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
Italiano English
The Blair Witch Project - Il mistero della strega di Blair/The Blair Witch Project (di/by Daniel
Myrick e/and Eduardo Sanchez, USA 1999)
La saga di Indiana Jones sfrutta motivi e
convenzioni di diversi generi del passato nella
realizzazione di quello che è un perfetto esempio
dei blockbuster dell'ultima parte del XX secolo:
questi includono riferimenti alle ambientazioni
esotiche tipiche di film, cartoni animati e "graphic
novel" degli anni '30, al "nuovo horror" che
cominciava a emergere dagli anni '70, tocchi di
comicità (anche di farsa), tracce di avventura
epica a sfondo storico e colpi di scena/thriller che
ne fanno un prodotto colmo di azione. Inoltre,
Indiana Jones, come James Bond, è stato
trasformato in un personaggio a sé stante,
iniziando un ciclo che avrebbe dato vita a diversi
sequel con il relativo "franchise". I tocchi ironici
che sono una caratteristica distintiva di Indiana
Jones mostrano anche un livello di riflessività e
autocoscienza che è un altro punto di riferimento
di una nuova generazione di film di Hollywood
(oltre che un prerequisito per il successo di temi e
convenzioni di molti film classici di genere).
Anche Scream si è rivelato subito popolare e ha
generato una serie di sequel, segno che questa
forma di horror rinata stava incontrando la
sensibilità delle nuove generazioni di (giovani)
spettatori, che erano pronti a dire, come abbiamo
notato, "Questa è una forma troppo infantile di ciò
in cui crediamo. Mostraci qualcosa di più
complicato." In effetti, questo nuovo pubblico
chiedeva un piacere di livello superiore -
l'eccitazione di riconoscere i temi e le convenzioni
del passato e persino di riderci sopra. Scream
fornisce quindi un attento equilibrio tra ansia e
comicità, e questo si ottiene attraverso la costante
autocoscienza degli elementi che compongono (e
componevano) un horror classico. La riflessività
qui è ai massimi livelli, poiché i giovani vittime
del mostro possono trovare il modo di salvarsi
80
The Indiana Jones saga feeds motifs and
conventions from several past genres into the
making of what is a perfect example of the
blockbusters of the latter part of the 20th
century: these include references to the exotic
settings typical of movies, cartoons and
"graphic novls" of the 1930s, to the "new
horror" which was beginning to surface since
the '70s, touches of comedy (even of slapstick),
traces of epic adventure with a
historical background and thriller twists and
turns of the plot which make it an actionpacked
product. Besides, Indiana Jones, like
James Bond, has been turned into a selfstanding
character, initiating a cycle which
would give birth to several sequels with the
associated "franchise". The ironical touches
which are a distinctive feature of Indiana Jones
also show a level of reflexivity and selfconsciousness
which is another landmark of a
new generation of Hollywood movies (as well
as a prerequisite to the successful revival of
themes and conventions of many classical film
genres).
Scream, too, proved immediately popular and
generated a number of sequels - a sign that this
revived form of horror was meeting the
sensibilities of new generations of (young)
viewers, who were ready to say, as we noted,
"That's too infantile a form of what we believe.
Show us something more complicated." As a
matter of fact, these new audiences were
actually asking for a higher-level pleasure - the
excitement to recognize past themes and
conventions and even to laugh about them.
Scream thus provides a careful balance of
anxiety and comic relief, and this is achieved