The Structural Development and Social Function of Popular Film Genres

Presenter Information

Michael Schock, Reed CollegeFollow

Major Field of Study

Liberal Studies

Location

Dominican University of California (online)

Start Date

19-6-2021 9:00 AM

End Date

19-6-2021 10:20 AM

Abstract

This paper explains the form and social function of Hollywood film genres as contended by the Ritual School of film theory. Ritualists consider cinematic genres as formations of modern mythology, structurally-orientated around currently-irreconcilable cultural contradictions or sources of anxiety. A genre’s physical conventions provide a lexicon of metaphors for continual exploration and debate on an underlying source of social discord. This process is seen most clearly in the formation of new genres in response to periods of drastic social change. To illustrate, this paper refers to the classic Western, the 1950s Sci-fi film, and the post-9/11 Superhero genre.

Presenter Biography

Michael Schock is recent graduate of the Reed College MALS program. He has studied screencraft and film narrative for 13 years, publishing three books on the subjects. He currently teaches online courses on screenwriting and is in search of an academic position.

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The Structural Development and Social Function of Popular Film Genres

Dominican University of California (online)

This paper explains the form and social function of Hollywood film genres as contended by the Ritual School of film theory. Ritualists consider cinematic genres as formations of modern mythology, structurally-orientated around currently-irreconcilable cultural contradictions or sources of anxiety. A genre’s physical conventions provide a lexicon of metaphors for continual exploration and debate on an underlying source of social discord. This process is seen most clearly in the formation of new genres in response to periods of drastic social change. To illustrate, this paper refers to the classic Western, the 1950s Sci-fi film, and the post-9/11 Superhero genre.