Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative Essay Example
Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative Essay Example

Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (1016 words)
  • Published: August 13, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Genre is a recognized category of media that audiences associate with common elements, including style, narrative, structure, look, and iconography. However, genres are not limited and evolve over time as new conventions are added. This can result in hybrid genres where two different genres merge together to form a new type of media material; for example, a romantic comedy. Although genre conventions are reliable predictors for audiences, they have become too predictable. Once viewers identify the genre of a film or TV show, they often expect certain conventions and can anticipate how the story will end. For instance, in gangster films, viewers typically expect an urban setting with well-dressed Italian-American gangsters who prioritize their family above all else but also engage in criminal activities against law enforcement. The protagonist usually strives for the "American Dream" before ultimately experiencing a downfall.

Crime

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and violence fiction typically features a character's progression from being lowly regarded to earning respect through criminal means. Ultimately, the character will experience a downfall that results in their estrangement from both their family and gangster organization. This narrative structure corresponds with Toderov's five-point storytelling theory, which commences with an equilibrium state where the character's life is normal.

When equilibrium is disturbed, there follows a recognition by the characters of the situation, leading them to seek a solution and attempt a repair.

The characters in the Godfather experience both a disruption and subsequent restoration or new equilibrium. Initially, the Corleone family, led by the highly respected gangster Vito Corleone, attends his daughter Connie's wedding to Carlo Rrzzi. Vito is referred to as "the godfather" by friends and associates, and his youngest son Michael returns hom

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after serving in World War II. However, a disruption occurs when Vito is shot several times for refusing to collaborate with the rival Tattaglia family in heroin selling. Eventually, the characters overcome this obstacle and return to a state of equilibrium.

There has been an attempted assassination, causing Vito's son Sonny to declare war on the Tattaglia family in retaliation. Meanwhile, Michael visits his father in the hospital and realizes that there are no guards protecting him, indicating that there may be another attempt on his life. Michael warns Sonny and, with the help of a grateful baker named Enzo, manages to deceive the assassins sent to kill Vito by guarding his hospital room.

After discovering that one of the police officers is corrupt and working with Sollozzo to have Vito killed, Vito's fellow mobsters arrive armed to protect him and take Michael home. Although Sonny is murdered and Michael is forced to flee to Sicily, Vito is able to arrange a meeting with the rival families to end the war and ensure Michael's safe return. Despite previously refusing, Vito ultimately agrees to provide protection for Tattaglia's heroin trafficking. Following Vito's death, Michael takes over the family business and learns the identity of the traitor at his father's funeral, just as Vito had predicted.

During his role as Godfather at Connie and Carlo's child's christening, Michael has masterminded the murder of the five bosses, providing an ideal alibi for himself and symbolically concluding the film with Michael's promotion to "Don" and rising to the position of Godfather. This applies not just to the gangster genre, but to all genres. Popp's theory surrounding 8 character archetypes is

also relevant to film genres in general.

The eight roles that are essential in any story include:

  1. The Villain, who functions as the opposing force to the hero.
  2. The Father Figure, who serves as a mentor or nurturing guide to the protagonist.
  3. The Donor, who equips the protagonist with tools or knowledge to embark on their journey.

The individual who sends the hero on their journey, the love interest or femme fatale, the hero or victim, and the false hero or anti-hero all play important roles in stories.

Directors of films have the creative freedom to portray their characters in unpredictable and imaginative ways, including the Helper archetype. While this archetype is typically present in films, directors can avoid limiting one character to a single personality and break free from traditional patterns. For example, Al Pacino's portrayal of Tony Montana in Scarface shows a rise to power for an anti-hero character who lacks moral values and behaves selfishly. Despite being a gangster, he is not glamorized or portrayed as typical. In fact, Tony displays protective father-like qualities toward his younger sister that could be interpreted as almost incestuous. Michelle Pfeiffer's character could potentially fit the love interest archetype but Tony's complex personality makes this aspect of the story unpredictable within the genre.

Films are grouped based on their identifiable genre, which caters to a target audience. This audience may consist of devoted readers of a book that has been adapted into a film or fans of a particular genre who desire to watch similar films and anticipate similar content. Familiarity is preferred by moviegoers, and movies that were difficult to classify have had a lower success

rate. Thus, categorizing films according to genre has advantages on numerous levels including marketing, criticism, and enhancing the audience's viewing experience. Some film producers use genre as a tool to determine their film's content and storyline, studying the specific genre to gather inspiration.

John Truby, a Hollywood story consultant, suggests incorporating successful elements from films while also adding original ideas. He emphasizes that knowing transcended forms (genres) is important to give the audience surprises and originality. Although genre can be predictable at times, it can still show creativity from the filmmaker. Without creativity, every film within a genre would be cliche. For example, Spaghetti Westerns broke the mold by making the hero both good and bad.

Previously, there was a stereotype in which the good guys wore white and the bad guys wore black. Nowadays, many movies mix different genre conventions to make the story less predictable, resulting in unexpected twists that surprise the audience. Therefore, I believe that genres should not be confined to being predictable and lacking creativity.

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