Research task 2Francesca Chambers

Genre

Genre is a French word meaning ‘type’ or ‘kind’. Genre in media is a way of categorising films based on certain traits they have. This makes it easier for audiences to decided whether or not they want to see the film as everyone will have preferences on different film genres. Directors are able to create films that are rigid to a certain genre or then can challenge the genre or even create hybrid genres. Rigid genres are often stuck to In mainstream Hollywood films, and the genre is usually challenged by independent films aimed at niche audiences or postmodern films. Aristotle first used genre in ancient Greek times so that only certain kinds of play would be produced, theses where comedy and tragedy

Crime genre

Crime films originate from Hollywood gangster films of the silent era.Generic iconography Themes – assassination, killing, rival killing, heist, kidnappingCharacters – anti hero's, hero's, hit men criminals cops.Meis un scene – tuxedos, suits, dark lighting, dark unknown sets, high status carsSometimes hybrid comical.Lighting in film noir very dark and mysterious. Soft focus used on Femme fatal to make them look angelic even though they are acting in a more manly way.1970/80’s – gritty gangster films reflected what was happening at the time. The crime showed in the films reflected the great depression so covered things like drug pushing. Also films having all black casts dealing with issues of racism and civil rights.

Dystopia genreThere are some generic conventions to dystopian films: very often set in

imagined dystopian worlds or our world after a major event that have changed things like the climate and the state of living. The narrative is usually taking place after the major event that cased life to become what it is in the film. Dystopian films often relate to real life fears at the time the film was made, for example; nuclear warfare, advance in technologies and global warming.

There are also character types common to dystopian films. The ‘dystopian cowboy’ is a lonely character who is often forced into action buy the constant threat of death and violence and the need to survive. There is also often gangs, groups or tribes in dystopian films who have come together in order to survive. Another group often seen in the dystopian genre are human survivor groups, these are small groups of people who have survived from the pre apocalyptic times and can often tell a story of the events that caused the dystopia.

Dystopian films can often be put into hybrid genre’s Horror – possibly new life taking over earth in a brutal way or a deadly

virus spreading to kill everyone. Science fiction – ‘science gone wrong’ to case a dystopia.Post apocalyptic – end of the world scenario with few survivors often

looking for salvation.

Dystopian film timeline

Metropolis 1927A silent movie biased on a futuristic town made up of the haves and the have not’s. The two are unaware of each other.

The day the earth stood still 1951. An alien lands on earth and tells the humans to live peacefully or be destroyed as a threat to other planets.

On the beach 1959Australians must come to terms life will be destroyed in a matter of months after a nuclear war

The Time Machine 1960A Victorian man travels to the future to find out there are two new sinister species.

Blade Runner 1982blade runner must pursue and try to terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.

Quiet earth 1985A man awakens to find himself alone in the world, and In a desperate attempt to search for other's

Brave new world 1998In a futuristic totalitarian society, people have no control of their lives and/or destiny.

The Matrix 1999A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality

The Road 2009A father defends his son In a post apocalyptic world.

Bibliography

Slide 6 - IMDb and http://www.dystopianmovies.org/dystopian-movie-timeline