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Lesson 06:Lesson 06: Film Genre Film Genre

Professor Aaron BakerProfessor Aaron Baker

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Previous LecturePrevious Lecture• Cinematography• The Photographic Image• Lenses• Framing• Camera Movement• The Long Take• Cinematography in Raging

Bull (1980)

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In this Lecture…In this Lecture…

• Film Genre

• The Gangster Film

• Goodfellas (1990)

Part I: Film GenrePart I: Film Genre

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GenreGenre

• 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.

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ExpectationsExpectations

• We inevitably anticipate a certain kind of film when we watch a movie.

• Films that present the features we expect are called genre films.

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Blockbuster HitsBlockbuster Hits

Some of the top earning films in the

history of Hollywood are genre films:

PlacePlace TitleTitle GenreGenre

1. Titanic Disaster film

2. Lord of the Rings Fantasy

3. Star Wars Science fiction

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EntertainmentEntertainment

Genre films are often Genre films are often seen as seen as entertainment:entertainment:

• FunFun

• EscapistEscapist

• FormulaicFormulaicTexas Chainsaw MassacreTexas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) (1974)

But Less Conventional Films But Less Conventional Films Get More RespectGet More Respect

• Steven Spielberg’s genre films made big profits.

• But he didn’t win an Oscar for best director until he made a “serious” social drama: Schindler’s List (1993).

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DisrespectDisrespect

Genre films not only are often

viewed as aesthetically inferior, some

genres get more disrespect than

others.

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Serious DramaSerious Drama

While a social protest film like Erin Brockovich

has been praised for

raising serious issues like

environmental degradation . . .

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Melodrama Melodrama

This genre is often dismissed as insignificant because it emphasizes:

• Emotional stories about family conflict; with female protagonists

• Is aimed at female viewers.

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But…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!

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Contemporary Horror FilmsContemporary Horror Films

• Scare audiences to entertain.

• But some also question family.

• On this issue they are a lot like melodramas and social dramas.

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Family DysfunctionFamily Dysfunction

• In It’s 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.

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Fun and SeriousFun and Serious

So, some genre films are--• commercial movies with a pleasurable

veneer that conceal • social critique, presenting disturbing

subject matter

Part II: Gangster FilmsPart II: Gangster Films

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Gangster FilmsGangster Films

• Guns, Violence, Crime

• Money, Sex

• Rise/Fall of Gangster As Too Egotistical, Greedy, Brutal

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The Public Enemy The Public Enemy (1931)(1931)

Entertainment AppealEntertainment Appeal

• Enjoy Boldness, Swagger, Charisma of Gangster

• But We Feel Secure When He’s Brought Down

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Muskateers of Pig AlleyMuskateers of Pig Alley(1912)(1912)

• D. W. Griffith defines gangster film

• Real NY Location• Real Street Toughs• Immigrants As

Criminal Threat

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ProhibitionProhibition

• Volstead Act 1920-1933 outlaws alcohol

• Controls immigrant workers

• Less Leisure, More Work

• Bootleggers get rich

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Al CaponeAl Capone• Born 1899 in BrooklynBorn 1899 in Brooklyn• Chicago in 1919 Chicago in 1919 • 1925 heads Chicago 1925 heads Chicago

racketsrackets• 1925-1930 Grossing 1925-1930 Grossing

$100 Million Year $100 Million Year From Bootlegging and From Bootlegging and ProstitutionProstitution

• Known as Scarface Known as Scarface for knife scars on for knife scars on cheekcheek

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Canonical Gangster FilmsCanonical Gangster Films

• Little Caesar (1931), Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932)

• Based on journalistic writings about Capone and other gangsters

• Box office hits

CensorshipCensorship

• 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

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Will HayesWill Hayes

• Former Chair of Repub. National Committee and Postmaster General

• Hired by Hollywood as President of MPAA

• Established Production Code

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Catholic Legion of DecencyCatholic Legion of Decency

• Influenced content of Hollywood films from within.

• Avoided mistake of Protestant reformers with Prohibition, who tried to legislate social change.

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• Wall Street Crash October,1929

• Millions in U.S. out of work and homeless in 1930s.

• Widespread disillusionment with American economy.

DepressionDepression

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1930s Film Gangsters1930s Film Gangsters

• From working class hardest hit by Depression

• Ethnic

• Between Cultures

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Gangster Films RenewedGangster Films RenewedFear of Cultural DifferenceFear of Cultural Difference

• 1920s:

– Prohibition

– KKK targeted Catholics as well as African-Americans

– Anti immigrant acts 1921-1924

Italian immigrant family at Ellis IslandItalian immigrant family at Ellis Island

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ImmigrantsImmigrants

• Expected to Be Individuals

• Privileged Identity in Capitalist Society

• Give Up “Old World” Culture

• Reject Identity from Ethnic Group

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Prof. Jonathan MunbyProf. Jonathan Munby

• 30s Gangster Films:– Show Ethnic

Resentment at Discrimination

– Reject Idea That Immigrants Must Accept Dominant Culture

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GangsterGangster

• Asserts Equality with Higher Classes, Native Born Whites

• Entrepreneur—But in Wrong, Criminal Ways!

• Once Rich, No Limits to His Consumption (Booze, Cars, Clothes, Sex)

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Will Hayes and MPAAWill Hayes and MPAA

• Forced studios to control/punish gangsters within films.

• All Killed:– Rico in Little Caesar– Tony in Scarface– Tommy in Public Enemy

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Bank Robber John DillingerBank Robber John Dillinger

• Popular Folk Hero for the Popular Folk Hero for the PoorPoor

• Killed by police in 1934 at Killed by police in 1934 at Biograph movie theater in Biograph movie theater in ChicagoChicago

• 1935 Will Hayes declared 1935 Will Hayes declared moratorium on gangster moratorium on gangster films films

• Fear of Dillinger’s Fear of Dillinger’s glorification in movies glorification in movies

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Synchronized SoundSynchronized Sound

• Added Realism Added Realism (Sound of cars, (Sound of cars, Guns, Nightclubs) Guns, Nightclubs)

• Gangsters Spoke in Gangsters Spoke in Own VoicesOwn Voices

• Urban/Ethnic slangUrban/Ethnic slang

• Robinson, Cagney, Robinson, Cagney, Muni Ethnic ActorsMuni Ethnic Actors

Robinson and CagneyRobinson and Cagney

Genres Develop/Change Over Genres Develop/Change Over TimeTime

• 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

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MixingMixing

• Bladerunner (1982)• Part Sci Fi:

-Set in Future

-Technology• Part Detective Story:

-Urban Locale

-Noir Lighting

-Violence and Passion37

Prominent FilmsProminent Films

• Can Change Genre

• Revise Conventions

• Set a Trend for Other Films

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Robert Ray:Robert Ray:Corrected Genre FilmsCorrected 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

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As a gangster film it has the usualconventions: • Charismatic Criminals• Wealth from Crime • Sex • Violence

Godfather, Part IIGodfather, Part II

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But along with these genre But along with these genre conventions…conventions…

Godfather, Part II also presents a critique of

capitalism by paralleling the

Corleone crime family with legitimate

business.

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In this scene…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.

Part III: Part III: GoodfellasGoodfellas

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GoodfellasGoodfellas • Based on Nicholas

Pileggi’s, Wise Guys (1985)

• Journalistic• About Henry Hill• Lucchese Crime Family• Insider/Outsider• Sicilian/Irish 44

Nicholas PileggiNicholas Pileggi

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Director Martin ScorseseDirector Martin ScorseseLike HillLike Hill

• Ethnic (Italian American)• Grew Up in New York’s

Little Italy• Both Insider/Outsider

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Henry HillHenry 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”

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Witness Protection ProgramWitness Protection Program

• Hill kicked out for more crimes.

• Most of those he fingered died in jail.

• “What I’m proud of is (Scorsese)

didn’t glamorize it. They’re not

nice people.”– Henry Hill

Documentary StyleDocumentary Style

• Voice Over

• Mob Oral Culture

• Stories from Little Italy

• Look of That World

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• Graphic/RepellentGraphic/Repellent

• No Exciting Gunfights No Exciting Gunfights

• No Violence as No Violence as EntertainmentEntertainment

ViolenceViolence

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But Not Just RealismBut Not Just Realism

• Stylized

• Point of View Shots

• Freeze-Frames

• Expressionist

• Mobile Camera

• Please watch a clip from Goodfellas.

Usual Rise and Fall StructureUsual Rise and Fall Structure

• Criminal Money

• Frenzied Consumption

• Eventually Too Much:

-Money, Greed

-Drugs

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Wiseguy EthosWiseguy Ethos

Henry:“Those goody good

people who worked

. . . . They were

suckers. If we

wanted something,

we just took it.”

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Copacabana Long TakeCopacabana Long Take

• Realism and

Stylization

• Image of Excess

• Henry Seduces

• Lifestyle Seduces

Him

• Please watch this scene.

Tommy’s Downfall: Too Tommy’s Downfall: Too ViolentViolent

• Disregard for Rules

• Killing of Billy Batts

(Made Man)• “He’s a Cowboy”

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Drugs and Henry’s DownfallDrugs and Henry’s Downfall

• “Someone’s watching”• Frenzied Lifestyle • Drugs and Long

Sentences• Loss of

Rispetto/Omerta

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Jimmy Conway Jimmy Conway

• Also Half in/Out• Mentor to Henry• “Never rat on your

friends”• Yet Greedy,

Reckless

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Crime in Gangster FilmsCrime 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”.

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In In GoodfellasGoodfellas

• Not Society’s 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.”

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Mob in Mob in GoodfellasGoodfellas

Mirrors Larger Society:

• Rules and Transgression

• Greed and Overconsumption

• Violence

The Goodfellas eat well even in prison.The Goodfellas eat well even in prison.

GoodfellasGoodfellas as Corrected as Corrected Gangster FilmGangster 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

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SummarySummary

• Genre Films

• Entertainment and Social Critique

• Conventions and Change

• Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas

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End of Lecture 6End of Lecture 6

Next Lecture: Film AuthorshipNext Lecture: Film Authorship