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Sarah Ray DIGI369-001 Genre: Drama

Every film genre has its own set of distinct characteristics that can be traced back to dates as early as 1930. Drama features are generally more serious in tone as they take the audience through the conflict of typically realistic characters that address social issues. They usually also include humor. There are many sub categories like NCIS, a crime drama. 12 Years a Slave is a historical drama. No matter what kind of drama it is, a drama film always intends on moving the audience emotionally . This is usually done by engaging the audience through the development of the characters who may take part in some intense social interaction. Performances may be exaggerated and the audio may as well. The protagonist generally faces trials and conflict that lets the audience connect and sympathize with the character. The antagonist usually goes after whatever they want, looks after themselves, and tries to ruin the life of the protagonist. There are some films from each moving image era (there are eight) that have helped evolve this genre. Third Era

Hell’s Angels, released in 1930 by United Artists, is a drama concerning war and romance. A gorgeous blonde has an affair with the brother of her fiancé, and she definitely dresses the part of mistress. The lead actress scandalous attire and flirtatious tendencies would have been enough to spark some controversy, but that isn’t all. It set the record budget of its time; a total of $4 million . That was an absurd amount of money in 1930. Director Howard Hughes hired a fleet large enough to form a small military. Hughes took stunts very seriously. In fact, he took them so seriously that he didn’t stop after the death of four airmen. This was enough to keep the film in the industry’s conversation for years and years to come. The film helped evolve the genre by fashioning new standards for audio, and by using innovative shots from aerial views. It drew the audience into a holistic experience of war beyond combat. It is a good thing for Hughes that it turned out to be a tremendous hit. Its theatrics proved to be engaging for the audience, and the resources he poured into the film would not be counted as a waste .

Fourth Era

Casablanca entered the theaters in 1942 and is rated #37 in Top Rated Movies today . Warner Bros. produced this A-list drama featuring two stars deeply in love but willing to sacrifice that love in order to defeat the Nazi’s. This picture was made on a much smaller budget than Hell’s Angels, but that didn’t keep it from becoming a hit. There are many reasons for this, but one of those is that the film truly spoke to the time. It is entertaining, it is art, and it relates to the context of America in the 40’s with a story that people still resonate with. It is also notable that this film includes a lot of noir elements. A key feature that contributes to the genre of genre has to do with the editing. The pace is not slow like many of its predecessors; the editor chose not to dwell on shots. The quickness of the shots which provide a lot of information at once conveys a sense of urgency and tension . The whole world is waiting to find out what will happen to them, and the audience feels that. In the end, Rick makes a huge sacrifice by choosing to give Ingrid up for the sake of winning the war. He overcomes these obstacles and inner conflict which results in him truly showing himself to be a good guy. The drama of the film from the set to the performances has the audience empathizing with the characters and routing for the greater cause.

'''Fifth Era ''' 	Rebel Without a Cause, released in 1955, but focuses on life experienced by the suburban teen rather than war . It made some waves in the filmmaking industry but the social impact is unmatched. An image of James Dean in a red jacket is still quickly recognized by the vast majority of the public. There are a few undeniable elements that set this film apart as a drama . The trailer advertises that it “talks about the most vital controversy!” By this it meant the confusion/tension of American youth and the breakdown of intergenerational relationships. Things were changing quickly after World War II, and the gap of understanding between generations seem to be growing. The timely release of this film occurred just weeks after the death of James Dean. This raised an enormous amount of attention, and those who showed up to the theater were not disappointed. His performance is iconic. Through this feature, James Dean begins to embody what it means to be a modern American “teenager.” America’s youth culture was struggling to find their identity in a country that was marked by conformity and class division. Meanwhile the pressure was on for America to be an example for its post-War allies of a prosperous and healthy democracy. This led to a lot of contradiction and confusion especially for teens. Cue Rebel and now the youth has something to relate to .

Sixth Era

The Godfather (1972) is more than just a gangster, crime film; it makes a huge impact in the world of drama in its approach to conveying underlying conflicts like family vs. business. This film is almost three hours long. It stars Marlo Brando and Al Pacino . It is notable that Marlo Brando influenced James Dean’s acting and James Dean influenced Al Pacino’s acting. Paramount Pictures paid $80,000 for rights to the novel and they made over $100 million according to the Box Office. That is not a bad deal. It is popularly viewed as one of the best American films ever made according to rotten tomatoes. This could be because of the beautiful shots and skilled editing. However, it was also incredibly influential because of its cultural relevance.

The film is about Italians and it was created by Italians. Up until this point, Italians were portrayed based on insensitive stereotypes. There is still some controversy over this film’s depiction of Italians but it is widely accepted regardless . The Godfather is full of dramatic scenes of violence, intense encounters between family members and Michael Corleone working through conflict. The sets, actors and editing come together to heighten the emotional impact. It greatest influence is perhaps on other crime and gangster films to this day.

Seventh Era The Breakfast Club (1985) tells a story of angst, middle-class, suburban teenagers that set the tone for more dramas to come in the 90’s/early 2000’s . This film is written, directed and produced by John Hughes through Universal Pictures. Often identified as a coming-of-age film as well as a drama, there are some striking similarities between The Breakfast Club and Rebel Without a Cause. The Breakfast Club offered a sense of validation for teens. It introduces five teens fitting very obvious stereotypes. They eventually come to realize that their initial understanding of each other was wrong. Each of the teens find that none of them enjoy their lives at home and each have reasons for resenting their parents. Peer pressure is addressed which finishes the perfect list of issues teenagers can relate to. The film has its more comedic moments but it also doesn’t shy away from very intense moments like John acting out the abuse he receives from his father.

It made nearly $50 million upon release. A few of the films that followed it adapting some of The Breakfast Club’s elements were Pretty in Pink, Dead Poets Society, Boyz in the Hood and more. It also transferred into some mature teenage television shows <“Film Genres”>.

Eighth Era

Endorsed by Oprah herself, Precious (2009), introduces harsh realities faced by an illiterate black woman hoping for a better future for herself as well as her two children . This is probably the least popular drama on this list, but it stands out for several reasons. First, it was released in only 18 theaters in the United States but it made over $1 million. This film is based on the novel Push. It was shot in a style closely resembling a documentary. Its controversy may not be plainly obvious, but director Lee Daniels intentionally addressed some prejudices in the film. It doesn’t just include a prejudice against black people, but prejudices even within the African American community towards darker skin, heavier-set girls . This film may not have as wide of influence as the others but it paved a way for films to follow by putting on display the horror of abuse and challenges faced in some communities. The documentary-style makes the movie feel real but the story also leaves the audience with a sense of hope. There are shows today like 13 Reasons Why that are incredibly graphic because they are trying to shock the audience into recognizing the pain some people face. Precious is an excellent model for dramas raising awareness to the realities faced in various American subcultures.

Each of these feature drama films are based on novels and present conflict experienced by realistic characters seen for all that they are. Precious is a girl who faces enormous challenges and even though the ending is happy, the film doesn’t pretend there aren’t many challenges ahead. James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause plays the role of a troubled teen needing his Dad to stand up. Each of these films moves the audience to respond emotionally and empathetically with the characters. They do this by innovating strategies for pacing, new dynamic shots, theatricalized sets and intense performances . These films brought into the spotlight various social issues of their time and will continue to impact the films that follow them. Source List: Ferdinand, Marilyn. “Hell's Angels (1930).”Ferdyonfilms.com, 30 May 2012, www.ferdyonfilms.com/2012/hells-angels-1930/14594/.http://www.filmsite.org/filmgenres.html

“Film Genres.”An Award-Winning, Unique Resource of Film Reference Material for Film Buffs and Others, with Reviews of Classic American-Hollywood Films, Academy Awards History, Film Posters., www.filmsite.org/filmgenres.html.http://www.imdb.com/ “Movies, TV and Celebrities.”IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/. http://www.oscars.org/oral-history/collections “Collections.”Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 25 Jan. 2017, www.oscars.org/oral-history/collections. https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/ultimate-list-of-film-sub-genres/ Zeke. “Ultimate List of Film Sub Genres.”StudentResources, 17 Mar. 2015, www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/ultimate-list-of-film-sub-genres/. The Movie Book. New York: DK Publishing, 2016. The Movie Book. DK, 2016. Klinger, Barbara.Melodrama and Meaning: History, Culture, and the Films of Douglas Sirk. Indiana University Press, 1994. Fischer, Stefan, et al.Automatic Recognition of Film Genres. 1995. http://www.uwosh.edu/filmandhistory/ Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal, www.uwosh.edu/filmandhistory/. Grant, Barry Keith.Film Genre Reader IV. University of Texas Press, 2013.