Genre - Revision Cards

• The word 'genre' comes from the French meaning type or category.
• Approaching films in relation to genre inevitably means treating individual films not as works of art, but as members of different categories or groupings.
• There are two major approaches to film genre: the Descriptive Approach and the Functional Approach.

• The aim of the Descriptive Approach is to place a large number of films into a small set of groups based on common characteristics such as theme or visual style.
• This means concentrating on the formal and stylistic qualities of films.

• The Functional Approach to genre focuses instead on the role genre plays in society iteself.
• The Functional Approach examines film and the viewing of films as a shared, social ritual, with different audiences sharing common expectations and experiences.

• Comparing films within the same group and between different groups has several benefits.
• Trying to decide the criteria for grouping films encourages us to study them closely.
• Looking at the similarities and differences between films, both within groups and across different groups, helps us think about how films are understood and what their meaning might be.

One of the reasons that genre movies are made is because their quick product recognition makes them easier to sell.

Studying genre reveals a pattern of repetition and difference.

Some films have identifiable similarities, but also contain new elements or similar elements used in new ways.

Genres are not fixed definitions - genre hybrids. Genres also change over time.