FAMST 46 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Martial Arts Film, Mob Film, Fantasy Film
Film Art Chapter 9:
• Genres = type (sci fi, action, musical, etc)
• What makes a genre
o Films share subjects or themes
▪ Sci fi has tech beyond temporary science
▪ Fantasy film has magical powers and supernatural
o Recognized by other things
▪ Musicals by singing or dancing presentation
▪ Detective film by plot pattern of investigation
• Genre conventions- materials filmmakers work with, shape our expectations about what
we’re likely to see and hear
o Often center on plot patterns
o Or more thematic/broader meanings over and over
▪ Gangster film- price of criminal success, brutality, egotism
▪ Martial arts film- loyalty and obedience to teacher
o Techniques like lighting, slow motion violence, music, etc
• Genre iconography- recurring symbolic images that carry meaning from film to film
• Film can revise or even reject conventions associated with its genre
o Interplay of convention and innovation, familiarity and novelty
• Cycle- batch of related genre films that enjoys intense popularity and influence over
fairly brief period
o Typically occur when successful film triggers burst of imitations
▪ Godfather led to increase in gangster movies
• Genre mixing for innovation
• Argument that genres exploit ambivalent social values and attitudes
• 4 genres
o Western
▪ One of earliest film genres 1910s
▪ Partly based on historical reality (cowboys, outlaws, settlers, etc)
▪ Central theme is conflict between civilized order and lawless frontier
▪ Iconography- covered wagon, railroad, costume
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