There are two main approaches to analyzing films: genre analysis and auteur theory. Genre analysis examines how a film conforms to the conventions of its genre, such as through its characters, themes, settings and narrative structure. Auteur theory looks at how the director brings their personal style and breaks generic conventions. Mean Girls is an example of a genre film that adheres closely to the teen comedy genre through its popular female lead character and focus on friendship and romance, while Napoleon Dynamite breaks conventions with its unconventional male lead. Quantum of Solace is a genre film that uses the typical Bond character and themes of action films, while Leon features an atypical female sidekick. Pulp Fiction has elements of the crime genre but

1. How do we analyse film?
When it comes to analysing a film there are two different ways you can study it. The first
one is genre analysis and the second is an auteur theory. A genre analysis director would
be someone that sticks to the typical mise en scene of the film and doesn’t break the
conformity. For example Quantum of Solace directed by Marc Foster would be classed
as a genre analysis film as you see all the typical conventions of an action film
throughout it. Whereas in auteur theory films the director would go against the genre of
the film and break the codes and conventions. An example of this type of film would be
Leon directed by Luc Besson as it goes against the conformity of a typical action film
which can be seen through the relationship of him and the 12 year old girl.
An example of a genre analysis film for a teen comedy would be Mark Water’s, Mean
Girls. The codes and conventions that are used throughout this film are typical ones that
you would see in this genre of teen comedy. One of
these would be a non-diegetic voice over normally
being the main character of the film. The main
character of the film is always a girl which is new to the
school who then becomes popular at the end due to
befriending the popular girls. They use various setting
through this genre of film but the main ones you would
most likely see are; high school, parents house, school dining room and sports field even
though the conformity is broke in some of the scenes. Another thing that is important to
make a popular teen comedy is the theme. During Mean Girls the director shows the
main themes as being love, friendship and acceptance. You can see this through the way
Kady Heron (the main character), joins the school as a new girl and tries her best to be
accepted into a friendship group whilst falling in love with the cute boy at school. An
example of an auteur theory for a teen comedy would be Jared Hess’, Napoleon
Dynamite. This film shows a different type of main character as he is a guy who is seen
as the geek at school, doesn’t have any friends and isn’t
taken seriously by girls rather than having the main
character to turn out to be popular. There are no typical
codes and conventions in this film that you would see in
a teen comedy apart from the school being one of the
main settings. The main character also doesn’t live with
a typical family as he has no mum or dad which is
something you normally see in this genre. The director has also broke the conformity of
a teen comedy by choosing Napoleon’s best friend, Pedro to be the one that falls in love
at the end of the movie. The narrative of both these films could be seen as the same
because both the main characters are seen in their everyday life through high school and
friendship but it is also very different at the same time due to the difference in character
types.
When it comes to action films and example of one that is genre analysis based would be
James Bonds, Quantum of Solace. The director, Marc Foster has stuck to the typical
codes and conventions of this genre all the way through this film. He has done this
through the characters well by having Daniel Craig as the leading role (James Bond) as
he is a stereotypical type of actor to be casted to play the part. The audience will know
this as he as seen as a handsome, well groomed male for his age and has good physical
appearances. By casting a leading male like him it will create a wider audience for the
film by how the female audience want to be with him and the male audience want to be
him. This director also does this through the main female role in the film by using a
beautiful, young female to be James Bonds love interest. The director uses this female

2. role well by using her as a sexual object for the male audience of the film. These types of
characters are typical ones you would see in an action film. Another thing the director
uses well is the themes that are used in the film. The main
themes that are used in this film are death, saving the
world, revenge and good over evil. These are the typical
themes you would expect to see in action film therefore
the audience know that the director conformed to the
genre. In comparison, an example of an action film that
uses and auteur director would be Luke Besson’s, Leon. In
this film the director has gone against the typical codes
and conventions of an action film. The director does this by using a 12 year old girl as
the main female character who also turns into the side-kick of the main character. This
character breaks the conformity of the genre because she is seen as a strong
representation which is something you don’t normally see.
When it comes to the film Pulp Fiction the director, Quentin Tarautino is classed as an
auteur director. The reason for this is because this film’s genre is crime thriller but the
way that the narrative is structured doesn’t apply to a typical crime thriller. Despite it
containing a lot of guns and drugs the way that the director has made it a non-liner
narrative makes it different from other films
of this genre. The narrative is also different
because it can be classed as an elliptical
narrative which means things are left out in
it. Even though the director goes against
some typical things you would see in a crime
thriller he does use some typical features.
For example, the characters that you see like
the hit men are conventional characters that
you see in this genre of film. Even though these characters are part of the genre they go
against the genre as they are not seen as the main characters normally in crime thrillers.
Tarautino has done this to show the audience a different side to this genre. The director
has used a lot of iconography in this film. He has done this through the prop use of guns,
needles and drugs. These are all things that were high in popularity in the era the film is
set in, the 50s. Finally, the director has conformed to the genre through setting by
setting it in an urban city that is seen with wealthy and rich people in it.