3 4 Genre Theory

3.
4 Genre Theory
To word genre comes from French (and origionally Latin) meaning
class or kind.
Looking at genre as a way of classifying texts began with the Greeks.

Aristotle and Plato looked at poetry (satire vs hyms) and drama.
Jacques Derrida (a French philosopher active in 1960s-1980s who
studied semiotics and deconstructing texts) and other academics in the
20th century helped progess these ideas and add nuances to them.
In short, current genre theory academics agree that a genre is a way of

categorising a group of films that have similar characteristics (though
they dont have to have all the same characteristics and these may
change over time to reflect changes in society). So, within a genre
there are both great similarities, but also differences/variety.
1. Patterns defining a genre

Films (and other texts) can be categorised and analysed as genres. These are groups of
films that share characteristics (eg the femme fatale, the dark visual style). These
characteristics are not always unique to the genre (eg other films may have dark visual
styles, or a murderous woman), but the way they combine and home prominent they are
or how they function in the film can create the patterns of genre. Patterns/conventions
can include - repeated themes, settings (location and historical), type-cast actors, dialogue
patterns, characterisations, repeated plots/narratives.
Quotes from academics:
Abercrombie: 'Cognitive' satisfactions may be derived from problem-solving,
testing hypotheses, making inferences (e.g. about the motivations and goals of
characters) and making predictions about events.
In relation to television, Nicholas Abercrombie suggests that 'part of the
pleasure is knowing what the genre rules are, knowing that the programme has to
solve problems in the genre framework, and wondering how it is going to do so'
(Abercrombie 1996: 43). He adds that audiences derive pleasure from the way in
which their expectations are finally realized (ibid.).
2. Differences within the genre

Within genre there will still be differences (eg the femme fatale may be more sympathetic,
she may be able to murder herself rather than get the man to do it, she may be sent to jail
or killed at the end, the hard-boiled protagonist may be a detective or something else). If
there werent differences the audience would get bored of it as they would be too
predictable. Competent readers of a genre are not generally confused when some of their
initial expectations are not met - the framework of the genre can be seen as offering
'default' expectations which act as a starting point for interpretation rather than a
straitjacket. However, challenging too many conventional expectations for the genre could
threaten the integrity of the text. Familiarity with a genre enables readers to generate
feasible predictions about events in a narrative.
Quotes:
Steve Neale (1980) says that difference is absolutely essential to the
economy of the genre and genres are instances of repetition and difference (mere
repetition would not attract an audiece)
Tzvetan Todorov (1985) any instance of a genre will be necessarily different
Wittgenstein talked about family resemblances which many contemporary
theorists refer to (films dont need to be exactly the same, but need to resemble
each other to be in the same genre)
Fowler (1989) - An individual text within a genre rarely if ever has all the
characteristic features of the genre
Abercrombie - We may derive pleasure from observing how the conventions
of the genre are manipulated (Abercrombie 1996: 45). We may also enjoy the
stretching of a genre in new directions and the consequent shifting of our
expectations.
3. Genre changes in response to society

Genre is not constant across films or time. It responds to the needs (fears, desires) of the
audience as well as changes in technology. The conventions of genres shift, new genres
and sub-genres emerge and others are discontinued, like film noir (though certain genres
seem more long-lasting). The cycles and transofrmations of genres can be seen as a
response to political, social and economic conditions.
Quotes:
Nicholas Abercrombie the boundaries between genres are shifting and
becoming more permeable (this could relate to how pure film noir died out around
the late 50s but we have seen resurgences of neo noir usually combined with
something else eg The Matrix can be seen as sci-fi but also neo noir - a cross-
genre).
David Buckingham genre is not simple given by the culture: rather it is in a
constant process of negotiation and change
Tzvetan Todorov a new genre is always the transformation of one or several
old genres (eg film noir was born from crime films being crossed with pulp fiction
novels)
Andrew Tudor (1974) 'a genre... defines a moral and social world'
Susan Hayward genre conventions change according to the ideological
climate of the time
4. Some genres are only defined retrospectively

This is the case for film noir. It wasnt until film critic Nino Frank (French) saw a bunch of
post WWII films all at once (much of Europe wasnt able to get these during the war) that
he coined the term film noir. Some critics still debate whether film noir is a true genre,
or more of a visual style tor mood that can be applied to any genre (eg you could have a
sci fi with a noir look/mood).
5. The use of Genre can be profitable for production companies

Once a genre is seen as profitable/popular it makes sense of TV or film companies to
continue churning out the same types of products. They can use the same
actors/writers/directors and it creates a kind of economy of scale. There is a loyal
audience for the product and they can be identified and catered to. In mass media it is
useful to be able to target different audience segments this way.
Quotes
Abercrombie: Economic factors may account for the perpetuation of a
profitable genre. Nicholas Abercrombie notes that 'television producers set
out to exploit genre conventions... It... makes sound economic sense. Sets,
properties and costumes can be used over and over again. Teams of stars,
writers, directors and technicians can be built up, giving economies of scale'
.'genres permit the creation and maintenance of a loyal audience which
becomes used to seeing programmes within a genre'
Christine Gledhill (1985) 'differences between genres meant different
audiences could be identified and catered to... This made it easier to
standardise and stabilise production'
6. There is some snobbery around the use of genre

Some film critics use it as almost an insult to say thats just a genre film (ie forumulaic)
and see them as just commercial products of pop culture rather than high art. A lot of
them prefer looking at films through the lens of auteur theory where films are seen as
products of the director, rather than products of genre. A director with a recognisable style
is seen as more worthy than someone who makes typical genre films.
1. Repetition 2. Variation 3. Changes to reflect society
What familiar patterns do we see with How does the role of the antihero What previous genres were similar to
the antihero or themes? vary? DSF?
What different things are the different What big events in society did DSF
Antiheroes trying to escape or reflect?
overcome?
How are the antiheroes different in Why did DSF change significantly
some ways? post 9/11?

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3.

Looking at genre as a way of classifying texts began with the Greeks.

In short, current genre theory academics agree that a genre is a way of

1. Patterns defining a genre

2. Differences within the genre

3. Genre changes in response to society

4. Some genres are only defined retrospectively

5. The use of Genre can be profitable for production companies

6. There is some snobbery around the use of genre

1. Repetition 2. Variation 3. Changes to reflect society

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