Genre

Genre

The film industry has been branded for having many different as well as effective ways for film producers to successfully attract a broader audience and through empirical studies such as surveys, focus groups and interviews is acknowledged as one of the most successful industries in the world. They simply include elements of a film that would relate to the members of the public. Therefore meaning film directors and producers pick out the main attributes of a certain type of genre and use it to their advantage for example: from a horror movie we’d expect to be surrounded by blood, violence, unexpected deaths to keep the viewers on their seats, gore and occasionally scenes of nudity but maybe to boost their audience they’ll invite an actress like Jennifer Lawrence to star in the film. Action films: we’d come across car chases, explosions, gun fights, brawls, blood, nudity, sexual scenes occasionally comedy but most important the famous male protagonist; Will Smith in (I AM LEGEND) or the beautiful female love interest; Scarlett Johansson (Iron Man 2) and always the dark mysterious antagonist; Tom Hardy (Dark Knight Rises) these are just examples of ways producers attract their audience via cast and director or genre. One of the main aims of the film industry is to bring in as many viewers as possible and therefore must keep close tabs on what types of storyline will appeal to the greatest number of viewers at any given moment in time as audiences shift and change over time in accordance with cultural tastes and trends. The film industry has developed and evolved throughout time, due to that effect film producers were forced to change their ways of attracting audiences, Since the early stages of film, the film industry and its audience has always kept a special relationship in the sense that the producer interacts with audiences to find a deeper meaning in what he’s trying to achieve.

In recent years Producers have relied on the success of the cast and crew of the film, trailers and marketing of the movie to ensure a positive response from the public, it seems that as generations evolve so do their reasoning of wanting to see a new Hollywood blockbuster film. One being for example favorite director, actor or actress playing a crucial part to the storyline or has been intrigued by watching the trailer or being exposed to the type of genre of the film.

The term ‘Hybrid’ has many different meanings and can be interpreted in many different ways. Scientifically meaning to it is ‘an offspring resulting from two cross-breeding’s’ in this case two genres being combined together to create something new something viewers haven’t witnessed before. For example ‘Romantic-Comedy, Action comedy, comedy horror, Dark Fantasy and Weird West’ all mixtures that have proven to be a catastrophic successful in the eyes of the audience.

Case Study: Prison Genre

Prison genred Films that I have associated with all incorporate the basics needs of a prison genred film to be truly successful, remember-able and unique. The Shawshank Redemption, America History X, The Green Mile and Hunger all possess the quality needed to truly enjoy the film. When analyzing a prison genre film we often expect the setting of the film to be in a enigmatic secluded area for example in the middle of a sea or lake, top of the world’s largest mountains far away from any life which is also surrounded by crusting barbed wire (meaning it hasn’t been changed in years) a watch tower, a tall high wall circling the prison with fences and guards surrounding the perimeter of the prison ensuring no one could possibly escape. The code and conventions of most prison genre films contains the occasional conflict with the protagonist and antagonist but in some cases there’s depth into why it occurs, the reason behind it happening so suddenly and so often throughout the film. The director portrays to the audience that even if you’re in prison bad things could still happen to you, the everyday struggle to survive. Common situations you’ll find while watching a film that’s based in prison is the riots in the lunch hall the good guy always getting mistreated by the corrupt guards and in mates that’s been there for a long time abusing the newbie’s in which results in a all out brawl with the protagonist trying to defend the helpless.

Shawshank Redemption:  Opening Scene

In the opening sequence of Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont using a single-camera technique, hovers over the prison from birds eye view showing us the surroundings of the prison then slowly cross-cutting to a tracking shot of the bus pulling up to the prison that held new prisons and Andy Dufrense it was there where everything started the curiosity of Ellis Boyd also known “Red Redding sunk in. What we notice are the big walls that cave in at the entrance he director shot it from a low angle to express that they’re no long free

Character Descriptions

Andy- was unfortunately frequent target of sexual abuse from a prison clique known as the Sisters. But His sage financial advice and knowledge earned him protection from prison guards meaning he had to no longer suffer and worry about it happening ever again. But as time went on Dufresne used his considerable intelligence and education to improve the prison library, which he named after former inmate and librarian Brooks Hatlen, and helped a number of convicts earn their high school diplomas. He also used his banking knowledge to start a money laundering scheme on behalf of prison warden Samuel Norton. In 1966 Dufresne attempted to win a new trial when fellow inmate Tommy Williams told the story of a former cellmate at another prison confessing to the murder of Dufresne’s wife and lover. Warden Norton squashed Dufresne’s hopes out of fear that Andy would inform authorities of the money laundering despite Andy’s promise to remain silent. As it was made clear another man murdered Andy’s ex-wife and lover

Red- Convicted murderer Ellis Boyd Redding was sent to Shawshank Prison in Maine in 1927. He was given the nickname “Red” for his Irish heritage and as a play on his last name. Redding had a reputation for smuggling items into prison such as playing cards, whiskey, marijuana, and posters. Redding was denied parole in 1947 and 1957 despite pleas to the parole board that he had been rehabilitated. Redding was granted parole in 1967 even though he displayed callous indifference to the parole board; afterwards he lived in a halfway house and worked as a bagger at a grocery store. In keeping a promise to his friend, escaped inmate Andy Dufresne, Redding traveled to a hayfield near Buxton, Maine to unearth an item buried near an oak tree and rock wall. The item was a box containing money and an invitation to join Dufresne at his location undisclosed in the letter;

The narrative structure of the film is split into three phases, Setup, the Conflict and the Resolution starting with Andy Dufresne being charged with the murder of his wife and the man she was having an affair with. And then entering the prison in smart clothes showing his class difference with the rest of the inmates. The conflict of the film comes with Andy locked in solitary confinement for two months, due to him playing music through the speakers of the prison to be heard by the inmates. And the final resolution comes with Any escaping and stealing all of Warden Norton’s notes and deals to be done, exposing the corruption of the prison to the press and the rest of the world and with that done the warden committed suicide as he couldn’t face the fact of him sinning in the name of God

The Theme

In a prison genre film the themes of friendship, identity, hope and loyalty are often addressed on a much bigger scale because as we go through life we often experience things that teach us lessons on how to act if it was to happen again. But in this case they’ve made a decision that it’s too late to take back, murdered people, stole things, ruined lives. Prison is there to teach people a lesson a time out of reality that allows the prisoner to reflect on his/her attitude on life. I think shawshank redemption tries to exploit the two faces of the prison system the genuine prisons that try to change but face the hardships and trails of their actions, and the corrupt side, a perfect example of this will be the warden as he uses religion to hide his true intentions and in result scams his way into money as he holds the power to their lives they become minions of his bad cause. Deception plays a big part in this story as the warden uses religion to shield his real intent, using Andy to do his filthy work and quoting from the bible to hide his inner demon from the world but in himself destroying what’s left of his own humanity, as the theme of friendship powers through the film we see Andy & Red overcome a series of trails.

The Magdalene Sisters

The famous scene from “The Magdalene Sisters” that caught my attention was the scene of the priest itching from the poison ivy after having intercourse with one of the girls of the convent. Margaret planned it after she found out he was taking advantage of Crispina who was mentally challenged she wanted to show the world that he was a bad man, that there was no more to him than meets the eye. He then started to itch in the middle of the religious ceremony eventually running off while taking of his clothes which led to herself itching as well in result she felt confused, traumatized, mortified and used it all led to her repeatedly screaming “YOUR NOT A MAN OF GOD!!!” over several times, a phrase that Margaret had used earlier in a conversation with Crispina, throughout the film we see similar codes and conventions we’ll experience in a normal prison genre film for example when Crispina, Margaret and Bernadette walk into the convenient and are all lined up and are given their uniforms for the first time we see in their eyes the frustration and torment that runs through their blood as they are slowly stripped of their identity it signifies that they’ve become apart of their strict religious culture that has been hell-bent with corruption within its own ranks but only Margaret and Bernadette stay true to themselves as they known deep within that their souls are still pure and are being falsely accused of misconduct. We see in an extreme visual scene the girls of the convenient Stripped down naked and having the older members of the convenient laugh at them and torture them in their own bewildered way making the girls feel ashamed and bringing down their self-esteem to an all extreme low. In conclusion of this they make the girls feel locked within themselves stripping away their identity and forcing them to reflect on life keeping them away from society.