Assignment 7 : Genre Analysis

“Django Unchained”Colour = Blue

By Gelsomina De Lucia 12B

THE GENRE.

The genre is Western. Other films in the same genre are : Dances with Wolves – 1990 ( By Kevin

Costner) Tombstone – 1993 ( By George P.

Cosmatos ) True Grit – 2010 ( By Coen Brothers ) The Wild Bunch – 1969 ( By Sam

Peckinpah) Unforgiven – 1992 ( By Clint Eastwood)

DJANGO UNCHAINED - 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdM9vrCbow

THE PURPOSE OF WESTERN GENRE.

The purpose of the Western genre is to portray the later half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence why in the majority of Western movies, the accents are similar.

Additionally, it is to show the audience what life was like during this period.

THE AUDIENCE.

The target audience for Western films is a wide age category due to a lot of violence being in the films and also because older generations are more intrigued into westerns due to westerns being on TV a lot throughout their childhoods, but the main group they are aimed at is males due to the violence within them.

LIST OF FEW CONVENTIONS OF THIS GENRE...Western Conventions Examples from Films The lone, cynical cowboy who is trying to be honourable in a dishonourable environment. Usually he is lonely because he is a widower, or he was wronged.

True Grit – 2010 Directed By Joel and Ethan Coen.

A woman who is the voice of reason, (and probably the love interest) for the "hero.“ Damsel in distress.

Django Unchained – 2012 Directed By Quentin Tarantino.

A climatic shoot-out between the hero (or heroes, including the strong woman) and the villain.

The Wild Bunch – 1969 Directed By Sam Peckinpah

Explosive scenes. Tombstone – 1993 Directed By George Cosmatoes.

Conventions Evidence Explanation

A climatic shoot-out .

This is because during the later half of the 19th century, men would shoot each other in a sort of face off to see which one is more of the ‘better’ man.

A strong woman who is the voice of reason.

There has to be a women who the main character is in love with or in search of.

Explosive Scenes Explosions were another form of weapons used to create damage but also it makes to movie seem more effective and entertaining to the target audience.

Western Genre

SUBGENRE

A subgenre is two genres fused together.

The subgenre of the movie is Western/Adventure.

Other films from this subgenre are ; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly–

Released in 1966 Once upon a time in the West–

Released in 1968 Young Guns 2 – Released in 1990

HYBRID.

A hybrid is when there are 3 genres fused together.

An example of a Western hybrid is : Western/Drama/Adventure.

Jeremiah Johnson – Released in1972 True Grit– Released in 2012. Dances with Wolves– Released in 1990

Examples.

CONNOTATION AND DENOTATIONThe denotation would be that there are two men riding horses together.

A connotation would be that in a typical cowboy movie, the main character would travel alone however here this is not the case.

Also, the fact that this movie is about the slavery, this idea challenges the idea of the historical background of the movie.As the main strong cowboy is black.

Two shot is used to show that both people in this shot are very important characters.

CONNOTATION AND DENOTATIONDenotation would be that there are flowers covered in blood.

However the denotation could be that as they there white flowers, white symbolises purity, and red symbolises angry, this could show that the main character was pure and hatred free until his wife was taken away and his innocent was lost.

HOW ARE PEOPLE , PLACES AND/OR OBJECTS BEING REPRESENTED IN THE TRAILER?

The villain is represented as a wealthy white man.

o There are many zoom in shots within the trailer to highlight his importance, power and strength. This is typical of a villain as they are always the main focus of the movie.

o This behaviour was normal for white men to treat blacks as there servants and has this character has more than one, he seems to be someone of great importance.

HOW ARE PEOPLE , PLACES AND/OR OBJECTS BEING REPRESENTED IN THE TRAILER?

Women were the damsel in distress and used by men.

o Women were treated like ‘dirty’ and therefore by dragging her on the ground, it means that she is dirty.o No respect for women.o The man dragging her is white and therefore this shows historical content of slavery and what life was like for black women.

o By sitting her down and having his hand over her head, this shows that she is below everyone else but also the man holding her is powerful and has control over her.

STEREOTYPES IN THE TRAILER...

o This was a very stereotypical poster which would have been found in ever bar in real and in the movie life of Western. People were always getting hunted for money in return whether they found you dead or alive. In Western movies, there will always be someone who is being the hunter or the hunted.

STEREOTYPES IN THE TRAILER...

o There are always gun fights and horse chases in a Western movie. Whether is be that the hero rides the horse or the villain. There is always a horse chase scene which is shown in the second screen grab.

RE- INFORCED OR CHALLENGED?

Stereotype Re – in forced Challenged.

‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ Poster.

This is re – in forced because the basic meaning behind a western movie is that someone is hunting someone to kill them or they are being hunted.

Weapons and Horse Chases. This is also re - in forced because in every western movie, each cowboy has a gun and a horse.

HISTORICAL CONTENT

This movie involves slavery at the time and the mistreatment of blacks in one of the years of 1858, which was a big part of American history with civil rights.

The idea that there is a black cowboy, it challenges the stereotype that white men are usual cowboys.