An Introduction to Film Genres

What exactly is a genre?

Before we begin to study film genres, its important to understand what the word genre
means in a more general sense. A genre is a category made up of a pre-established
group of key elements. Works of art, writing, film, television, music, among other subject
matter, are classified in various groups when they meet some or the entire set
components common to their genre.
Film Genres
Identifying key aspects of a film and placing it in a genre allow the film to be analyzed in
relation to other films in the same group and judged by a specific set of criteria.
Film scholars began widely evaluating movies in terms of genre in the 1970s. It is worth
noting that a revolution in filmmaking erupted in the late 60s and 70s (with directors
such as John Cassavettes, Sam Fuller, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola). Many
directors threw out traditional structure, plot, and narrative technique. Is it surprising that
this was the time when film academics decided to categorize movies into nice, neat,
definable groups?
There are enough genres and sub-genres to assign multiple labels any film. For the
purpose of this course, we will study only nine main genres. Many films extend beyond
one genre and may overlap two or three. For instance, Citizen Kane could be identified
as drama, film noir, or even epic. Gone With The Wind is romance, epic, drama, war,
and historical film all.
A Little Information About Some of the Biggies.
(Detailed essays about each genre may be found in your weekly reading assignments.)
Westerns are the quintessential American films. Often the main character of a western
is the sprawling American frontier. Some of the earliest movies made were westerns,
and though theyve gone in and out of style during the past century, audiences still
regard them as significant, meaningful, and oh, so exciting to watch. Westerns have
grown sensitive (Dances With Wolves), been parodied (Blazing Saddles), and had new
life breathed into that most contradictory of western characters: the heroic, villainous
killer (Unforgiven). Yet, for the most part, their plots and characters rarely change. To
put it simply, there are heroes, villains, tough frontier women, and plenty of horses.
When they all get together, their stories are timeless.
Comedies complicate. Comedies take the most common stories, (boy meets girl; dad
takes care of kids for the weekend; teenagers cruise a small town on a Saturday night;

grandma comes to visit) and they skim the comic cream off the top. By exaggerating the
situation, language, action and characters until theyre larger than life, comedies make
us see the humor in almost any scenario.
Epics are known for their extravagance. Often the plots are the stuff of legends, with
characters who seem almost superhuman in their heroism and bravery. Epics usually
take place over a long period of time and are set against a huge backdrop of an
imagined or realistic setting. Costumes and music play substantial roles in how epics
convey stories. The events portrayed may be historical, mythical, or completely
imagined, but what an epic always has is the spectacle of its presentation. One can
usually fit epics in other genres as well. They are frequently dramas, adventure tales,
romances, and sometimes war stories
Musicals are movies that highlight musical numbers as part of their story line. Songs
and dance sequences advance the plot and reveal character. Musicals are rarely
dramatic; though there are notable exceptions (see readings). Traditionally, the
musicals tended to stick with romantic comedy as their basic plot. Like westerns,
musicals are an American cinematic staple. They reached their peak with the showy,
slick MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayor) musicals of the 1950s and early 1960s. Though
there were some significant musicals produced in the following decades, it was not until
the last few years that audiences again began to hunger for a little song and dance with
their popcorn and Raisinettes.
Dramas present stories covering serious subjects: loss, addiction, divorce, failure, love,
and war to name only a handful. The characters are usually realistic, as are settings and
costumes. Many dramas attempt to depict what in theatre terms is called, a slice of life
on the screen. This genre likely has more sub-genres than any other (see readings).
Film Noir was born of the crime/gangster genre, both of which are part of the drama
genre. Film noir appeared in the 1940s. French film critics coined the phrase, that when
translated literally means black film. Though we study it as a genre, film noir is a style
that contributed a distinct tone or mood to film. Usually filmed in black and white, the
film noir style lends itself to alienation and a world-weariness born from disillusionment
and moral corruption. The hero, always alone and down on his luck in the big city, tries
to break out of the melancholic stupor that pervades the entire film, only to be destroyed
by the femme fatale (another convention of the film noir style) at the end. By definition,
film noir sounds bleak and practically unwatchable, but the films of the classic film noir
era are enormously entertaining and audience pleasing. The film noir period in
American film lasted until about 1960. As with musicals, it has popped in and out of the
American cinematic consciousness throughout the last four decades.
Crime and Gangster films focus on the characters we love to hate or in some cases
hate to love! Mobsters, bank robbers, and other criminals who regard the law as merely
a suggestion, murder, and steal their way through films and somehow find time to woo a

woman in the process. Not to be mistaken with the evil villain in other films, the gangster
criminal usually displays moments of humanity and/or vulnerability that allow the
audience to relate to him. The success of these moments is what makes crime and
gangster films satisfying to audiences.
War and Anti-War films showcase conflict between and within nations, often portraying
combat fighting with disturbing realism. Patriotism, pacifism, death, bravery, cowardice,
good, and evil are some primary themes examined in war movies. Few films in this
genre tout war as positive; more often it is portrayed as a necessary evil. Some films
take a comedic look at war through parody and satire. These films are not meant to
dismiss the seriousness of warfare, but to highlight the many absurdities that exist
within it.
Action/Adventure films are designed to entertain. Rarely are social issues or moral
messages found in this genre. The hero, usually male, battles either a villain or nature
with thrilling stunts, chases, fights, daring escapes, explosions and a rescue or two. The
action begins with the opening credits and rarely stops until the end when the hero
finally wins. Plot carries these films to their conclusion. Sometimes the plot involves a
search, a race against time, or an adventure in an exotic locale. Action adventure films
dont focus on character development or realism, but on energy and escapism. Action
adventure films are audience pleasing thrill rides.
Genre analysis is but one way to study cinema. An understanding of basic genres, their
differences and similarities, will provide a strong foundation for further study in film
theory.