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
1 2 3
4 5 6
(Nota/Note 7)
5. Il film come testo: strutture narrative
5. Film as text: narrative structures
Nell'ambito delle convenzioni dei film di genere,
ci sono stati tentativi di considerare la struttura
narrativa complessiva come base per classificare i
film: in altre parole, i film ritenuti appartenenti
allo stesso genere dovrebbero apparire organizzati
secondo uno sviluppo narrativo simile. Carrol
(Nota 8) applica questo quadro di riferimento al
film dell'orrore, distinguendo tra una trama "di
scoperta" e una trama "oltre il limite". Entrambe si
basano su una sfiducia di base nei confronti della
scienza e degli scienziati, ma nel primo caso ciò si
sottolinea l'incompetenza e l'inefficienza della
scienza come linea guida razionale per le azioni
umane. Questo accade in film diversi come
Dracula (di Tod Browning, 1931, e versioni
successive), Il bacio della pantera (di Jacques
Tourneur, USA 1942, e il suo remake),
L'invasione degli ultracorpi (di Don Siegel, USA
1956, e i suoi due remake), Lo squalo (di Steven
Spielberg, USA 1975) e L'esorcista (di William
Friedkin, USA 1973, e i suoi molteplici sequel).
In tali film la storia attraversa diverse fasi:
a) il mostro o la forza aliena si mostra per la prima
volta: ad esempio, in Dracula, il vampiro appare
per la prima volta travestito da conduttore di una
carrozza; in Il bacio della pantera, la pantera è
solo accennata in vari modi terrificanti; in Lo
squalo, il primo attacco dello squalo mobilita le
persone sulla spiaggia (si veda il video in basso a
sinistra);
19
Within the context of genre film conventions,
there have been attempts at considering the
overall narrative structure as the basis for
classifying films: in other words, films deemed
to belong to the same genre should appear to
be organized along a similar story
development. Carrol (Note 8) applies this
frame of reference to the horror film,
distinguishing between a discovery plot and an
over-reacher plot. Both rely on a basic distrust
of science and scientists, but in the former case
this stresses the incompetence and inefficiency
of science as a rational guideline for human
actions. This is shown in such diverse films as
Dracula (by Tod Browning, 1931, and
subsequent versions), Cat people (by Jacques
Tourneur, USA 1942, and its remake), Invasion
of the body snatchers (by Don Siegel, USA
1956, and its two remakes), Jaws (by Steven
Spielberg, USA 1975) and The exorcist (by
William Friedkin, USA 1973, and its multiple
sequels).
In such movies the story goes through different
stages:
a) the monster or alien force shows itself for
the first time: e.g., in Dracula, the vampire first
appears disguised as the driver of a coach; in
Cat people, the panther is only hinted at in
various terrifying ways; in Jaws, the shark 's
first attack mobilizes the people on the beach
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