1 Lesson 06: Film Genre Professor Aaron Baker Slide 2 2 Previous
Lecture Cinematography The Photographic Image Lenses Framing Camera
Movement The Long Take Cinematography in Raging Bull (1980) Slide 3
3 In this Lecture Film Genre The Gangster Film Goodfellas (1990)
Slide 4 Part I: Film Genre 4 Slide 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. 5 Slide 6 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. Slide 7 7 Blockbuster
Hits Some of the top earning films in the history of Hollywood are
genre films: Place Title Genre 1. Titanic Disaster film 2. Lord of
the Rings Fantasy 3. Star Wars Science fiction Slide 8 8
Entertainment Genre films are often seen as entertainment: FunFun
EscapistEscapist FormulaicFormulaic Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Slide 9 But Less Conventional Films Get More Respect Steven
Spielbergs genre films made big profits. But he didnt win an Oscar
for best director until he made a serious social drama: Schindlers
List (1993). 9 Slide 10 10 Disrespect Genre films not only are
often viewed as aesthetically inferior, some genres get more
disrespect than others. Slide 11 11 Serious Drama While a social
protest film like Erin Brockovich has been praised for raising
serious issues like environmental degradation... Slide 12 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. Slide 13 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 ! Slide 14 14 Contemporary Horror
Films Contemporary Horror Films Scare audiences to entertain. But
some also question family. On this issue they are a lot like
melodramas and social dramas. Slide 15 15 Family Dysfunction In Its
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. Slide 16 16 Fun and Serious So, some genre
films are-- commercial movies with a pleasurable veneer that
conceal social critique, presenting disturbing subject matter Slide
17 Part II: Gangster Films 17 Slide 18 Gangster Films Guns,
Violence, Crime Money, Sex Rise/Fall of Gangster As Too
Egotistical, Greedy, Brutal 18 The Public Enemy (1931) Slide 19
Entertainment Appeal Enjoy Boldness, Swagger, Charisma of Gangster
But We Feel Secure When Hes Brought Down 19 Slide 20 20 Muskateers
of Pig Alley (1912) D. W. Griffith defines gangster film Real NY
Location Real Street Toughs Immigrants As Criminal Threat Slide 21
21 Prohibition Volstead Act 1920- 1933 outlaws alcohol Controls
immigrant workers Less Leisure, More Work Bootleggers get rich
Slide 22 22 Al Capone Born 1899 in BrooklynBorn 1899 in Brooklyn
Chicago in 1919Chicago in 1919 1925 heads Chicago rackets1925 heads
Chicago rackets 1925-1930 Grossing $100 Million Year From
Bootlegging and Prostitution1925-1930 Grossing $100 Million Year
From Bootlegging and Prostitution Known as Scarface for knife scars
on cheekKnown as Scarface for knife scars on cheek Slide 23 23
Canonical Gangster Films Little Caesar (1931), Public Enemy (1931),
Scarface (1932) Based on journalistic writings about Capone and
other gangsters Box office hits Slide 24 Censorship 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. 24
Slide 25 25 Will Hayes Former Chair of Repub. National Committee
and Postmaster General Hired by Hollywood as President of MPAA
Established Production Code Slide 26 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. Slide 27 27 Wall Street Crash October,1929 Millions
in U.S. out of work and homeless in 1930s. Widespread
disillusionment with American economy. Depression Slide 28 28 1930s
Film Gangsters From working class hardest hit by Depression Ethnic
Between Cultures Slide 29 29 Gangster Films Renewed Fear of
Cultural Difference 1920s: Prohibition KKK targeted Catholics as
well as African-Americans Anti immigrant acts 1921-1924 Italian
immigrant family at Ellis Island Slide 30 30 Immigrants Expected to
Be Individuals Privileged Identity in Capitalist Society Give Up
Old World Culture Reject Identity from Ethnic Group Slide 31 31
Prof. Jonathan Munby 30s Gangster Films: Show Ethnic Resentment at
Discrimination Reject Idea That Immigrants Must Accept Dominant
Culture Slide 32 32 Gangster Asserts Equality with Higher Classes,
Native Born Whites EntrepreneurBut in Wrong, Criminal Ways! Once
Rich, No Limits to His Consumption (Booze, Cars, Clothes, Sex)
Slide 33 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 Slide 34 34 Bank Robber John
Dillinger Popular Folk Hero for the PoorPopular Folk Hero for the
Poor Killed by police in 1934 at Biograph movie theater in
ChicagoKilled by police in 1934 at Biograph movie theater in
Chicago 1935 Will Hayes declared moratorium on gangster films1935
Will Hayes declared moratorium on gangster films Fear of Dillingers
glorification in moviesFear of Dillingers glorification in movies
Slide 35 35 Synchronized Sound Added Realism (Sound of cars, Guns,
Nightclubs)Added Realism (Sound of cars, Guns, Nightclubs)
Gangsters Spoke in Own VoicesGangsters Spoke in Own Voices
Urban/Ethnic slangUrban/Ethnic slang Robinson, Cagney, Muni Ethnic
ActorsRobinson, Cagney, Muni Ethnic Actors Robinson and Cagney
Slide 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 36
Slide 37 Mixing Bladerunner (1982) Part Sci Fi: -Set in Future
-Technology Part Detective Story: -Urban Locale -Noir Lighting
-Violence and Passion 37 Slide 38 Prominent Films Can Change Genre
Revise Conventions Set a Trend for Other Films 38 Slide 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
39 Slide 40 40 As a gangster film it has the usual conventions:
Charismatic Criminals Wealth from Crime Sex Violence Godfather,
Part II Slide 41 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.
Slide 42 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. Slide 43 Part III:
Goodfellas 43 Slide 44 Goodfellas Based on Nicholas Pileggis, Wise
Guys (1985) Journalistic About Henry Hill Lucchese Crime Family
Insider/Outsider Sicilian/Irish 44 Nicholas Pileggi Slide 45 45
Director Martin Scorsese Like Hill Ethnic (Italian American) Grew
Up in New Yorks Little Italy Both Insider/Outsider Slide 46 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 Slide 47 47 Witness Protection
Program Hill kicked out for more crimes. Most of those he fingered
died in jail. What Im proud of is (Scorsese) didnt glamorize it.
Theyre not nice people. Henry Hill Slide 48 Documentary Style Voice
Over Mob Oral Culture Stories from Little Italy Look of That World
48 Slide 49 49 Graphic/RepellentGraphic/Repellent No Exciting
GunfightsNo Exciting Gunfights No Violence as EntertainmentNo
Violence as Entertainment Violence Slide 50 50 But Not Just Realism
Stylized Point of View Shots Freeze-Frames Expressionist Mobile
Camera Please watch a clip from Goodfellas. Slide 51 Usual Rise and
Fall Structure Criminal Money Frenzied Consumption Eventually Too
Much: -Money, Greed -Drugs -Violence 51 Slide 52 52 Wiseguy Ethos
Henry: Those goody good people who worked.... They were suckers. If
we wanted something, we just took it. Slide 53 53 Copacabana Long
Take Realism and Stylization Image of Excess Henry Seduces
Lifestyle Seduces Him Please watch this scene. Slide 54 Tommys
Downfall: Too Violent Disregard for Rules Killing of Billy Batts
(Made Man) Hes a Cowboy 54 Slide 55 55 Drugs and Henrys Downfall
Someones watching Frenzied Lifestyle Drugs and Long Sentences Loss
of Rispetto/Omerta Slide 56 56 Jimmy Conway Also Half in/Out Mentor
to Henry Never rat on your friends Yet Greedy, Reckless Slide 57 57
Crime in Gangster Films Because of environment Lack of other
opportunity Nicole Rafter on Crime Movies: Environmental
[causes]... illustrating how criminalistic subcultures or other
situational factors can drive people to crime. Slide 58 58 In
Goodfellas Not Societys Fault Karen Middle Class/It turned me on
Nicole Rafter, Other Cause for Crime: Aspirations for a better life
(more money, more excitement, more opportunity to rise through the
class structure)... crime over dull conformity. Slide 59 59 Mob in
Goodfellas Mirrors Larger Society: Rules and Transgression Greed
and Overconsumption Violence The Goodfellas eat well even in
prison. Slide 60 Goodfellas as Corrected Gangster Film Charismatic
Gangsters Money, Violence Rise, Fall They are Just Like Larger
Society: -Too Much Self Interest -Overconsumption -1980s Supply
Side Economics -Decade of Greed 60 Slide 61 61 Summary Genre Films
Entertainment and Social Critique Conventions and Change Martin
Scorseses Goodfellas Slide 62 62 End of Lecture 6 Next Lecture:
Film Authorship
