Major Genre- Drama
In our lives, we are presented with different issues and challenges everyday. Whether we are in conflict with ourselves, others, or forces of nature, we all live in our own real life “drama”. The word Drama, originates from the Greek word “dran” means “to act or do”. Drama (as we know it) originated in Greece, where the Greeks performed drama in Theatre. The Greek’s idea of performed, organized drama was picked up by the Romans, and therefore spread throughout the ancient world. In the early 1900’s, the idea of movies (moving pictures) became more wide spread. The idea of organized drama was therefore incorporated into film, hence the film genre “Drama”. Romance of a Jewess (1908) directed by D.W. Griffith, one of the first Drama films believed to be made, includes a melodramatic plot centers around the conflict between generations in an immigrant Jewish family. The film genre Drama is can easily be argued as the largest film genre because it of its wide range subgenres and minor subgenres. Some subgenres include romantic drama, period drama, courtroom drama, and psychological drama. Some minor subgenres include melodramas, gay and lesbian, and Sexual/Erotic. The film Titanic (1997) directed by James Cameron, fits into the romantic drama subgenre, and is one of the most famous renowned dramas grossing 108 billion worldwide. In a tearjerker like Titanic, the actresses and actors give heart-wrenching performances you wouldn’t see in other Genres, which is why some of the best and most memorable performances in films come from Dramas. In the recent Gay/Lesbian drama The Kids Are All Right (2010) directed by Lisa Cholodenko, the film combines Gay/Lesbian humor with dramatic elements that make the movie hilarious and heart breaking at the same time.
Drama film genre usually include one or more characters that are in the middle of a conflict, and follows the main characters until the conflict is resolved. A drama film’s ending ranges from happy/feel-good to extremely depressing, and can make people experience feelings they wouldn’t normally feel during their everyday lives. Drama films are often stretched versions of what usually happens in normal everyday life, which puts pressure on the filmmaker to try and make the film as realistic and believable as they can. Essentially what Drama films are trying to achieve are to hypnotize the viewer into feeling the emotions the director wants the viewer to feel. Melodrama, a minor subgenre of drama films, exaggerates the plot and the characters to great lengths to affect the emotions of its viewers. Melodramas reached their peak in the 30’s and 40’s, and are nowadays stamped as chick flicks, because most men are too “macho” and “cool” to show emotion. The Color Purple (1985) directed by Steven Spielberg is a character driven melodrama that is both a tearjerker and a triumph.
Some of the reoccurring themes that occur in Drama films include alcoholism, drug-addictions, social problems, crime and corruption, and poverty. In any case, drama films are usually character driven, in which the character is at conflict with himself, another person, or a force of nature. Films that are themed Man vs. Nature are usually harder to make realistic. Some Man vs. Nature films include Jaws (1975) directed by Steven Spielberg, The Birds (1963) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and The Day After Tomorrow (2004) directed by Roland Emmerich. The Day After Tomorrow is an end of the world flick that exemplifies the theme of Man Vs. Nature, and takes it to a whole new level. The film American Psycho (2000) directed by Mary Harron is about a man who tries to hide his alternate psychopathic ego from others around him, which conveys the theme of Man. Vs. Himself. Considered by many to be the best film ever made, Citizen Kane is a drama directed by Orson Welles in 1941. Although the main character dies in the opening scene, we rely on “character development” through flashbacks throughout the film to figure out why Charles Foster’s (the main character) last word was “Rosebud.” Sharply contrasting to Action films (which rely on quickly cut shots and action packed scenes), Drama films rely on character development. We study the main character closely, and follow their journey from the conflict to the resolution. Each character in a drama film is usually deeply thought out and paid attention to, because drama films don’t usually rely on quick cuts and special effects to make the film. The nature of the film relies heavily on the character, which explains why some of the best actor/actress performances come from drama films.
Subgenre - Thriller
Subgenre - Thriller
You are in the movie theater and you are sitting at the edge of your seat, anxiously anticipating the next shot. Inside you feel intense excitement, anxiety, uncertainty, and nerve-wracking tension. But the weird feelings you are experiencing are different from the ones you usually feel during horror films. You are feeling not fearful, but extremely anxious, and a little uncomfortable. You are most likely viewing a Thriller/Suspense film. Thriller/Suspense is a subgenre of film with a wide variety of varying minor subgenres. Whether you are viewing an action-thriller, crime-caper thriller, or even political thriller (which became most popular after the assassination of John F. Kennedy), they all have the tendency to keep you on your toes, waiting anxiously to see what happens next. One director known for his suspenseful thrillers is Alfred Hitchcock. His films are frightening and intriguing, and have earned him the nickname as “The Master of Suspense.” Psycho directed by Hitchcock in 1960 is one of his most famous and widely known films, as well as one of the greatest thriller films ever made. Psycho is a psychological thriller, famous for its “Shower Scene.” The Shower scene is a murder scene that included 77 different camera angles, which to this day will chill you right down to the bone. Thrillers all have one common goal, which is to keep the audience at the edge of their seats until the story reaches a climax and resolution. The filmmaker wants to get your adrenaline racing in some way, whether it’s on a psychological level or action-packed level. One common method used in thrillers is the withholding of important information from the audience, and fight/chase scenes. Fight/Chase scenes are a great method of keeping the audience anxious and excited. One of the most greatest/most intense chase scenes ever filmed is in the movie The French Connection directed by William Friedkin (1971). It is an extremely intense car chase including crashes, collisions, and 90 mph speeds. The scene is hair-raising, and delivers what a thriller is supposed to. Another great type of thriller is the Psychological thriller. Psychological thrillers take you for a ride into the mind of a psychologically unstable person, and follow their descent into madness. Contrasted against Action-Thrillers, psychological thrillers keep you on the edge of your seat with the material and the psyche, whereas Action-Thrillers keep you on your seat by throwing special effects, quick cut shots, and action packed scenes into your face. In most thrillers, the main character is put into a life-threatening situation, even if they may not know it. The scenes are usually menacing and mysterious. Thrillers are a good film of choice if your looking for an adrenaline rush, and a frightening but good time.
Minor Subgenre- Psychological Thriller
One of the most exciting minor subgenres is Psychological Thriller. A Psychological Thriller takes you into the mind of a main character with psychological troubles, and often brings you along for the ride into the character’s descent into madness. A current director who does a fabulous job of putting you right into the characters skin is Darren Aronkofsky. Aronkofsky takes every aspect of a film and gives it symbolic meaning, from the costuming to the framing. In his recent film, Black Swan (2010), he frames every shot tight on the main character, capturing her every breath and step- showing that the main character lives in her mind, not paying a lot of attention to the outside world. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a psychologically unstable ballerina who is willing to go to any length to reach perfection. Nina wins the part of the Swan queen in the ballet company’s “Swan Lake”, and Nina must learn how to lose herself and dance the sensual seductive black swan, as she is already so much like the fragile and virginal swan. The only person standing in Nina’s way is her own alter ego, although that isn’t what her mind leads her to believe. Black Swan does a chillingly fantastic job of taking you into the skin of a ballerina who’s OCD, anorexic, and schizophrenic mind leads her to madness. A psychological thriller often deals with themes of reality, perception, death, and mind. Keeping you anxious and on your toes, a psychological thriller will give you something to think about.
Erotic Thriller
The opening scene is of a beautiful girl dressed in classy lingerie, brushing her hair back. The music is mysterious, and the visuals are filmed in an eerie way. You are watching the erotic thriller, Chloe.
An erotic thriller is a thriller that is mixed with erotica (sexually arousing). Erotic Thrillers grew popular around the mid 1980’s, and died out around the 1990’s. Some famous erotic thrillers include Dressed to Kill (1980, directed by Brian De Palma), Eyes Wide Shut (1999, directed by Stanley Kubrick), French film Nathalie (2003, directed by Anne Fontaine), and the American remake Chloe (2009, directed by Atom Egoyan). Chloe is an erotic thriller that is also psychological, that follows a wife who hires a prostitute to present herself to the wife’s husband to see if he is cheating on her. Chloe the prostitute’s character builds up to be a lot more psychological than we expect, and she ends up becoming emotionally attached and obsessed with the wife. The part where the Erotica theme comes in is with Chloe- who is a very desirable and sexual character. Chloe is seen making love with every member of the family: the father, mother, and son, which makes it that much steamier and erotic. A lot of thrillers incorporate the theme of erotica in their scenes, without full on calling their film an erotic thriller. Erotica is extremely popular in World Cinema, because it will always be something that creates the buzz and hype for a film.
