Abstract This paper discusses the evolution and success of the westerngenre of filmmaking. It discusses Andre Bazin's "The Western: Or the American Film Par Excellence" in which he analyzes this genre. It describes Bazin's arguments, as well as his comparison of the western to the courtly romances of the medieval era in their focus on the chaste woman and his comparison of them to the Russian revolutionary genre.
From the Paper "To Bazin, the only other modern epic cinema was the Russian revolutionary genre, which had some parallels to the western: both showed a new society undergoing its tumultuous birth pangs, imposing a new order and morality upon a vast canvas of human activity during a fleeting historical moment. Bazin concludes that, like the mythologized history of the Russian revolution, the story of the American west would have been relegated to much lesser international prominence were it not for the power of the moving image to universalize human experience."
The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the two Westernfilms, "Shane," made in 1953 and directed by George Stevens, and "Unforgiven," made in 1992 and directed by Clint Eastwood.
Abstract This paper analyzes the two films and discusses their significance in the genre of Westernfilms. Today, the classic Western is a film out of style, but these two films live on as classics, generally because they deviate from the traditional Western model. They portray the characters three dimensionally, and the violence as real and devastating. The underlying theme and message is that violence is unnecessary and useless, and it can ruin the lives of those who use it.
From the Paper ""Shane" does not rely on elaborate sets and costuming to get its message across to viewers. One reviewer called the sets "spartan" and the language of the film "laconic." The characters of this film make it the classic it has become. From the opening scene, when Shane rides down into a valley with a massive chain of mountains behind him, the viewer understands his character is larger than life, and it is right that he came down from the "mountaintops" to save the struggling family in the valley."
Abstract This paper analyzes the western movie genre. The paper specifically examines John Belton's theories in relation to how nature and the main character are engaged in mythological opposition using the 1953 movie "Shane." The paper describes the movie and discusses how the various scenes add to the theme of mythical opposition.
From the Paper "Every good western movie has a final showdown. The final showdown symbolizes the final battle between the two opposing forces of the movie. In this case the Ryker gang symbolizes chaos and stands in the way of the march of civilization. The Ryker gang is as untamed as the forces of nature. In the final showdown of Shane the Ryker gang and the homesteaders Knight in shining armor come face to face. The scene takes place in a saloon and Shane is at first outnumbered. He stands very little chance of success, yet it feels compelled to continue because he feels that he must win this one for the homesteaders. The Ryker gang cannot prevail and continue with their reign of terror. Shame faces an enemy of mythological proportions and yet somehow manages to overcome them in the final scene."
Abstract This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the war filmgenre, its history and examples of some of the films that have been identified as a war filmgenre. The writer provides a list of common characteristics of the genre and examines several historical as well as modern war movies -19th century ?Tearing Down the Spanish Flag"; "The Birth of a Nation" (D. W. Griffith); ?Full Metal Jacket"(Stanley Kubrick) and "Life is Beautiful" (Roberto Benigni).
From the Paper "The war film genre is also referred to as the anti-war film genre, since some of the war films do not only discuss war sentiments, but anti-war sentiments as well. War as a film genre ?often acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) provide the primary plot or background for the action of the film.? Furthermore, war films can also be "paired" with other film genres, wherein the topic of war can be interspersed with comedy, drama, or romance as a co- or sub-genre of the film. Tim Dirks, in his article about the war film genre, enumerates several characteristics and themes that can often be found in war film genres:"
Abstract This paper looks at the history of the gangster filmgenre in the United States from the 1930s to the 1960s. It specifically looks at the impact that this filmgenre has had on American society and culture. The paper discusses the historical context of the rise of the gangster filmgenre and why it appealed to Americans at that time in their history. It gives specific examples of films and characters that fit into this category.
Table of Contents:
The Rise of the Gangster Genre The Postwar World
1960's and Beyond
From the Paper "As World War I ended, the 18th Amendment ushered in Prohibition and with it a wave of crime matched only by the drug and gang wars of our own era. Where brewing and distilling were once respectable trades, the importation, production, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages was taken over by criminals during the 1920s. In big cities like New York or Chicago, headline grabbing mobsters battled for control of this illegal market. Competition among newspapers sensationalized and romanticized the stories of events like the St. Valentine's Day Massacre or the exploits of "Scarface" Al Capone. Our contemporary war on drugs can be seen as a parallel event - both of which run counter to the dominant free market and individual free choice ideology of the United States. Just as ethnic minorities were disproportionately represented as violating prohibition in the 1930s, those portrayed in modern gangster films are disproportionately Latino and Black or immigrant."
Abstract This paper describes some common filmgenres and subjects. It also discusses some generally untreated subjects, such as Native Americans. In addition, the paper provides a list and overview of the top Oscar winners of all-time. It concludes that the subjects, which filmmakers choose and audiences most enjoy, are those that are larger than life.
From the Paper "These are only five broad genres of film. We could add to these several additional genres and many sub-genres, which are more narrowly focused on specific subjects or people. Westerns, for example, were very popular during the 1940's and 50's. They focused on the cowboy and portrayed Native Americans in a generally unfavorable way. While some later films, such as Dances With Wolves (1990) with Kevin Costner treated Native Americans more favorably. This would be one example of a subject long missing from American film. In this regard Mel Gibson's recent Apocalypto about Meso-Americans is a relatively untouched topic as well about Native Americans."
Abstract The paper discusses how the noir style of film and the westerngenrefilm share some similarities which unify the films in these categories more than they divide them. The paper describes how the styles of cinematography would seem to suggest that there could be no overlap in these genres; the settings of the western and the film noir are not simply disparate, they are opposite. The paper explains that they are, however, used to a similar effect in that they manipulate the sense of security experienced by the viewer.
From the Paper "It could be argued that stylistically there are not too many genres more diametrically opposed than those of the western and the film noir. The first genre takes place in a rural setting, the second in an urban one. The western genre takes place in an arid climate, while the film noir is characterized by rain and wetness. Both genres, however, have "man's men" as heroes and, generally, strong women as heroines. The style of storytelling is often the same, with characters often reaching conclusions that are not ultimately satisfying. It is true, in fact, that film scholars have already linked the two genres together in naming the western films that were made in the 1940s "Cold War Westerns" or "noir Westerns" (Tyler 178)."
This paper examines Norman Mailer's novel "The Naked and the Dead" in which the author incorporates the symbols, characters and narrative conventions of the WWII combat genre.
Abstract This paper details the introduction and perception of the WWII combat genre in both film and literature. The writer of this paper defines genre as an element consisting of a shared set of rules, symbols and story patterns. In Norman Mailer's novel, "The Naked and the Dead," the author engages the symbols, characters and narrative conventions of the combat genre in a complex dialogue, both enmeshing and reinforcing audience expectations. By tracing the minority character of Martinez in "The Naked and the Dead," one can see how Mailer incorporates the genre in a way that reflects both the unique capacities of the novel as a medium separate from that of film. This paper also expands on Mailer's particular view of film as an inadequate representation of the complexities of war and America. The writer of this paper contends that Mailer's novel must be read in the context of the combat filmgenre, which was well established in the memory of American audiences by 1948 as a frame of reference for understanding and justifying WWII. This paper clearly details the characteristics of Martinez which fits the conventional stereotype evolved from and established within the genre of the World War II combat film. The writer also discusses the significance of various WWII related films that were released in the 1940s including: "Bataan," "GI Joe" and "Home of the Brave."
From the Paper "The multiracial platoon acts as a symbol of democracy, functioning to distinguish Americans from a racist enemy, the Nazis. At the same time, the visual presence of minorities helps to legitimize 'good' racism (racism against the Japanese) by framing it with images of racial integration. Feigning inclusion of minorities is also a propaganda tactic aiming to harness collective support for the war. In Bataan there are four minorities: a Mexican-American, two Philipinos and a black man. The Philipinos are associated with nature; they are implicitly more primitive and closer to the enemy. The Mexican-American is associated with jazz music and a womanizing past, and the black man is associated with spirituality. All four characters die fairly early on in horrible barbaric deaths. In later movies, some or all of these characteristics may be lumped together into composite minority representatives."
Tags: literature, analysis, perception, film, industry, u.s., history, world, war, two
Abstract This paper examines filmgenres and indicates that they cannot be clearly identified to the exclusion of all other possibilities because genres overlap and intermix. The paper explains that genres are identified by plot elements, style of presentation, and tone, and many genres include several sub-genres identifying different plot types within the more general category. Several different movies are described in relation to their genres. The paper claims that intermixing genres and sub-genres keeps the art of film fresh and can produce entirely new genres.
From the Paper "Film genres are as often as not selling tools, ways of identifying the type of film offered to a potential audience. Yet, there are different genres in any art which involve repeated patterns of plot and tone. Film genres are differentiated according to plot and style, and there are many ways genres can overlap. A film can be identified as a mystery if it contains the elements of a mystery--a crime, a puzzle to be solved, suspects, a detective--but a film can have all these elements and be a comedy, using the mystery elements in a comic framework."
Tags: comedy, mystery, drama, suspense, thriller, plot, style, tone
This paper examines the horror filmgenre, also known as realist horror, while focusing on two specific films, "The Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer."
Abstract This paper analyzes the realist horror genre in film. The realist horror genre was spearheaded by Alfred Hitchcock in his 1960 film "Psycho." Horror films proliferated throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s in Hollywood. Most of these films used comedy to portray killings, veering away from realism. The writer of this paper contends that the realist aspect of actual human killers is enough to leave lingering fears long after the viewing has ended. This paper focuses on this particular style of filmmaking, in which the approach is to focus on the killer rather than victim, resulting in terrifying the viewing audience. This well-researched paper notes the similarities and differences in "The Blair Witch Project" and "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer." This paper describes how both films leave the viewer with a lingering thought and fear of the real world. Specifically, fear of the horrific possibilities. "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" is based on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. The movie follows the daily life of Henry, beginning with aftermath shots of freshly murdered victims juxtaposed with images of Henry. This illustrates to the audience that Henry is indeed a bona-fide serial killer. "The Blair Witch Project" is a far cry from the typical slasher film. It uses an entirely different approach to realist horror. The film is shown as a documentary and the actors are not actors at all, but real victims captured on video.
From the Paper "The presentation style changes only during the murder scenes. The pictures are graphic and almost too gory to be real. One woman is seen with a bottle shoved into her throat and the electronics salesman's head goes through a television picture tube - just before the television is plugged in - electrocuting him. Background electric guitar is also present mostly during the build up to a murder. It is not overdone and avoids appearing out of place. Rather, it helps the viewer realize something important in happening. Overall the film does achieve a realism most slasher films cannot approach. This purposeful use of a home-movie style subtly reminds the viewer that the onscreen events are based in truth. Blair Witch takes the realist style one step further by using the camera as a prop in the film. The viewer is constantly reminded that an off-screen character is behind the lens."
This paper examines plot and character development as well as the creative process involved in various horror films and focuses on how 'slasher' films have changed from the 1970s to the present.
Abstract The writer of this paper evaluates the horror film industry and discusses how story plots and characters are created. This paper alludes to the constantly advancing and improving computer generated visual effects that are practically a requirement in these types of films. This paper also examines how issues of sexuality and morality are incorporated into these types of movies and how the horror filmgenre has drastically changed from the 1970s to the present. Several films discussed in this paper include: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Leatherface" and "Friday the 13th."
From the Paper "The horror films of the past were simpler, had a single-minded direction and probably did not have today's pressure to make a lot of money. Many of these films were original in thought, contained a creative element lost in much of today's horror. Today, the pressure is to show a lot of blood and gore, the more explicit, the better. There often appear the same themes and character roles over and over again.
In the past the "monster" is seen in numerous scenes by the film's characters without it being at that point a threat to the character."
Abstract In this article, the writer discusses that although the revolutionary film "The Wild Bunch" portrays some plot elements of a traditional Western, Peckinpah's film aims to show the reality of dealing with a dying age. The writer maintains that through the violent truth, Peckinpah's film portrays the bloody reality of the Wild West that was so disguised in traditional films. The writer notes that rather than the typical nostalgic bliss seen in many other traditional films, Peckinpah really aimed at making his film as realistic as possible in his attempt to explore the dying age of the Wild West. The writer concludes that, as a result, this film ends up shocking audiences with the differences between observed fact and relative fiction, all while in the framework of the traditional Western setting.
From the Paper "This idea harkens back to the traditional theme of conquering the uncivilized in the name and honor of the law. There are several instances where it seems that the law will not even succeed in its necessary victory of evil. On several occasions, the righteous lawmakers are shown in dire situations. Deke barely gets out of the last gun battle. Yet, the group's ties to the deceptive Mexican war lord represent a crucial downfall. They then find themselves in a war on several fronts, which ultimately leads to the gang's demise.
"Codes of conduct within every Western film are central to why events occur later in the film. Many traditional Western pieces show the heroes as bound to a code of honor that makes them act the way they do. Honor has always been a prevailing moral in traditional plot themes."
This paper reviews the treatment of the American Indian, or Native American, in revisionist Westernfilms: Kevin Costner's "Dances with Wolves" (1990) and Michael Apted's "Thunderheart" (1992).
Abstract This paper discusses revisionist Westerns Kevin Costner's "Dances with Wolves" (1990), a film sensitivity to cultural differences and to the importance of Native American culture and Thunderheart (Michael Apted, 1992), which enters a more modern Indian community. The author points out that Costner still made major errors in depicting the history and culture of the Lakota Sioux tribe portrayed in the film. The paper continues that "Thunderheart" tried hard to elevate the Native American but a stereotype emerged in this film that the Native American is in some way a mystic more in touch with supernatural and spiritual forces than the non-Native population would be.
From the Paper "The film did more than revive old stereotypes in new forms, though, and it fails in terms of its accuracy on a number of counts. One problem faced was to recreate the language of the Lakota dialect spoken by the Sioux tribes in the 1860s. The film producers hired Doris Leader Charge, a 60-year-old teacher at South Dakota's Sinte Gleska College and one of only a few thousand Sioux still fluent in Lakota. Leader Charge translated the script and served as a dialogue coach during production. She also played a small part in the film. However, as Seals points out, the men in the film generally speak Lakota in the feminine form, a result of having the script translated by a woman who did not make allowances for the differences. Seals states that a number of Indian leaders were angry about this error and found it maddening in a film that claimed to be authentic. Seals does note, though, that the film managed authenticity in other ways, such as the way the ruling elders' council was handled. The film was correct in its use of the Pipe, which is the sacred Canupa of White Buffalo Calf Maiden, who founded the buffalo culture nineteen generations ago. The Pipe Keeper and others asked that the film not depict the smoking of the pipe, but it does so just the same."
Abstract This film study reflects the central American identity of the conscientious loner that must explore the new frontiers of the Old West. The films analyzed here depict a post-Vietnam point of view of the western hero, which define an American identity that becomes increasingly Leftist in a political and social context. However, the violent and oftentimes white hero of the Old West is still preserved, since the World War II Era heroics of John Wayne.
From the Paper "This film study will analyze the evolution of the western film genre through a heroic perspective. The centrality of the American western was a major part of historical and social of western heroes, such as John Wayne, after WWII. The evolution of Eastwood's hero in the 60s makes no less a reflection American life, as does Costner does in the Post-Vietnam Era. In essence, although the social context of the various western hero changes in how filmmakers approach this issue, the lone frontier explorer is an important mythos that is central to American cultural identity. The western hero after WWII was an independent, but loyal solider or frontiersman that was not truly concerned with a conscientious view other races or cultures in American society."
Abstract This paper use the documentary film, "Capturing the Friedmans", to define and examine the documentary filmgenre. The paper analyzes "Capturing the Friedmans", and discusses what the family's home movies reveal about contemporary American family life and the dynamics of the family relationships.
From the Paper "According to Bill Nichols, every film is essentially a documentary, but true documentaries, as opposed to wish-fulfillment fictions, represent a unique genre of film that engages with the world as it exists in reality. Nichols says that the documentary engages with the world by representing it in one of three ways. First, documentaries offer a likeness or depiction of the world that bears a recognizable familiarity. Secondly, these films stand for or represent the interests of others. Third, some documentaries may represent the world..."
