Exam 9: Film Genres

Which of the following is NOT a reason for the recent popularity of the crime thriller with filmmakers?

Due to their defined formulas for success,genres are unable to respond quickly to broad social trends.

Genre conventions include plot patterns,thematic patterns,and stylistic patterns.

In a short essay,discuss the importance of new subgenres and the mixing of genres to changes in genre conventions,drawing on examples from class readings and screenings.

Beyond the competition,conflict,suspense,and surprise of sports films there is ideological commentary.Choose a relatively current sports film such as Niki Caro's McFarland,USA (2015)or Antoine Fuqua's Southpaw (2015)and investigate the ideological and cultural message of the film.

Most scholars see genre films as pure escapism,with no significant relation to contemporary society.

The periods of time during which a given genre is popular are called "cycles."

Select any relatively recent crime thriller,such as David Fincher's Gone Girl (2014)or Jaume Collet-Serra's Run All Night (2015),and discuss how the filmmaker has manipulated the typical characters and narrative structure to refresh the genre.