Major genre types of cinematography

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ РОССИЙСКОЙ ФЕДЕРАЦИИ

РОССИЙСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ СОЦИАЛЬНЫЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ

Факультет иностранных языков

Кафедра английской филологии

КУРСОВАЯ РАБОТА

«AMERICAN "HORROR":

MAGIC OF MOVIE-GENRE ATTRACTION»

по дисциплине «История и культура стран изучаемых языков»

Специальность: перевод и переводоведение

Выполнила:

студентка 3 курса группы ЛПЕ-0-Д-2010

Давиденко Нина Артемовна

Научный руководитель:

к. культурологии доцент

Левашкина Ольга Юрьевна

Москва, 2012

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………. …….3

CHAPTER I. HORROR AS GENRE OF CINEMATOGRAPHY……… ... 6

1.1. Major genre types of cinematography…………………………………6

1.2. Horror films sub-genres…………..………………………………… ...9

1.3. Horror genre origins …………………………………………………..11

CHAPTER II. HORROR MOVIES INDUSTRY

IN AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHY : YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW…………………………………………………………………15

2.1. Horror movies of the 1950s-1960s…………………………………..,15

2.2. Horror movies of the 1870s-1990s …………………………………..18

2.3. Contemporary horror movies………………………………………....29

CHAPTER III. PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS

OF AMERICAN HORROR MOVIES………………….………….………...38

3.1. Extreme entertainment as cause of cinema addiction………………..38

3.2. Paradox of "horror": nature of genre attraction……………………...40

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………..………....51

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………..………………....52

INTRODUCTION

The relevance of the research. The humankind has always been seeking after bridling its fears and one of the forms of this aspiration’s realization was narrating of the horror in art. Mass culture exploits this requirement of human mind and provides a variety of products to satisfy a viewer’s demand for the terror. Due to the non-stop development of cinematography, horror films have become as wide-spread as action films, melodramas or comedies. Nowadays anyone can hardly enter a local cinema without being observed by a monstrous creature or an evil enigmatic child from a movie poster. The beginning of cinema world’s «horror conquest» in the early 70s with a deafening success of «The Exorcist» was followed by an avalanche of the widely diverse representatives of the horror genre, and now horror industry has reached its production’s highlight, and sometimes it may seem that we are engaged in the never-ending celebration of Halloween. For over a couple of decades, perhaps especially in the USA, horror has flourished as one of the main sources of mass entertainment: people and especially young people head to the cinema allured by the calling of experiencing a brand new horror movie. It goes without saying that anyone of horror film enthusiasts at least once speculated about the attraction that lies beneath the horrific images, screams, sinister locations or deaths on the screen. Without any doubt, there’s a fascination in the process of speculation about the most powerful emotion that is intrinsical for every human on the Earth — fear, and the basis of our inclination to willingly expose ourselves to it.

The object of the research is American horror movies.

The subject of the research is psychological and philosophical aspects of the horror genre.

The aim of the research is to clarify the psychological and philosophical aspects in the horror genre.

The novelty of the research. We have distinguished the relaxed type of entertainment and the extreme type of entertainment among the genres of cinematography. We have described the influence of the horror genre on the viewer’s mood and state.

We have set the following tasks:

- to define the major genre types of cinematography;

- to itemize and characterize the sub-genres of horror;

- to trace the origins of horror genre;

- to observe American horror movies of the 1950-1960s;

- to observe American horror movies of the 1970-1990s;

- to observe contemporary American horror movies;

- to consider American horror movies as extreme kind of entertainment;

- to describe philosophical and psychological components of horror genre;

The hypothesis of the research

1. The horror genre of cinematography is an enormous complex of films united by the prevalence of the dark and suppressing visuals, the photography that is amplifying the visuals’ effect, a plot including the sequence of demises or unfortunate events, the elaborate system of images designed to cause anxiety and dread, the abundance of suspenseful moments keeping the viewer in tension and an emphasis on the feeling of disgust.

2. The 1950s horror industry was influenced by the fear before the nuclear war, a danger of which was overhanging then.

In the 1960s the theme of animals’ frenzy was developed thanks to Hitchcock’s classic movie named «The Birds», which inspired such films as «Frogs», «Night of the Lepus» and «The Deadly Bees».

The 1970s were clearly the age of sinister children due to the ongoing sky-high status of such movies as «Carrie», «The Exorcist» and «Omen».

As for the 1980s, the most popular sub-genre was body horror, presented by such films as «The Thing», «Re-Animator» and «The Fly».

The 1990s were marked with the comeback of serial killers, for example, the serial murders’ theme was included in «Misery», «The Silence of the Lambs», «Candyman» and «Sleepy Hollow».

Contemporary horror movies are mainly centered on the destruction of human body and the frailness of our existence, for instance «The Final Destination» or «Saw» and the ghost theme in such movies and serial films as «The Others», «1408», «Insidious», «Supernatural», «American Horror Story» and many others.

3. The basic elements in the emotion of horror is repulsion or abomination that always fail to break the addiction to the horror movies. The pleasure derived from the horror fiction and the source of our interest in it resides in the processes of discovery, proof, and confirmation that horror fictions often employ, the twisted appeal of the horrific beings and the wishes they represent. People are attracted to horror genre because they aspire to feel sympathy towards the main character undergoing a horrific ordeal and extract an exquisite pleasure from this experience. Watching horror movies is like getting acquainted with eerily magnetic death, only in safe and carefree way while facing artificial but elaborated tragedy.

The results of this research may serve as the useful material for people interested both in horror literature and horror films and seeking for more information about the basis of their philosophy. Besides they can be used in the studies of American culture or sociology.

The structure of the research.The paper consists of introduction, three chapters, conclusion and bibliography. The volume of this research paper is 53 pages.

CHAPTER I. HORROR AS GENRE OF CINEMATOGRAPHY

Major genre types of cinematography

Before we proceed to the main theme of our research work, we’d like to give a definition to the word «cinematography», clarify what the genre is and denote the classification of genres.

Cinematography is art and technology of motion-picture photography. It involves the composition of a scene, lighting of the set and actors, choice of cameras, camera angle, and integration of special effects to achieve the photographic images desired by the director. Cinematography focuses on relations between the individual shots and groups of shots that make up a scene to produce a film's effect [23].

Genresare various forms or identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that are recurring and have similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns, syntax, filmic techniques or conventions - that include one or more of the following: settings (and props), content and subject matter, themes, mood, period, plot, central narrative events, motifs, styles, structures, situations, recurring icons (e.g., six-guns and ten-gallon hats in Westerns), stock characters (or characterizations), and stars. Many films are considered hybrids - they straddle several film genres [23].

There are ten major genre types of films in cinematography. They are: 1) action films, 2) adventure films, 3) comedy films, 4) crime and gangster films, 5) drama films, 6) epics-historical films, 7) musicals, 8) westerns, 9) science fiction films, 10) horror films.

1) Action Films. This major genre type that unites films that have an immense impact, enduring explosive energy, plenty of activity, absorbing battles, continuous chase scenes, races, martial arts, dramatic demises, mountains and mountaineering, devastating calamities or looming apocalypse, deafening blasts, fires, mortal fights, escapes, never-ending motion, overwhelming rhythm and pacing, courageous heroes and their damsels in distress - all designed for a genuine audience getaway from the burdening reality.

2) Adventure Films are exciting stories, frequently with new experiences or exotic locales. Adventure films are very similar to the action film genre, in that they are designed to provide an action-filled, energetic experience for the film viewer. Rather than the predominant emphasis on violence and fighting that is found in action films, however, the viewer of adventure films can live vicariously through the travels, conquests, explorations, creation of empires, struggles and situations that confront the main characters, actual historical figures or protagonists.

3) Comedy Films are films designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are dramas presented in a light-hearted and jolly way, crafted to entertain and deliver enjoyment. «The comedy genre humorously exaggerates the situation, the language, action, and characters. Comedies observe the deficiencies, foibles, and frustrations of life, providing merriment and a momentary escape from day-to-day life» [23]. They usually have happy endings, although the humor may have a serious or pessimistic side.

4) Crime and Gangster Films are developed around the sinister actions of criminals or gangsters, particularly bankrobbers, gangland figures, clandestine industries’ members or ruthless goons who operate outside the law, stealing and violently murdering to reach their perverted aim. Criminal and gangster films are often categorized as post-war film noir or detective-mystery films - because of underlying similarities between these cinematic forms.

5) Drama Films are grave presentations or stories with settings or life situations that portray realistic characters in emotional struggle with either themselves, others, or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows us human beings at their essence, their virtuous and their vices. «Each of the types of subject-matter themes have various kinds of dramatic plots. Dramatic films are probably the largest film genre because they include a broad spectrum of films» [23].

6) Epics-Historical Films often take a historical or imagined event, mythic, legendary, or heroic figure, and add an extravagant setting and imposing costumes, accompanied by splendor and spectacle and a sweeping musical score. Epics, costume dramas, historical dramas, war film epics, medieval romps, or 'period pictures' are tales that often cover a large expanse of time set against a vast, panoramic backdrop. In an episodic manner, they follow the continuing adventures of the hero(s), who are presented in the context of great historical events of the past.

7) Musicals are cinematographic forms that accentuate and showcase full-scale song and dance routines in a meaningful way (usually with a musical or dance performance as part of the film narrative, or as an unrealistic "eruption" within the film). «Or they are films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography. In traditional musicals, cast members are ones who sing. Musicals highlight various musical artists or dancing stars, with lyrics that support the story line, often with an alternative, escapist vision of reality - a search for love, success, wealth, and popularity. This genre has been considered the most escapist of all major film genres» [23].

8) Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry, a nostaligic laudation to the early times of the wild, tameless American frontier (the borderline between civilization and the wilderness). They are one of the oldest, most steady and flexible genres and one of the most typically American genres in their mythic origins.

9) Science Fiction Films are usually scientific, visionary and imaginative, usually visualized through fanciful, unconventional settings, expert film production design, advanced technology devices and vehicle (i.e., robots and spaceships), scientific developments, or by fantastic special effects. Sci-fi films are complete with heroes, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology and gizmos, and unknown and inexplicable forces. Many other SF films feature time travels or fantastic journeys, and are set either on Earth, into outer space, or (most often) into the future time.

10) And finally, the last but not the least, genre that this research work is dedicated to, the horror genre. Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, strangeandalarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsions, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment or loss of identity.

Horror films sub-genres

Now we’d like to descry the variety of horror film. There are several classifications of horror films, but the one presented below can be considered as more precise and actual.

1) Action horror is the subgenre that includes not only resistance to supernatural or evil force but also such elements of action genre as furious chases and gunfights. There’s usually an epic struggle whether between the human beings and the supernatural creatures. Themes or elements often prevalent in typical action-horror films include gore, demons, vicious animals, vampires and, most commonly, zombies. This category also fuses the fantasy genre. Examples include «Resident Evil», «Ghost Rider», «Planet Terror», «Underworld», «Constantine», «Priest», «Dawn of the Dead», «From Dusk till Dawn», «Blade».

2) Psychological horror is discernable thanks to the use of the unnerving sound effects, haunting music, tense atmosphere, intricate and double-natured characters and their fears, unstable behavior, and in the end the intrusion of the evil that amplifies the tension tenfold. Horror films that can be classified as psychological ones are «The Uninvited», «Gothika», «The Ring», «The Exorcist», «Silent Hill», «The Others», «1408», «The Shining», and «The Sixth Sense».

3) Body horroris the kind of horror film that cause effect by the display of a destruction or a damage of human body. Prevalently, such works involve disease, decay, parasitism, mutilation, or mutation body. «Other types of body horror include unnatural movements, or the anatomically incorrect placement of limbs to create 'monsters' out of human body parts» [27]. David Cronenberg is one of the notable directors of the genre. The examples are «Rosemary's Baby», «Eraserhead», «The Thing», «Re-Animator».

5) Natural horror is a sub-genre of horror films «featuring nature running amok in the form of mutated beasts, carnivorous insects, and normally harmless animals or plants turned into cold-blooded killers» [27]. This genre may sometimes overlap with the science fiction and action/adventure genre. Examples include «The Birds», «Jaws», «The Swarm», «Pet Sematery», «Primeval», «Anaconda», «Snakes on a Plane», «The Cave», «Piranha 3D» and «The Ruins».

6) Slasher filmis the kind of horror film in which a story centers on a psychopathic killer chasing and slaying a sequence of victims in an extremely violent manner, mainly with a sharp tool such as a knife or axe. Slasher films may at times interlace with the crime, mystery and thriller genre, and they are not all of the horror genre. Examples of this genre include «Psycho», «Halloween», «The Texas Chain Saw Massacre», «Prom Night», «Scream», «Friday the 13^th», «Child's Play», «Candyman», and «A Nightmare on Elm Street».

7) Splatter films focus on graphic representation of gore and cruel violence. Through the use of special effects and excessive blood and entrails, they tend to display an apparent concernment in the vulnerability of the human body and the drama of its mutilation. Not all splatter films are slashers, and not all splatter films are horrors. Examples include, «Piranha 3D», «Saw», «Hostel», «The Collector», and «The Midnight Meat Train».

8) Zombie film features creatures which are usually portrayed as either reanimated corpses or mindless human beings. Distinct sub-genres have evolved, such as the "zombie comedy" or the "zombie apocalypse". Examples include «Dawn of the Dead», «Day of the Dead», «I Am Legend», «Dead Snow», «Land of the Dead», «Night of the Living Dead» and «The Return of the Living Dead».

9) Comedy horror combines the elements of comedy and horror fiction. «The comedy horror genre almost always inevitably crosses over with the black comedy genre» [27]. The short story «The Legend of Sleepy Hollow» by Washington Irving is cited as "the first great comedy-horror story". Examples include «An American Werewolf in London», «The Rocky Horror Picture Show», «Gremlins», «Beetlejuice», «Shaun of the Dead», «Evil Dead II», «Tucker & Dale vs Evil» and «Slither».

10) Science Fiction horror often revolves around merciless extraterrestrial creatures, hazardous experiments, spacecrafts and defiant, mad scientists. Examples of he films of such kind include «Alien», «The Fly», «Apollo 18», «Doom», «The Mist», and «It Came from Outer Space».

Horror genre origins

Since the year zero the majority of human beings has been being captivated by the world out of their reach, the dark side of paranormal things, whether it were religious traditions or folklore. Of course, horrific imagery can be found across the ages. «In the ancient Western world, there was the story of the werewolf in Petronius’ "Satyricon", of Lycaon and Jupiter in Ovid’s "Metamorphoses". Medieval characterizations of Hell such as the "Vision of St. Paul", the "Vision of Tundale", Cranach the Elder’s "Last Judgment", and, most famously, Dante’s "Inferno" also feature examples of figures and incidents that will become important to the horror genre» [8, p.131].

In the 18^th century, the genre of horror fiction germinated when a gothic horror novel «Castle of Otranto» by Horace Walpole was published in 1764. Then, one century later, this genre of fiction flourished and gave birth to classic characters and images that never fail to inspire writers nowadays. Back in time, when children listened excitedly to the scary stories in the light of fireplace, adults read absorbing books and stories of such celebrated authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, Robert Louis Stevenson and Mary Shelley, people relied on the power of their imagination.

Now that we have a visual embodiment of horror, we can simply buy a cinema ticket, sit down in front of a large screen and leave our imagination dormant while our eyes are being fed with brand new product of cinematography. But despite the modernized approaches to the filming and special effects, the horror genre has a century of history behind. We must refer to the most significant writer in terms of the influence.

Edgar Allan Poe is often regarded as the most influential author, the undeniable master of terror and we must admit there are a lot of reasons for it - the mournful landscapes, vicious characters and the unforgettable atmosphere that we can immerse ourselves into. Many of his works were transformed into films, for instance, «The Black Cat», «Murders in the Rue Morgue», «Masque of the Red Death», «House of Usher», «Raven», Reading him now, it is hard to imagine how innovative and creative his work was in the 1830s and 1840s. Even nowadays the directors can extract some ideas and images from his works.

The first horror films were Gothic in style - they were usually set in sinister old mansions, castles, misty, dark and shadowy locales. Their main characters have included "unknown," human, supernatural or grotesque creatures, ranging from vampires, demented madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists, "Frankensteins," "Jekyll/Hyde" dualities (good against evil), demons, zombies, evil spirits, arch fiends, villains, the "possessed," werewolves, diabolical presence of evil.

Like all the other representatives of the cinematography, the earliest horror films weresilent, for instance, «Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde» released in 1920. Horror theme was featured in the version of «The Hunchback of Notre Dame» (1923), «The Monster» (1925), «The Phantom of the Opera» (1925), all of them starring Lon Chaney, the first American horror movie star, the actor who helped pave the way for the change in outlook and acceptance of the horror genre, known as "the man of a thousand faces" because of his transformative, grotesque makeup and acting genius as a pantomime artist. It can be concluded that the dawn of the horror films pertains to the beginning of the 20^th century.

Thus, in the first chapter we have come to the following conclusions.

1. Cinematographyis an art and technology of motion picture photography. It includes the extended spectrum of techniques concerning composition of a scene, lighting, camera positions, special effects etc.

Genres of cinematography are various groups of films that feature similar plots and themes, common stylistic approaches, resembling situations, recognizable patterns, recurring elements and typical characters.

We have acquainted with the definition of the major genres of cinematographywhich are 1) breath-taking action films, 2) carefree comedies, 3) spectacular adventure films, 4) lawless gangster films, 5) emotional dramas, 6) gleeful musicals, 7) picturesque historical films, 8) untamed westerns, 9) imaginative science fiction films. We have denoted the definition of the our theme’s genre, the horror genre, genre that is designed to provide an extreme entertainment, to feed our minds with frightening images focusing on the vulnerable core of human nature, our most terrible fears and phobias.

2. We have descried the classification of horror films sub-genres including: 1) fighting-oriented action horror,2) carnivorous natural horror, 3) intricate psychological horror, 4) stylistically rich gothic horror,5) anatomical body horror, 6) psychopathic slasher films, 7) blood-centered splatter films, 8) death-defying zombie films, 9) humorous comedy horror films, 10) refreshing science fiction horror.

3. We have discovered the roots of the horror fiction that lay in the ancient times, in religion and folklore and featured in the works of Roman poets and writers. We have mentioned the great and influential writer Edgar Allan Poe, whose works were too innovative and ahead of time for the 19th century, but later were admired by many horror genre aficionados.

We have traced the origins of horror movie that go back to the very beginning of the 20th century and the release of such films as the silent horror movies «Hunchback of Notre Dame», «The Phantom of the Opera» and «The Monster».

Thus, the horror genre of cinematography is an enormous complex of films united by the prevalence of the dark and suppressing visuals, the photography that is amplifying the visuals’ effect, a plot including the sequence of demises or unfortunate events, the elaborate system of images designed to cause anxiety and dread, the abundance of suspenseful moments keeping the viewer in tension and an emphasis on the feeling of repulsion and disgust.