Genres evolve over time due to cultural and historical changes. In the 1940s-1950s, the lone Western hero was popular, but shows in the 1960s-1970s like Rawhide and Bonanza featured groups of heroes reflecting the modern workplace. As interest in crime and espionage rose in the 1970s-1980s, the Western was replaced by police/detective and spy genres. Audiences also seek certain genres that relate to the fears or realities of their time. During the Great Depression, people turned to romantic comedies as an escape from hardship.
1. Genre analysisalsoincludesunderstandingthe evolutionof agenre overtime.Genreschange and
developbecauseof changesinthe culture orhistorical periodinwhichthe genre isbeingproduced.
The Westernsoloherowhowas popularinthe 1940s and 1950s evolvedintothe groupof heroesin
the 1960s and 1970s withRawhide andBonanza—showsthatreflectedashiftinthe workplace to
that of the groupin the corporationor companyduringthattime.And,withthe increasinginterest
inurban crime and internationalespionageinthe 1970s and 1980s, the Westernwasreplacedby
the police/detective andthe spy/thrillergenres.
Genresalsogainpopularitywithcertainaudienceswhoseekoutthese genresgiventhe historical or
cultural forcesoperatingina certainperiod.Duringthe Great Depression,audiencesflockedto
movie housestoviewHollywoodromanticcomediesasa wayof escapingthe grimrealitiesof
everydaylivescharacterizedbypovertyanddeprivation.The nature of the threatinscience fiction
moviesalsoshiftstoreflectchangesinfearsorthreatsfacingsocieties.Duringthe 1930s and1940s,
Americansexpressedracial fears,asmanifestedinthe rise of the KluKlux Klan,andinthe film, King
Kong.
Duringthe 1990s, withthe increased productionof filmsandthe control of mediaconglomerates
overthe typesof filmsbeingmade,anincreasingnumberof formulaicgenre filmswere produced.
Filmstudiosneededtoattract large audiencesinordertomake a returnprofiton the millionsthey
investedinhigh-production,special-effectsfilms,sotheyturnedtosafe,familiargenresandsequels
FilmGenres:Filmgenresare variousformsoridentifiable types,categories,classificationsorgroups
of filmsthatare recurringand have similar, familiarorinstantly-recognizablepatterns,syntax,filmic
techniquesorconventions - thatinclude one ormore of the following:settings(andprops),content
and subjectmatter,themes,mood,period,plot,central narrative events,motifs,styles,structures,
situations,recurringicons(e.g.,six-gunsandten-gallonhatsinWesterns),stockcharacters(or
characterizations),andstars.Manyfilmsare consideredhybrids - theystraddleseveral filmgenres.
GenresHistory:By the endof the silentera,manyof the maingenreswere established:the
melodrama,the western,the horrorfilm, comedies,andaction-adventure films(fromswashbucklers
to war movies).Musicalswereinauguratedwiththe eraof the Talkies,andthe genre of science-
fictionfilmswasn'tgenerallypopularizeduntil the 1950s. One problemwithgenre filmsisthatthey
can become stale,cliché-ridden,andover-imitated.A traditional genre thathasbeenreinterpreted,
challenged,orsubjectedtoscrutinymaybe termedrevisionist.
Popularfilmsbackin1990s are goingto completelydifferenttto whatit may be like in2014, five
popularfilmsbackin1990s withthe genrestheywere basedonare:
Goodfellas(Biological Films) (Crime Fiction)(Thriller)
ForrestGump (RomanticComedy) (EpicFilm)
PulpFiction(Crime Fiction) (Indie Film)(Comedy) (Thriller)
Matrix (Science Fiction) (Adventure) (Action)
Home Alone (Comedy)(Family)(Adventure Film)
2. Nowin2014 five popularfilmsare verydifferenttheyare original initsownwaybutnot as original
as the filmsin1990s because these filmsare mainlyscience fictionandhow theywascreated.
X-menDaysof Future Past (Superhero)(Science Fiction) (Fantasy) (Action) (Thriller) (Adventure)
Guardiansof the galaxy(Superhero) (Science Fiction)(Fantasy)(Action) (Adventure)
The Hunger GamesMocking Jay(Fantasy) (Science Fiction) (Action) (Drama) (Adventure)
TransformersAge of Extinction(Science Fiction) (Action) (Adventure)
Dawn of the Planetsof the Apes(Science Fiction) (Thriller) (Adventure) (Drama) (Action)
WhenI compare both setsof filmsduring1990s and 2014 youcan definitelyseeacomparisonof
diverse genre’sforexampleall andmost2014 filmsare reliedandbaseduponScience Fictionand
theyhave more genres,onthe otherhand the 1990’s filmsare completelydifferentandthat’swhat
makesthemso unique andrememberable.
