Assignment: Genre Theory

Genre, a category of artistic production characterized by similarities in composition and style, is a term used to discuss literature, music, art, and film. It is particularly useful in critical applications because it distinguishes a work within a context of similar works. In film, we are familiar with certain broad genre categories such as horror, science-fiction, romance, and drama.

Understanding genre helps provide the viewer with certain expectations about film. For instance, the film The Conjuring trailer (Version 2) is of the horror genre and thus can be discussed in context with other horror films. More specifically, it is of the sub-genre, supernatural horror, so it can be discussed in context with, say, The Exorcist trailer. Making this distinction enables the audience to situate their reaction within a particular framework.

Such framework is important to our work here. In this discussion

Identify a film and classify it according to its genre (or sub-genre). Include a link(s) to a trailer or scene(s) from the film.
Discuss the conventions that are typical in films of that genre (or sub-genre).
Explain how this specific film meets the expectations of its genre.
Include the name or partial name of the film you identified in the “Subject” line of your discussion. Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

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