Lesson 06: Film Genre

1. Lesson 06: Film Genre Professor Aaron Baker

2. Previous Lecture • Cinematography • The Photographic Image • Lenses • Framing • Camera Movement • The Long Take • Cinematography in Raging Bull (1980)

3. In this Lecture… • Film Genre • The Gangster Film • Goodfellas (1990)

4. Part I: Film Genre

5. Genre • French Term • A film genre is a certain category of movie. • Conventions define it. • Examples include the western, the science fiction film, the horror movie, the musical.

6. Expectations • We inevitably anticipate a certain kind of film when we watch a movie. • Films that present the features we expect are called genre films.

7. Blockbuster Hits Some of the top earning films in the history of Hollywood are genre films: PlaceTitleGenre • Titanic Disaster film • Lord of the Rings Fantasy • Star Wars Science fiction

8. Entertainment Genre films are often seen as entertainment: • Fun • Escapist • Formulaic Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

9. But Less Conventional Films Get More Respect • Steven Spielberg’s genre films made big profits. • But he didn’t win an Oscar for best director until he made a “serious” social drama: Schindler’s List (1993).

10. Disrespect Genre films not only are often viewed as aesthetically inferior, some genres get more disrespect than others.

11. Serious Drama While a social protest film like Erin Brockovich has been praised for raising serious issues like environmental degradation . . .

12. Melodrama This genre is often dismissed as insignificant because it emphasizes: • Emotional stories about family conflict; with female protagonists • Is aimed at female viewers.

13. But… • Melodrama can be about important issues of family, gender politics. • And minus issue of environmental contamination, Erin Brockovich is a family melodrama with a female lead!

14. Scare audiences to entertain. But some also question family. On this issue they are a lot like melodramas and social dramas. Contemporary Horror Films

15. Family Dysfunction • In It’s Alive (1974), a couple gives birth to a monster. • In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)and The Hills Have Eyes (1977), whole families are killers.

16. Fun and Serious So, some genre films are-- • commercial movies with a pleasurable veneer that conceal • social critique, presenting disturbing subject matter

17. Part II: Gangster Films

18. Gangster Films • Guns, Violence, Crime • Money, Sex • Rise/Fall of Gangster As Too Egotistical, Greedy, Brutal The Public Enemy (1931)

19. Entertainment Appeal • Enjoy Boldness, Swagger, Charisma of Gangster • But We Feel Secure When He’s Brought Down

20. Muskateers of Pig Alley(1912) • D. W. Griffith defines gangster film • Real NY Location • Real Street Toughs • Immigrants As Criminal Threat

21. Prohibition • Volstead Act 1920-1933 outlaws alcohol • Controls immigrant workers • Less Leisure, More Work • Bootleggers get rich

22. Al Capone • Born 1899 in Brooklyn • Chicago in 1919 • 1925 heads Chicago rackets • 1925-1930 Grossing $100 Million Year From Bootlegging and Prostitution • Known as Scarface for knife scars on cheek

23. Canonical Gangster Films • Little Caesar (1931), Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932) • Based on journalistic writings about Capone and other gangsters • Box office hits

24. Censorship • Warner Bros. added disclaimer to Little Caesar, Public Enemy: not glorifying criminals. • Scarface director Howard Hawks, and producer Howard Hughes forced to add 2 scenes criticizing media glorification of gangsters. • Scarface release delayed 2 years.

25. Will Hayes • Former Chair of Repub. National Committee and Postmaster General • Hired by Hollywood as President of MPAA • Established Production Code

26. Catholic Legion of Decency • Influenced content of Hollywood films from within. • Avoided mistake of Protestant reformers with Prohibition, who tried to legislate social change.

27. Depression • Wall Street Crash October,1929 • Millions in U.S. out of work and homeless in 1930s. • Widespread disillusionment with American economy.

28. 1930s Film Gangsters • From working class hardest hit by Depression • Ethnic • Between Cultures

29. Gangster Films RenewedFear of Cultural Difference • 1920s: • Prohibition • KKK targeted Catholics as well as African-Americans • Anti immigrant acts 1921-1924 Italian immigrant family at Ellis Island

30. Immigrants • Expected to Be Individuals • Privileged Identity in Capitalist Society • Give Up “Old World” Culture • Reject Identity from Ethnic Group

31. Prof. Jonathan Munby • 30s Gangster Films: • Show Ethnic Resentment at Discrimination • Reject Idea That Immigrants Must Accept Dominant Culture

32. Gangster • Asserts Equality with Higher Classes, Native Born Whites • Entrepreneur—But in Wrong, Criminal Ways! • Once Rich, No Limits to His Consumption (Booze, Cars, Clothes, Sex)

33. Will Hayes and MPAA • Forced studios to control/punish gangsters within films. • All Killed: • Rico in Little Caesar • Tony in Scarface • Tommy in Public Enemy

34. Bank Robber John Dillinger • Popular Folk Hero for the Poor • Killed by police in 1934 at Biograph movie theater in Chicago • 1935 Will Hayes declared moratorium on gangster films • Fear of Dillinger’s glorification in movies

35. Synchronized Sound • Added Realism (Sound of cars, Guns, Nightclubs) • Gangsters Spoke in Own Voices • Urban/Ethnic slang • Robinson, Cagney, Muni Ethnic Actors Robinson and Cagney

36. Genres Develop/Change Over Time • Technology. E.g. Synch. Sound Important to Gangster Films, Musicals • Hits Establish Popularity of Certain Genres/Cycles • Change Via Mixing of Conventions • Individual Films Can Revise, Reject Conventions

37. Mixing • Bladerunner (1982) • Part Sci Fi: -Set in Future -Technology • Part Detective Story: -Urban Locale -Noir Lighting -Violence and Passion

38. Prominent Films • Can Change Genre • Revise Conventions • Set a Trend for Other Films

39. Robert Ray:Corrected Genre Films • Use Expected Genre Conventions • Also Subtext of Social Critique • E.gs. The Godfather (1972), The Godfather, Part II (1974) • Genre/Ganster Films entertained by meeting our expectations, yet also offered ideas that challenged us

40. Godfather, Part II As a gangster film it has the usual conventions: • Charismatic Criminals • Wealth from Crime • Sex • Violence

41. But along with these genre conventions… Godfather, Part II also presents a critique of capitalism by paralleling the Corleone crime family with legitimate business.

42. In this scene… • Mafia family head Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) attends a meeting in Havana with U.S. corporate leaders. • Please watch a clip from Godfather, Part II.

43. Part III: Goodfellas

44. Goodfellas • Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s, Wise Guys (1985) • Journalistic • About Henry Hill • Lucchese Crime Family • Insider/Outsider • Sicilian/Irish Nicholas Pileggi

45. Director Martin ScorseseLike Hill • Ethnic (Italian American) • Grew Up in New York’s Little Italy • Both Insider/Outsider

46. Henry Hill • Had access to mob information because not subject to rules secrecy for “made” men • Scorsese had similar attraction to, detachment from Mob • Both “Traitors”

47. Witness Protection Program • Hill kicked out for more crimes. • Most of those he fingered died in jail. • “What I’m proud of is (Scorsese) didn’t glamorize it. They’re not nice people.”– Henry Hill

48. Documentary Style • Voice Over • Mob Oral Culture • Stories from Little Italy • Look of That World

49. Violence • Graphic/Repellent • No Exciting Gunfights • No Violence as Entertainment

50. But Not Just Realism • Stylized • Point of View Shots • Freeze-Frames • Expressionist • Mobile Camera • Please watch a clip from Goodfellas.