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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

come "melodrammi". Guarda gli esempi nei video

qui sotto e leggi le brevi note sulle loro trame.

* Applicheresti la stessa etichetta di

"melodramma" a tutti questi film? In che modo

sono simili (cioè quali caratteristiche di questo

genere - temi/argomenti, stile e convenzioni -

pensi che condividano?) In che modo sono diversi

(cioè quali caratteristiche particolari differenziano

i melodrammi americani da quelli italiani?).

Poi leggi i miei commenti qui sotto.

(and are still largely) identified as

"melodramas". Watch the examples in the

videos below and read the short notes about

their plots.

* Would you apply the same label of

"melodrama" to all these films? How are they

similar (i.e. what features of this genre -

themes/topics, style and conventions - do you

think they share?) How are they different (i.e.

what particular features differentiate American

from Italian melodramas?).

Then read my comments below.

In Secondo amore, una vedova ricca e ancora

giovane (Jane Wyman) si innamora del figlio del

suo giardiniere (Rock Hudson), un uomo molto

più giovane. La sua relazione incontra la feroce

ostilità sia della famiglia che degli amici, per cui

decide di porvi fine. Tuttavia, quando il suo

amante ha un incidente e ha bisogno di aiuto,

corre da lui e alla fine si rende conto che le

convenzioni sociali non le impediranno di

sposarlo.

In All that heaven allows, a rich, still young

widow (Jane Wyman) falls in love with her

gardener's son (Rock Hudson), a much

younger man. Her relationship meets the fierce

hostility of both family and friends, and she

decides to put an end to it. However, when her

lover has an accident and needs help, she runs

to him and eventually realizes that social

conventions will not stop her from marrying

him.

Italiano

English

Secondo amore/All that heaven allows (di/by Douglas Sirk, USA 1955)

In I figli di nessuno (si veda il video in basso a

sinistra), Guido (Amedeo Nazzari), proprietario

di una cava di marmo, si innamora di Luisa

(Yvonne Sanson), figlia di un suo dipendente, e

insieme hanno un bambino. Tuttavia la madre di

lui rapisce il bimbo e Luisa si fa suora. Guido,

credendo che Luisa sia morta, si sposa. I due

innamorati si ritroveranno sul letto di morte del

loro bambino, dopo che questi ha avuto un

incidente nella cava.

In Nobody's children (watch the video below

left), Guido (Amedeo Nazzari), the owner of

a marble quarry, falls in love with Luisa

(Yvonne Sanson), the daughter of one of his

employees, and they have a baby together.

However his mother kidnaps the baby and

Luisa becomes a nun. Guido, believing that

Luisa is dead, gets married. The two lovers

will meet again at their child's deathbed, after

he has had an accident in the quarry.

84

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