I.

Introduction

Film Genres, categories of film characterized by frequently recurring patterns of form, style, and, particularly, subject matter. There is no clear consensus among film historians and critics on the number of genres, or on the line of demarcation between one genre and another. This must be borne in mind when considering the following list of major genres: Adventure; Biography; Comedy; Drama and Melodrama; Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction; Gangster/Crime/Spy/Film Noir; Musical; Problem Picture; War; Western. Some commentators would argue that the category “Gangster/Crime/Spy/Film Noir” clearly incorporates two, if not more, distinct genres, as it could be seen to include films as diverse as The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941) and Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950). Similarly, the old industry category “Women's Pics” straddles at least two classifications: Film Noir and Melodrama. Only the Hollywood cinema has been considered. Obviously, genres exist in the popular cinemas of other countries, although, apart from such clear-cut exceptions as samurai films of Japan or kung fu pictures from Hong Kong, the categories applied are normally derived from Hollywood. Clearly there are interesting differences between, say, a British crime film and an American example, but on the whole these have yet to be studied. Differences between genres tend to be identified more in terms of themes, stars, use of costumes, and settings and locations, than in terms of specific aspects of film-making practice such as editing.