Film Genres

"A genre is a classification of a group of movies in which the individual films share similar subject matter and similar ways of organizing the subject through narrative and stylistic patterns" (The Film Experience pp.332). The most popular film genres among the public audience are comedy, drama, action/adventure, horror, western and musical. Each genre has primary formulas and conventions which reflect a specific culture or specific historical moments. Genres were immediately put into effect during the early stages of film, although there were not many of them because film was just starting out. The film industry did expand and so did the audience that followed it. As a result, the number of types of films also expanded including: “scenes from the theater, sporting events, and slapstick comedies. And as outdoor filming increased, the first westerns became common subjects” (The Film Experience pp.334).

Between the time period of 1920-1940 studios were formed and certain studios were associated with a certain genre of film. Companies that hold a large name today were identified with these genres. Warner Bros. identified with gangster films by the 1930s, Columbia Pictures was associated with westerns, Universal was identified with horror film, and MGM was associated with musicals and melodramas. All of these companies still remain strong in Hollywood.



1948 to the 1970s was known as the postwar film genre era. 1948 is when the Paramount decision took place, which is when “the Supreme Court ruled that the major studios violated antitrust laws by monopolizing the film business” (The Film Experience pp.335). This undid the studio system and a cornerstone of movie genres. In the 1960s and 1970s independent films came to the surface and started challenging the top genre films. Films also depended upon the recycling on the American culture as well as other cultures throughout the world.



The new Hollywood era began in 1975 in which box office hits such as Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) hit movie theatres across the nation. The dazzling special effects displayed in both of these films delivered a viewing experience that was never before experienced. The success of the films the first time around prompted the directors to release a sequel, and in Star Wars case release six movies. These progressions also paved the way for films that were created down the road to be open to more than one movie, most commonly trilogies.



Throughout the progression of the film industry more ideas became relevant to directors such as turning a comic book or a video game into a film. However, this was not always a successful feat. The Spider-Man trilogy (2002,2004,2007) is an example of a successful comic book turned film franchise. On a down note, Mortal Kombat (1995) and its sequel Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997) are examples of video game film gone bad. However, there is always some good that goes with the bad and a director cannot hit on a film every time, or it is very rare to see a director produce an award winning film every time. In conclusion, genres play a large part in the attraction of an audience to a specific film and accommodate the viewing needs of every type of person.