Investigating Genre & Narrative

Investigating Genre & Narrative

 

Science Fiction:

 

In Science Fiction films, generally there is a spaceship. This is stereotypically associated with this genre of film, although each film is presented differently. For example, one of the ideas for a typical well-known storyline in Sci-Fi films, is to have aliens or another type of supernatural being arrive on planet Earth. The film then revolves around characters identifying who the aliens are & where they have come from. In films such as these, the aliens have usually landed on Earth in a spaceship in an attempt to invade Earth. Some sci-fi films are actually set in space & involve astronauts exploring a planet. Sometimes there may be creatures on another planet. To the audience, these superficially look like humans, but are actually another race living on another planet. However, the audience may interpret these characters as the protagonists – ‘the good guys’.

 In films such as E.T. –The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), this starts off with the audience believing the storyline will be conventional, however, when E.T. arrives on Earth, the audience discover E.T. is infact a friendly alien.

Film genre has changed so much over time as directors & producers have discovered & learned what aspects of the film genre the audience enjoys & responds to the most.

Furthermore, film tastes change as well. What might have been a non-conventional storyline in 1980 for example, may have been adapted & had ideas taken from it for inspirational ideas for future films. Therefore this could be very similar to a film made in 2010. This is because film genres have been adapted to suit what audiences want to see.

Each genre has different codes and conventions and films of the same genre generally have the same codes and conventions but presented in a different way to alter the storyline for different audiences.

Films have also changed over time due to the development of special effect, graphics & CGI. This has made new films unique, introduced a new style & way to enjoy film & also made films look more realistic & believable.

For example, Total Recall (1990) has special effects that in the late ‘80’s & early ‘90’s were impressive & at the time realistic. However as effects & film & genre formats have improved & moved on, these effects are not as convincing today.

 This is similar to E.T. As CGI has improved, special effects are now generated through computers, although the effects in E.T. are presented by models & robots of the alien being filmed.

This is completely different to how Avatar (2009) was made where live actors are mixed with CGI characters. This makes films more realistic, interesting & exciting for audiences to watch.

Another iconic feature of Sci-Fi films is robots/cyborgs. An example of this is The Terminator (1984) this is a sci-fi thriller. This is not such a conventional film as a whole e.g. it has Terminators which are stereotypically robots in this context. The film also has other conventional elements, such as suspenseful music, typical of a sci-fi film. It has a futuristic setting & robotic sound effects. However certain aspects of this film are very original, for example the idea of a robot having the artificial intelligence to be able to disguise itself as a normal human being but actually, it is almost indestructible.

Audiences also build up certain expectations for different genres. For example Total Recall, The Terminator & Predator all star Arnold Schwarzenegger & are all sci-fi films. Audiences have seen Arnold Schwarzenegger in thriller, sci-fi & action films, so therefore mainly associate him with this genre.

Furthermore, this film also has aspects of narration while explaining the plot in flashbacks. This therefore means the film has moments where it does not flow in a linear narrative form.

 District 9 is a conventional film in the sense that it is a typical sci-fi film with aliens & spaceships created from CGI. However it is not set in America or the UK where it would be expected to be filmed, it is a South African film. This is unconventional because it is set in a different part of the world Therefore the directors, producers & writers may have different ideas opinions & perspectives about what should be included in a film because audiences may have different expectations in different countries. It is also filmed in an alternative style – in a documentary format, which adds to the originality of it.

I think some sci-fi films do not follow Propp’s Structural Theory because this implies that the issue is resolved & the film has reached an appropriate closure point.

 I think this theory works with very basic, conventional films – mainly fairytales, however cannot be applied to a lot of sci-fi films with a complex plot, or with very few or similar characters, for example Predator.

I think most films are supported by Tzvetan Todorov’s Theorem.

Films such as District 9 are most similar to Todorov’s Theorem with the five stages of the narrative: equilibrium, disruption, recognition, repair & new equilibrium. However I believe District 9 lacks the first stage of equilibrium because the film starts with the aliens already in the film – causing the disruption.

Overall I think many films in the Science Fiction genre can also be categorised in hybrid genres. For example sci-fi films can also be jointly classified with fantasy, such as the X-Men Quadrilogy.

 

 

 

 

http://totalscifionline.com/features/3809-the-100-greatest-sci-fi-movies

 

 

Word Count: 898

By Eleanor Witcomb

Thriller:

Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: (18)

This is a very unconventional film & musical.

Most musicals are light-hearted &enjoyable to watch, however, this film is a gothic musical thriller.

It is directed by Tim Burton, a very iconic director – who also directed Edward Scissorhands. Burton has a very distinctive & unique style of film-making.

Characters in Burton films always wear a lot of makeup & the costumes are always exaggerated – either very bright or very dark, dull costumes.

In Sweeney Todd the costumes & lighting are very subdued, to add a gloomy, negative effect to the film.

This film is very conventional within Burton’s style, but very unconventional in comparison with other filmmakers.

The Fugitive: (15)

This film has a reasonably conventional storyline. It could be argues that this film could also be categorised as crime, as the killer is not identified until late in the film.

I think this film is a thriller because not only do you have the conventional plot of the police attempting to catch the killer, you also follow the journey of an innocent, convicted person & their struggle for freedom & justice.

 

 

 

Memento: (15)

As with The Fugitive, this film could also be categorised as ‘crime.’ There is a very unconventional way of switching and identifying the past & the present throughout this film. This is highlighted by the use of black & white for one time period & full colour for another. There is continual cross-cutting between the two timeframes as the plot develops.

This film has a very complex storyline, similar to lots of thriller/crime films which are left of cliff-hangers.

 

Fantasy:

Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban: (PG)

This is the third film in the Harry Potter series. It has a variety of characters, both protagonist & antagonist.

It has examples of CGI e.g. werewolves & dementors.

It has an unconventional storyline because usually wizards & witches are portrayed as old people with cauldrons, however, this film from the series takes on a different perspective of young magicians.

The colour pallet throughout is varied for example in threatening, haunting scenes there is not much lighting, but brighter lighting is shown when there is a cheerful atmosphere. This is a conventional use of lighting. There is a diverse contrast in characters, which adds to the entertainment for the audience.

Edward Scissorhands: (12)

This is a very unconventional dark film. The first impressions of the film suggest it is a stereotypical ghost story. However I believe it to be a gothic style fantasy because of the similarities of some gothic stories.

It has quite a conventional plot. It could be compared with a film where there is a creation of a monster/doll.

The audience feels sympathy towards Edward Scissorhands as the neighbourhood becomes more prejudiced & this is seen from Edward Scissorhand’s point of view.

 

Stardust: (PG)

I think this film is quite conventional. It gives the impression of a fairytale, however this film has some original ideas to make an intriguing storyline. It could be debated that this film could also fit in the genre of adventure.

There are lots of CGI effects to add to the enjoyment of the film for example the transformation of characters e.g. witches. This film also has elements of humour, particularly the ‘royal dead ghosts.’ These are clearly illustrated because they have a black & white effect.

 

 

 

 

Adventure:

Finding Nemo: (animation/CGI) (U)  

This film is aimed at a younger audience, however can be enjoyed by all ages. Comedy is a strong element in this film. All of the characters consist of very bright colours.

The film also portrays humans as the antagonists & the fish as the protagonists, so you feel sympathy towards the fish & you essentially watch the film from a fish’s point of view. Most of the film is very light-hearted & the contrast in all the characters makes the film very enjoyable and gives an unconventional aspect & perspective on the film.

 

Princess Mononoke: (animation) (PG)

This is a very clever film, with an extremely unconventional plot & storyline. It is a production by Studio Ghibli, which iconically produces animated films  with an alternative plot & idea.

All the characters in the film wear very bright clothes & there is lots of hidden symbolism & cultural reference  in the film. The film also has a very iconic style. The conclusion in most of the films is open to interpretation.

 

 

 

 

Princess Bride: (PG)

 

This is also a film with an alternative, unusual storyline. It has moments of comedy. Some elements of the film are very dark. There is some non-diagetic sound & music in the film, to make it more dramatic. There is dull lighting in this film & not much colour in the costumes worn by the characters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Series of Unfortunate Events: (PG)

This is quite a conventional film, however there are many unconventional aspects to it.

The colour pallet throughout the whole film is very dark e.g. mostly grey & sepia colours to reflect that although the film is very enjoyable & entertaining, it has a dark, depressing theme.

It is also unconventional & unusual because it has the author/narrator writing the story as the live action is happening. Most of the film is set within a radius of the house. The house is almost presented as a ‘haunted house’ with stereotypical objects & creatures found in such houses e.g. spiders & cobwebs.

Furthermore this film has comedic moments & is suitable for most audiences.

This adventure film ends on a cliff-hanger which leaves it open for a sequel film.

 

Monster House: (animated/CGI) (PG)

This film is very frightening for the audience it is intended for. It is a conventional ghost story, based in predominately one location – it is set around the time of Halloween.

There is lots suspenseful music & diagetic sound typical of ghost stories, such as creaking doors & squeaky floorboards.
This film has occasional red lighting, symbolising danger& blood.
This is an excellent film which could also be categorised as a children’s’ thriller.

Science Fiction:

X-men – First Class: (12)

This is science fiction film about mutants. This is the prequel to the X-Men series. In some ways, it does not follow the conventional pattern of sci-fi films. The film ends on a cliff hanger. There are not many main characters who are antagonists in this film. The conflict and fight scenes in the film just arises from differences of opinion between characters. The film is based around true events, however it is put into the sci-fi category because it involves mutants.

The cinematography in this film is unique & there are lots of scenes which involve cross-cutting in the build up to the fighting scenes.

However the antagonists do tend to wear slightly darker clothes. Most of the film is all based in one location – e.g. the build up to the battle scenes & climax.

 

Incredibles: (animation/CGI) (U)

The Incredibles is a very stereotypical superhero movie. In most superhero films, such as this one, there is suspenseful music – non-diagetic sound, in the action scenes. There are also stereotypical superpowers e.g. invisibility, super strength & super speed.

 There is a main ‘super-villain’ antagonist as well. The main superheroes wear very bright colour e.g. yellow & red, but in contrast with this, the super-villain antagonist wears mainly black (and a cape!)

There is lots of action in this film & it follows the conventional storyline pattern of sci-fi , superhero films. For example, the build up to the battle at the end.

There are also visual effects (CGI) used to create more suspense with fantastical sound effects (sci-fi) to make the film more realistic & enjoyable.

 

District 9: (15)

This film is set in South Africa & has many CGI effects including live action. It is a sci-fi film, however it is presented in a type of documentary format, e.g. as if you were viewing the film through a video camera. The film does follow the general codes of sci-fi films, however it has a unique & original storyline. It also contains clever usage of diagetic sound e.g. the alien dialogue/language.

Again, in this film I do not think there are any antagonists or protagonists because the aliens and human both have opposing opinions.

 

Avatar: (12)

This film is mixed with live action & CGI. It could be argued that this film belongs to the ‘war’ genre because the avatars are fighting against the destruction of their planet – ‘Pandora.’

Avatar is a conventional sci-fi film, set in space. I think it has an original but predictable storyline.

The film uses lots of non-diagetic sound to engage the audience & keep them in suspense. The colour pallet in the film in general is very bright with over-exaggerated colours.