Semantic / Syntactic Approach to Film

Genre

Robin Wood – Ideology, Genre, Auteur

READINGS:

How would you define Genre?

WHAT IS GENRE?

“In film theory, genre refers to the method based on similarities

in the narrative elements from which

films are constructed”

GENRE DEFINED

Jawshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1fu_sA7XhEStar Warshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g3_CFmnU7kBack to the Future IIIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAOypL96dRwWho Framed Roger Rabbit?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAdZv8RMRm0Hot Fuzzhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayTnvVpj9t4

WHAT GENRE?

• Written by Rick Altman in 1984• Hollywood Studio System• Genre used as a template to

manufacture films• Little need to reflect upon

assumptions underlying their work, “why bother to theorize?” we know a genre when we see one.

“A SEMANTIC/SYNTACTIC APPROACH TO FILM GENRE”

• Semantic Approach/View: Stresses the genre’s building blocks (common traits, attitudes, characters, shots, locations, sets, etc) makes up a genre. (Conventions)

• Syntactic Approach/View: Stresses the structures into which those elements are arranged (constitute relationships between undesignated and variable placeholders, relationships that might be called the genre’s fundamental syntax). (Narrative)

• Evan’s Film As a House Metaphor.

SEMANTIC VS. SYNTACTIC

1. Jean Mitty defining Western: “Film whose action, situated in the American West, is consistent with the atmosphere, values, conditions of existence in the far West between 1840-1900”. [Tautological definition] 2. Marc Vernet defining Western: “General atmosphere, emphasis on basic elements (such as earth, dust, water, leather) stock characters (tough/soft cowboy, lonely sheriff, faithful Indian, strong/tender woman), technical elements (fast tracking, crane shots)”[Cinematic approach to definition, but same semantic model as Mitty]

AN “APPROACH TO WESTERNS”

3. Jim Kitses defining Western: “Dialectic between the West as garden and as desert (between culture and nature, community and individual, future and past, etc). Western vocabulary is generated by this syntactic relationship, not visa versa.”[Not defined by vocabulary, but relationships linking lexical elements] 4. John Cawelti defining Western: “Systemizing Western: Always set on or near a Frontier, where man encounters his uncivilized double. Border between two lands, two era’s, hero remains divided between two value systems (town morals with his outlaw skills).”

AN “APPROACH TO WESTERNS”

DRUMS ALOMG THE MOHAWK (1939) http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0CtSFCjs2Y

         

PENNSYLVANIA WESTERN EXAMPLE

How do we classify this film and others such as High Wide & Handsome (1937)

and Unconquered (1947)?  

Based on the previous 4 definitions, genre theorists would have conflicting opinions

on whether or not it’s a Western film.

PENNSYLVANIA WESTERN EXAMPLE

Problem with choosing Sematic view vs. Syntactic view

• If you choose sematic view: You give up explanatory power (understanding the meaning behind structure).

• If you choose syntactic view: You give up broad applicability (not applicable to a large number of films).

SEMANTIC VS. SYNTACTIC

• These theories should be combined according to Altman, to have a both a semantic/syntactic approach to genre study.

• Believes it is not possible to describe Hollywood cinema accurately without the ability to account for numerous films that innovate by combining syntax of one genre with semantics of another.

ALTMAN’S PROPOSED SOLUTION

1. Stable set of semantic givens is developed through the syntactic experimentation into a coherent and durable syntax.

OR

2. Already existing syntax adopts a new set of semantic elements.

By taking seriously the multiple connections between semantics and syntax, we establish new continuity,

relating film analysis, genre theory and genre history.

ALTMAN: TWO WAYS GENRES ARISE

• Ritual Approach: “Hollywood responding to societal pressure, thus expressing audience desires”.

• Ideological Approach: Claims “Hollywood takes advantage of spectator energy and psychic investment in order to lure the audience into Hollywood’s own positions”.

RECENT APPROACHES TO HOLLYWOOD GENRE

Wood claims “the work that has been done so far on genre has tended to

take the various genres as given and discrete, defining them in terms of motifs, iconography, conventions,

themes. But what we need to ask, if genre theory is to ever be productive,

is less what then why. We are so used to genres that the peculiarity of the phenomenon itself has been too

little noted.

ROBIN WOOD AND IDEOLOGIES

1. Capitalism (Ownership)2. Work Ethic (Morally admirable quality)3. Marriage (and family)4. Nature as agrarianism (rural society and independent farmers are superior to people living in urban society)5. Nature as the wilderness6. Progress, technology, the city7. Success and wealth8. The rosebud syndrome (“money isn’t everything, money corrupts, poor are happier”)

WOOD’S LIST OF IDEOLOGIES

Two ideal figures from this list: 1. Ideal Male (adventurer, man of action)2. Ideal Female (wife/mother, dependable, companion) Since these “ideals” make staggering incompatibility, each has a shadow: 1. The settled husband/father (dependable but dull)2. Erotic woman (adventuress, entertainer) who is fascinating, dangerous and liable.

WOOD’S IDEAL FIGURES

“Happy Endings” would be defined as a Romantic Drama.

Romance:Should contain numerous inter-related scenes of a character and their personal life with emphasis on emotional attachment or involvement with other characters, especially those characterized by a high level of purity and devotion.

Drama:Should contain numerous consecutive scenes of characters portrayed to effect a serious narrative throughout the title. This can be exaggerated upon to produce melodrama. Subjective.

As defined by IMDB

“HAPPY ENDINGS”

Semantic:• Hopeless romantic• Damsel in distress• Emotional attachment• Emphasis on devotion• Sexually charged scenes• Intimate lighting• Close-up two shots• Emotional baggage• Overbearing antagonist

“HAPPY ENDINGS”

Syntactic:The hopeless romantic fights for the devout damsel in distress. Who must overcome the overbearing antagonist.

(The semiotics of “Happy Endings” placed within the syntax of the story make it Romantic Drama)

What genre does your film fall under?What semantics/syntax does it possess?

http://www.imdb.com/help/search?domain=helpdesk_faq&index=2&file=genres

THESIS GENRES

“It should be remembered that these definitions are guidelines - No single definition can cover every possible eventuality. Some of these genres are objective; for the others, a little leeway is given.”

-IMDB

FIN