Genre Presentation Summery

War

Conventions: War films, like westerns or science fiction, are defined by their setting with constant bloody combat. Often these films depict two armies, with the one that you follow as a protagonist and another as an agonist. War movies typically have a small group of protagonists who are followed throughout the movie with a single main protagonist who is the most beloved of the group, often a commanding officer. 

History: In American cinema war films grew out of propaganda with filmmakers developing the ascetic, then war films began to reflect the horror and romance of war taking a more narrative approach, modern war films depict political sentiments against the corruption and violence inherent to war reversing the genres original intent. 

Notable films: Saving Private Ryan, Apocalypse Now, The Hurt Locker, Hacksaw Ridge, Beasts of No Nation, Grave of the Fireflies 

Full Metal Jacket   

Dunkirk

Crime/Gangster 

Conventions: Crime films often follow a formulaic structure following classic tragedies, in which the protagonists rise and fall. Often these films work as questions of the American Dream or commentaries on Greed. Common elements of these films include: the don character, anti-heros, hitmen, gangsters significant other, sidekicks, corrupt cops, and rival gangs. 

History: Crime films have been around since the start of film and grew to be the dominate genre during the great depression. The Hayes Code made filmmakers focus more on the police, with the rise of film noir occurring later in the 50s. In the late 50s production codes loosened and filmmakers began making crime films focused on gangsters again. Modern crime films often take more humorous approaches to the traditionally self-serious genre. 

Notable Films: Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America, Baby Driver, Scarface, Wolf of Wall Street, Breaking Bad, Nightcrawler

The Godfather   

The Irishman 

Drama 

Conventions: dramas tend to be very plot and character focused films with a focus on eliciting an emotions reaction from the audience outside of laughter or excitement. Like all of these later genres, all films are dramas to a certain extent. 

History: Dramas are perhaps to most pervasive genre in film so there is no single history. In the silent era drama tended to be more exaggerated, however with the introduction of sound dramas began to reflect real life. In the 70s drama became far more inclusive with the rise of New York and French New Wave films. In the modern day dramas are still the dominate genre with most films using dramatic element. 

Notable Films: Taxidriver, Rebel Without a Cause, Knives Out, Ida, Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind, Network, Parasite,

There Will Be Blood 

Synecdoche New York 

Musical

Conventions: Musicals are films centered around song and dance, and these elements shape the story. Often these films are within the romance genre or focus on internal investigations, but there is no hard standard except for the songs. More than one musical number is often required to be categorized as a musical.

History: In the silent era music was the only backing to films, so as films gained sound they continued to use music. The musical form originated as a film response to Tin Plan Alley and Broadway musicals The golden age of musicals was the 30s, similar to crime films they worked as a release in the great depression. In the 60s musicals regained strength, with the adaptation of Broadway hits. And in the 90s musicals started to define animated films. 

Notable Films: Mamma Mia, Annie, Footlight Parade, Singing in the Rain, Beauty and the Beast, 

Rocketman  

Cats

Action 

Conventions: Action movies are centered around, well, action. These films are focused on making the audience feel tense and excited as they watch people go through various stunts and fights. Often these films are centered around a single hero and villain, but because this is such a broad genre there is no hard rule on their stories. 

History: The action genre basically follows the decades box office hit genre. In the 30s and 40s action was focused on westerns and crime movies. In the 50s noir movies. In the 60s and 70s there was a return to westerns and crime movies with a new focus on spys and kung foo. In the 80s science fiction grew in prominence as well as the 'blockbuster' action movie. In the 90s thrillers grew as a resurgence of noir films in addition to the dominate subgenres of the 80s. In the 2000s to present comic book movies have become the dominate action films.  

Notable Films: John Wick, James Bond, Mission Impossible, Big Trouble Little China, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, 

The Dark Knight

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Comedy 

Conventions: Similar to Drama and Action comedy is based on emotional response, in this case laughter. Comedies will use a lot of establishing shots and cuts matching the jokes. Often they are designed and scored in a lighthearted way, with the highly exaggerated characters. There are no hard rules for the plot structure of comedy movies, but often they end up being circles. 

History: Silent era comedies were slapsticks using animated violence towards comedic ends. In the 60s comedy resurged with the start of the political satire as a reaction to the cold war. With film as a well established medium the 70s saw the rise of the parody. In the 90s the romcom grew in popularity. And modern comedies are far more plot driven, with jokes coming from the plot not episodic one offs. 

Notable Films: Modern Times, Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, Back to the Future, Sorry to Bother You, Borat, Beetlejuice, Being John Malkovich,

Death Becomes Her  

Clerks