Genres
The French term “genre” derivates from Latin “genus” (still used in biology to designates groups of plants or animals). Contemporary words in the English vocabulary, such as “genetic”, “genome”, or “generation”, derive from the same Latin root.
When we speak about genres in movies we are talking about certain types of movies with a series of distinguishable common elements that help us define their identity (science-fiction films, action pictures, comedy, romance, musical, Western, …).
As Bordwell and Thomson state, the term genre is “diffuse” and “fluctuating”, meaning, genres change over time. The Western in the 1970s is completely different from the Westerns in the 40s or 50s.
Identifying a Genre
Bordwell and Thomson establish four main aspects to identify a genre:
- Plot
- Themes
- Film Technique
- Iconography
Plot
The storyline can become one of those common elements.
For instance, detective movies always revolve around an investigation, a crime that the main character needs to know.
It is not unusual that the trigger of Westerns is revenge. Some character who suffered (himself or his family) some wrongdoing stives to establish justice in a world that does not know this concept yet.
The storyline in “gangster films” is about the rise and fall of legendary mobsters.
Themes
Themes are different from storylines or plot. The plot is just the succession of events that make the story. Themes are something deeper, what the story is actually all about.
The theme of the story has to do with the message, the director wants to get across, with the values that story may speak for.
For instance, classic horror movies normally are a reflection on the moral dichotomy good vs evil.
In such stories, we find this theme repeated again and again. Some uncanny source of evil is threatening the community. The whole movie is about how evil can be eliminated and realm of good restored.
Film Technique
Particular cinematographic or editing film techniques can be characteristic of a genre.For instance, the photographic style that we have been calling in this course Chiaroscuro, the strong contrast of light and shadow, is one of the identifying elements of both Horror movies and Film Noirs.
In the case of action movies, editing plays the key role. The fast-paced rhythm is created with a frantic succession of very short shots.
Science-fiction is normally defined by the use (sometimes abuse) of special effects.
Iconography
The work ICON is the Greek word for “image” or “visual”. Iconography is the set of common visual elements that identify anything (not only a movie).
Genres are in many cases defined by a series of visual elements that allow us to immediately ascribe the movie to a particular genre.
In the case of the Western, for instance the setting plays a fundamental role. The open landscapes are one of the characteristic features of the frontier adventures.
In horror movies, action takes places in uncanny laboratories where creepy scientists carry through their experiments.
And Film Noirs are characterized by miserable and oppressive small rooms.
Another important aspect of the Mise-en-Scène, the so-called “props” also can define the iconography of a genre.In the Western, for instance, we have a variety of objects that define the identity of the genre: cowboy hats, guns, boots, …
Finally, there are actors, faces, that we necessarily associate to particular genres or characters within genres.
Boris Karloff will always be Frankenstein (the monster of Frankenstein, actually).
And Bela Lugosi will remain in our minds as the original Dracula.
Humphrey Bogart represents the quintessence of the Film Noir,
As John Wayne is the archetypical epic hero in the Western.
If we see just a shot with the face of Fred Astaire,
Or Judy garland, we will know for sure that it is a musical.
And if we see Arnold Schwarzenegger, we can be sure that it is not going to be a musical or a romantic drama.
We could dedicate a whole course to the topic of genres. We need to limit the boundaries of the subject here. We will just focus on three genres: The Western, The Horror Movie, and the Film Noir.
This more in-depth analysis should help you approach the study of all the other genres.