A film genre is a type of category of motion-pictures. The term "genre" has been used to organize films since the earliest days of cinema.[1] However, genres are easier to recognize than to define and cannot be identified in a rigid way.[2] The concept of genre is inherited from literature and theater. Some of the genres themselves are also inherited,[3][4] such as westerns (from literature) and musicals (from theater). Audiences may find genre films more familiar and understandable, while producers consider them safer investments, easier to make, and easier to market,[3] especially when a genre has a devoted fanbase with supporting publications such as websites and magazines.[5]
Genres change over time, and some genres may largely disappear (for example, the melodrama).[1] The perceived genre of a film can also change over time. For example, The Great Train Robbery (1903) is seen as a key early Western film, but when it was released it might have been described as a "chase film".[3] Some genres overlap such as spy films and action films, while parodies appropriate elements of other genres for comedic effect.[1]
Conventions and Iconography
The common elements that bind a genre together could be almost anything. Below are a few examples of the features that might identify a certain genre. This list should not be considered exhaustive.
Friedman, Lester et al. An Introduction to Film Genres. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2014
ISBN978-0-393-93019-1 609p.
Grant, Barry Keith. Film Genre Reader I, II & III. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1986, 1995, 2003
López, Daniel. Films By Genre: 775 categories, styles, trends, and movements defined, with a filmography for each. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 1993
ISBN0-89950-780-8 495p.
Park W. What Is Film Noir? [e-book]. Lanham, Md: Bucknell University Press; 2011. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 19, 2017.