Movie Genre Genre: originally from the French, meaning kind or type. A genre is easier to recognize than define. Some genres stand out by their subjects or themes; a gangster film centers on large-scale urban crime; a science fiction film features a technology beyond the reach of contemporary science. Musicals are recognizable chiefly by their manner of presentation; a detective film is partly defined by the plot pattern of an investigation that solves a mystery; and so on.

Defining Genres There are limits to the precision with which the concept of genre can be applied. For example, a film like Silence of the Lambs probably exemplifies a thriller, but audience of the 1950’s would have chosen an urban Hitchcock movie like North by Northwest. Some movies seem to straddle two genre classifications: Is Groundhog Day a romantic comedy or a fantasy? Is Psycho a slasher film or a detective thriller?

Analyzing a Genre Each genre has specific themes, motifs, characters, settings, and plots. A motif is a repeated element in a film, such as a symbol, music, etc. that has a purpose.

The Western A truly American form of mythology. Has had a profound influence on the way the world views the US and our people. Perpetuated the idea of Manifest Destiny.

Manifest Destiny The North American continent belonged to the US by a combination of divine right, practical need, and the assumed superiority of American democracy. But what happens when culture and nature clash? The Westerns racial and political tensions are often explicit.

Westerns Westerns span American film history. It is an ongoing genre of American self-definition. By attempting to represent an idealized past and still remain true enough to present-day ideas to succeed as mass entertainment, Westerns must constantly rewrite history.

Western Fact vs. Fiction Many aspects of Western films bear little resemblance to hard facts. Such as: A large percentage of real cowboys were black and Latino. Contradiction between fact and fiction: “ When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

While viewing the Western Take general notes about one or more of the central ideas raised in the movie, such as: The notion of heroic individualism in the Western; The influence of real history on the Western myth; The expressive quality of Western landscapes; Psychological elements of the Western: issues of masculinity and femininity, for example; The depiction of Native Americans.

2-page paper The Western and major generic conventions used. Write a two-page paper on one of the following topics, dealing with Westerns: The notion of heroic individualism in the Western; The influence of real history on the Western myth; The expressive quality of Western landscapes; Psychological elements of the Western: issues of masculinity and femininity, for example; The depiction of Native Americans. The Western and Manifest Destiny. The Western and the concept of myth. The Western and major generic conventions used. The paper should be typed, MLA style, all sources cited on a Works Cited page. You must use at least three sources (at least one must be a book or magazine article, and at least one must be a movie source). You must submit this paper to turnitin.com. Due date is Monday, April 4 (after Spring Break).