Film studies - Genre

Lesson Objectives: To be able to explain the functions of film genre, and identify generic
elements in ‘Super 8’ and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’.

Read through the plot summaries of the two films.


What is the purpose of film genre?
• Classification
• Industry
• Audience
• Myths
• Cognition

Institutions and Audiences
Genre as economic strategy.
Generic pleasures.
The study of film genre allows an understanding of cinema
as both an industrial and popular medium.
Altman – capitalist function of genre product differentiation
Ryall – genre supervises relationship between filmmakers
and audience.

Myths
Genres tell and re-tell familiar stories – reflect social
concerns.
Genres resolve in imaginary terms social issues and
conflicts.

Cognition

One of the main functions of genre is to help audiences
to make sense of film texts.

Postmodern Genres/Genericity
Postmodernism – artistic style characterised by irony,
intertextuality, pastiche.
Genericity – postmodern culture genres not fixed and clear.

Intertexuality – the way one film makes reference to other
films/media texts.
Eclecticism- creating a text from a range of other texts and
genres.


Science fiction film is ’a film genre which emphasizes actual,
extrapolative, or speculative science…interacting in a social context with
the lesser emphasized, but still present, transcendentalism of magic and
religion, in an attempt to reconcile man with the unknown’ (Vivien
Sobchack).
Cultural theorist Scott Bukatman has proposed that science fiction film
allows contemporary culture to witness an expression of the sublime, be
it through exaggerated scale, apocalypse or transcendence.


Key Themes
•
•
•
•
•

Technology
Alien vs familiarity
Humanness
Community
Technology and Hope


Hybridity – ‘Super 8’ contains elements of
sci fi, coming of age narrative, action film,
and horror.


Key Themes in ‘Super 8’
•
•
•
•
•

Technology – alien’s superior technology
Humanness – film suggests the alien’s humanity
Community
Technology and Hope/sublime


Watch the extracts and make notes on how the
extract employs sci fi conventions. How are
cinematography, sound, editing, and mise-en-scene
used?

Key Themes in ‘Super 8’
•
•
•
•
•

Technology – alien’s superior technology
Humanness – film suggests the alien’s humanity
Community
Technology and Hope/sublime


Hybridity – ‘Moonrise
Kingdom’ contains elements of
a range of genres and
subgenres including romance,
comedy, teen film, and coming
of age movie.
It also contains elements of the
‘lovers on the run’ movie.


Coming of age film
Focuses on the maturation of
young people.
Key themes include
• Conflict with society
• Troubled family relationships
• Sexual identity
• Independence
• Death
• Nostalgia (often set in the
past)
• Quest/journey
Often include a rite of passage.

Bildungsroman

A Bildungsroman relates the growing up
or "coming of age" of a young person
who goes in search of answers to life's
questions with the expectation that these
will result from gaining experience of the
world. Usually in the beginning of the
story there is an emotional loss which
makes the protagonist leave on his
journey.. The genre often features a main
conflict between the main character and
society. Typically, the values of society
are gradually accepted by the protagonist
and he is ultimately accepted into
society.

‘Stand By Me’ (Rob Reiner, USA, 1985)
Set in 1950s – writer reflecting back on
his childhood. About 4 boys on a
journey to find the dead body of a boy
their age. The film contains all key
elements of the coming of age genre.
Stand by Me Trailer


Quest Motif
Many coming of age films use a quest
or journey motif.


Liminal Space and Coming of Age
Movies
Liminality is an idea identified by
anthropologist Arnold van Gennep. He
studied rites of passage and found they
have three stages:
Rites of separation – symbolic death
leads to removal from community
Liminality – the individual moves
outside society – often into the
wilderness.
Re-incorporation.

Coming of age film
Focuses on the maturation of
young people.
Key themes include
• Conflict with society
• Troubled family relationships
• Sexual identity
• Independence
• Death
• Nostalgia (often set in the past)
• Quest/journey
Often include a rite of passage.
Summer setting. Melancholy tone
– loss.

Watch the extracts and make
notes on how the film uses
the elements of the coming of
age film, and how this is
constructed through technical
elements.


Genericity
The film employs genre in a
playful way, utilising elements
of a range of genres but in a
childlike context.


Authorship
‘Moonrise Kingdom’ may be
best characterised as a Wes
Anderson film – the key
elements, style, and themes
are similar to his other films.

To what extent does ‘Super 8’
also use elements of the
coming of age film?


To what extent does ‘Super 8’ also use elements of the
coming of age genre?

How can you relate the key genre concepts to the two
films?
• Classification
• Industry
• Audience
• Myths
• Cognition
• Postmodern genres

Homework
Read at least one review of each film and note down
what key messages/themes are identified?

Film studies - Genre

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