This document provides an overview and introduction to studying the films The Dark Knight and Batman for an exam focusing on the American superhero action genre. It defines key genre terms and conventions, discusses the genre's narrative and stylistic elements, and examines how the two films fit within and potentially subvert genre expectations through scenes and character analysis. Students are instructed to take notes on scenes from both films to assess how well they adhere to or challenge typical superhero film conventions.

1. T H E D A R K K N I G H T A N D B AT M A N
THE SUPER HERO
ACTION GENRE

2. LESSON OBJECTIVE
•Over view of the Unit
•Understand how it will be assessed
•Key terminology
•Introduction to the two films and their
context

3. WHAT DO WJEC SAY?
• “Two films must be chosen from a specific genre
or dealing with a specific theme.”
• Historical
• Remakes
• Thematic
Comparison and Contrast

4. THE EXAM
• How far do the American films you have
studied for this topic depend on well
established narrative and/or genre
conventions?
• How far do the American films you have
studies for this topic express similar
messages and values to one another?

5. THE EXAM
• With particular reference to the endings of
your chosen American films, compare their
messages and values.
• How useful have your wider contextual
studies been in understanding similarities
and differences in the American films you
have studied for this topic?

6. THE EXAM
• How far do the American films you have
studied for this topic depend on well
established narrative and/or genre
conventions?
• How far do the American films you have
studies for this topic express similar
messages and values to one another?

7. THE EXAM
• How far do the American films you have
studied for this topic depend on well
established narrative and/or genre
conventions?
• How far do the American films you have
studies for this topic express similar
messages and values to one another?

8. BATMAN VS THE DARK KNIGHT
• Batman 1989 Dir Tim Burton
• The Dark Knight 2008 Dir Christopher Nolan

9. What does
GENRE
mean?
Provides a relationship
between audiences and
producers which
minimises the risk of
financial failure
Films function like
language – offering
a set of rules and
‘vocab’
Not static but constantly
renegotiated between
industry and audience
(use of familiar and un
familiar
Meeting audiences
expectations equals
pleasure
Genre films work through
important cultural myths
and fears by repetition,
innovation and resolution
A set of characteristics/
formula recognised by
the audience over time
e.g. narrative,
iconography, MES,
themes and
representation
At an ideological level
genres offer reassurance
and a close down of the
complexities of life

10. INSTITUTIONAL USE OF GENRE
• Film producers use genre
as a means of minimizing
the economic risk in
making films
• Film distributors/
exhibitors see genre as a
means of advertising and
promoting films
• Both depend upon
audiences’ foreknowledge
and past experience

11. AUDIENCE USE OF GENRE
• Audiences use genre to give
them predictable pleasures
when consuming/watching a
film
• Audiences have certain
expectations of genre films
• Audiences expect genre films to
involve innovation,
inflection/subversion of the
generic conventions

12. GENERIC CONVENTIONS
• A film genre is defined by its codes and conventions and
these must be present to make a film a genre film but
should involve some aspect of innovation, subversion
and/or inflection (otherwise it becomes a formula film)
• Mise-en-scene
• Setting
• Visual style
• Iconography
• Cinematography
• Special effects
• Sound/music
• Performance
• Themes
• Ideology
• Stars
• Character-types
• Narratives
• Representation

13. WHAT IS A SUPERHERO MOVIE?
• A film based a comic
book?
• A film that features a
Superhero or
Superheroes?
• Not always – not all
characters start in comics
• Well, what actually is a
superhero?

14. THE (SUPER HERO) ACTION GENRE
• Genre Recipe
• Make a list of ten key ‘ingredient’ that would
make up a Super Hero Action film (include
measurements!).
• Write baking style instructions as to how you
would combine the ingredients to make the
perfect Super hero film
• Illustrate with pictures….

15. WHAT IS A SUPERHERO?
• Is it somebody with
super powers?
• It’s what a character
chooses to do with
the powers they have
• Not necessarily, as
Batman does not
actually have any
super power
• To defend the weak,
truth, justice, etc.

16. WHAT IS A SUPERHERO?
“A superhero....is a man or woman with powers
that are either massive extensions of human
strengths and capabilities, or fundamentally
different in kind, which he or she uses to fight
for truth, justice and the protection of the
innocent. A substantial minority of people
without powers as such share a commitment to
the superhero mission, so they are generally
regarded as superheroes in spite of the absence
of such powers”
(Roz Kaveney - Superheroes! Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films)

17. WHAT IS A SUPERHERO?
“A Superhero movie centres on individuals who use their
powers for public rather than personal good, often
against an enemy who uses their powers for personal
rather than public good. Most are sourced from comic
books”
(Studying Film)
“With great power comes great responsibility”
(Ben Parker, Spider-Man)

18. GENRE
Narrative (characters/events)
ThemesRepresentation of Gender
Technical Feature

19. OPENING SCENES OF THE DARK
KNIGHT AND BATMAN
• How well do these film fit the conventions of the
Super Hero Action Genre?
• Make sure you take notes on
• Mise en scene,
• Cinematography,
• Editing, including SFX
• Performance
• Sound
• Narrative
• Characters
• Events
• Representation
• Themes

20. GENRE
Narrative (characters/events)
ThemesRepresentation of Gender
Technical Feature

21. TWO OTHER SCENES
• You now need to watch two other scenes from both
movies and take notes on how well they fit the
conventions of the genre.
• Try to choose important/ action based scenes (but not
the one with the Joker and the pencil – I will use that one
later……)