Film genres: features, functions, evolution
This Interactive workshop aims at exploring the origin of genres, their functions in cinema and their evolution, with particular emphasis on the latest developments. We first ask why we need genres at all and examine the variety of classification criteria that can be used. Then we focus on the specific features of genre films, analysing their conventions and their narrative structures. We then explore how different agents (from producers to audiences, from critics to film scholars) have used and still use genres, and highlight their economic, sociocultural and communicative functions. Finally, by taking a historical perspective, we explore how genres have evolved in the course of time and how modern cinema extensively use genre mixing and hybridization, thus pointing to the future of this important but complex category of film analysis. Part of the www.cinemafocus.eu research materials.
This Interactive workshop aims at exploring the origin of genres, their functions in cinema and their evolution, with particular emphasis on the latest developments. We first ask why we need genres at all and examine the variety of classification criteria that can be used. Then we focus on the specific features of genre films, analysing their conventions and their narrative structures. We then explore how different agents (from producers to audiences, from critics to film scholars) have used and still use genres, and highlight their economic, sociocultural and communicative functions. Finally, by taking a historical perspective, we explore how genres have evolved in the course of time and how modern cinema extensively use genre mixing and hybridization, thus pointing to the future of this important but complex category of film analysis. Part of the www.cinemafocus.eu research materials.
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I generi cinematografici: caratteristiche, funzioni, evoluzione
Film genres: features, functions, evolution
cinemafocus.eu
culturale sia come gruppi di film in quanto opere a
sé stanti.
4. Il film come testo: le convenzioni di genere
La nozione stessa di "genere" implica la presenza
di convenzioni - stile, dispositivi narrativi, aspetti
formali o tecniche cinematografiche tipiche di
ogni particolare genere, il cui significato è chiaro
al pubblico e che quindi lo rende riconoscibile
come un gruppo (relativamente) indipendente di
film. Una convenzione è, ad esempio, il fatto che
nei musical, i personaggi spesso passino senza
problemi dal parlare al canto e al ballo, con una
musica che sembra improvvisamente nascere dal
nulla: questo noi, come spettatori, lo accettiamo
prontamente come "parte del gioco" di guardare
un musical, anche se ovviamente ciò toglie una
sensazione di "realismo". Al contrario, questa
convenzione non sarebbe accettabile in un film
drammatico, dove siamo invitati a "sospendere la
nostra incredulità" e ad entrare nel mondo
immaginario del film, che deve garantire un certo
grado di realismo per rappresentare un mondo
illusorio ma "credibile".
4.1. Stile
"Style" is a category of conventions difficult to
"Stile" è una categoria di convenzioni di difficile define, since it includes all the ways in which
definizione, poiché comprende tutti i modi in cui il film language can be used to obtain a certain
linguaggio cinematografico può essere utilizzato effect on the audience; this includes, e.g choice
per ottenere un certo effetto sul pubblico; questo of lenses, camera angles and movements,
include, ad esempio, la scelta di obiettivi, angoli e lighting, colour schemes, editing, special
movimenti della telecamera, l'illuminazione, le effects, etc. Certain genres, however, exhibit
combinazioni di colori, il montaggio, gli effetti easily recognizable "styles" that make it quite
speciali, ecc. Alcuni generi, tuttavia, mostrano easy for the audience to establish the kind of
"stili" facilmente riconoscibili che rendono film they are watching. Film noir, for example,
abbastanza agevole per il pubblico stabilire il tipo employs low-key lighting, dark contexts, night
di film che stanno guardando. Il film noir, ad scenes, as well flashbacks as formal narrative
esempio, utilizza luci soffuse, contesti bui, scene structures (watch the example below left).
notturne e flashback come strutture narrative Horror films similarly use light contrasts,
formali (si veda l'esempio in basso a sinistra). Allo close-ups and tight framing, using the "off
stesso modo, i film horror usano contrasti di luce, screen" as an element of suspense - inviting us
primi piani e inquadrature strette, usando il "fuori to wonder when and how the monster or killer
schermo" come elemento di suspense, invitandoci will actually appear "on" the screen.
a chiederci quando e come il mostro o l'assassino Melodrama often uses stylistic excesses to
appariranno effettivamente "sullo" schermo. Il underline the feelings and emotions of the
melodramma utilizza spesso eccessi stilistici per characters (watch the example below right): an
sottolineare i sentimenti e le emozioni dei excessive mise-en-scène, with vivid colours
personaggi (si veda l'esempio in basso a destra): which highlight the presence of plenty of
una messa in scena eccessiva, con colori vividi objects that become part of the emotional
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as groups of films as works in their own right.
4. Film as text: genre conventions
The very notion of "genre" implies the presence
of conventions - style, narrative devices, formal
aspects or cinematic techniques that are typical
of each particular genre, whose meaning is
clear to the audience and which thus makes it
recognizable as a (relatively) indepedendent
group of films. A convention is, for example,
the fact that in musicals, characters often move
smoothly from speaking to singing and dancing
to music that suddenly seems to come into
existence out of nowhere: this we, as viewers,
readily accept as "part of the game" of
watching a musical, although it obviously
detracts from a feeling of "realism".
Conversely, this convention would not be
acceptable in a dramatic film, where we are
invited to "suspend our disbelief" and move
into the fictional world of the film, which must
ensure a degree of realism to depict an
illusionary yet "believable" world.
4.1. Style