Genre Theory

1. Genre Theory
Means ‘type’ or ‘category’. To study a film where a genre involves treating it,
not as a unique entity, but not as a member of a general category, as a certain
type of film.
Theorist Key Word
Buckingham  Traditionally,genres(particularly literary
genres) tendedtobe regardedasfixed
formsbut contemporarytheory
emphasisesthatbothformsand
functions are dynamic.
 DavidBuckinghamarguesthat ‘genre is
simply“given” byculture: rather, it is in
a constant processof negotiationand
change’
 Changesingenre reflectchangesin
societyandour values.
Altman  FilmtheoristAltmanarguesthat“there
isno such thingas “pure”genre
anymore.Genre isprogressive,inthatit
will alwayschange.”
 He suggeststhataudiences ingeneral
have become tiredof the same formula
and needmore tokeepthem
entertainedandtocreate appeal.
 “Hybridisation- orgenre “borrowing”
conventionsfromone anotherandthus
beingmuchdifficultto categorise.”