Genres
Genres are categories we use to sort movies. These categories help us understand and summarize movies. Genres consider:
Genres create expectations. When we go to the theater to see an Action movie, like Spiderman, we expect to see stunts, fights, and the hero defeating the "bad guys." When we go to see a Musical, we expect to see and hear musical numbers.
- Characters
- Settings
- Technology
- Tone: How the movie makes us feel: does it make us laugh (comedy) or scream (horror)
- Themes:The overall message/moral of the story. For example,
- Ending/Resolution: The hero defeats the bad guy in Action movies, the Cowboy/Sheriff brings justice in a Western, and two people get married in a Romance
- Unique Features: Musicals have singing and dancing
Genres create expectations. When we go to the theater to see an Action movie, like Spiderman, we expect to see stunts, fights, and the hero defeating the "bad guys." When we go to see a Musical, we expect to see and hear musical numbers.
Western |
Westerns are set in the Wild West (desert, saloons) and feature Cowboys, Sheriffs, Outlaws and "Indians" (Native Americans portrayed as savages and stereotyped).
Trains, horses, cattle, shootouts, saloons, guns, lassos and cowboy hats appear in Westerns. Themes include Justice and Revenge. Restoration of law and order is a common ending. |
Action |
Action movies have heroes and villains, stunts, epic fights, action sequences, car chases and the hero must defeat the villain in the end.
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Science-Fiction |
Science-Fiction movies are set in futuristic times or distant galaxies. Advanced technology, robots, aliens, and spaceships appear in Sci-Fi movies. The plot usually features fantastic quests or journeys.
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Romance |
Love Stories in which couples must overcome obstacles to be together. Obstacles include:
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Musical
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Musicals feature song and dance. There are two broad categories of music:
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Documentary |
Documentaries are also narratives (they tell stories) but from a factual basis. Documentaries use interviews with "experts" and real people as a narrator ties the interviews together to tell the story. Historical events and people and social issues are two topics commonly featured in documentaries.
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