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
Seconda parte
8. I generi come elementi socioculturali
9. Oltre il testo cinematografico: gli usi dei
generi
10. Non solo generi ...
11. Le funzioni dei generi
11.1. La funzione economica
11.2. La funzione socio-culturale
11.3. La funzione comunicativa
Terza parte
12. Una prospettiva storica
12.1. La prospettiva evolutiva
12.2. L'evoluzione finale: la parodia e la
satira
12.3. Oltre la visione evolutiva
12.4. La genesi di un genere
13. Generi e "cicli"
14. Fine dei generi cinematografici?
15. La mescolanza dei generi e l'ibridazione
16. Il genere - una categoria universale?
17. Conclusione
Part 2
8. Genres as sociocultural elements
9. Beyond film text: the uses of genres
10. Not just genres ...
11. The functions of genres
11.1. The economic function
11.2. The socio-cultural function
11.3. The communicative function
Part 3
12. A historical perspective
12.1. The evolutionary perspective
12.2. The ultimate evolution: parody and
satire
12.3. Beyond the evolutionary view
12.4. Genesis of a genre
13. Genres and "cycles"
14. The end of film genres?
15. Genre mixing and hybridization
16. Genre - a "universal" category?
17. Conclusion
Part 1
1. Introduzione
A prima vista, i generi cinematografici possono
At a first glance, film genres can appear as a
apparire come un concetto semplice e lineare:
simple, straightforward concept: after all, we
dopotutto, sappiamo tutti cosa si intende quando si
all know what is meant by "Star Wars is a
dice che "Star Wars è un film di fantascienza" o si
science fiction film" or by making a list of
fa un elenco di film come Salvate il soldato Ryan,
movies such as Saving Private Ryan, 1917, Full
1917, Full metal jacket e Dunkirk in quanto "film
metal jacket and Dunkirk and calling them
di guerra". Tuttavia, ci sono momenti in cui questo
"war films". However, there are times when
modo semplice di riferirsi a un genere
this easy way of referring to a film genre
cinematografico inizia a diventare un po'
begins to become a bit problematic: for
problematico: per esempio, come si potrebbero
example, how would you call films like
definire film come Mulholland Drive, Blade
Mulholland Drive, Blade Runner 2049, Green
Runner 2049, Green book o La forma dell'acqua?
book or The shape of water?
Se poi si confrontano le riviste che elencano i
programmi TV, si scopre che lo stesso film è
talvolta assegnato a generi diversi, e lo stesso può
accadere se si leggono recensioni di film, si
2
1. Introduction
If you then compare magazines listing TV
programmes, you may find that the same film is
sometimes assigned to different genres, and the
same may happen if you read film reviews,