Genre Theory

An interesting way to explore all of these themes is by looking at genre theory. 

Separating film into genres allows us to unify disparate material and identify categories based on shared qualities and or principles.

Rick Altman, a contemporary film theorist on genre theory, writes that genre should be thought of in terms of varied and competing discourses. This means that films within the same genres can be in conversation with each other. Whether it be through the utilization of the conventions of the genre or by subverting those conventions.

 

Still from The Babadook, an Australian horror film by Jennifer Kent. This film can be understood as a response to other horror films through its use of horror techniques.

 

For example, the Western genre is defined by its use of wide shots of expansive canyon landscapes with wide-angle lenses, along with a use of natural light and a sweeping orchestral score. Contemporary westerns may follow the same filmmaking techniques to create a discourse. Some may revise previous definitions to create a revisionist perspective on the genre. An example of a revisionist Western is the Jim Jarmusch film Dead Man, seen below.

 

Dead Man (1995) is a western that challenges capitalist, racist and violent ideologies communicated in westerns through stark black-and-white imagery. From Film-Grab. Links to an external site.

 

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