Cinematic genre

In film studies, genre refers to one method of dividing films into groups. Typically, genres are formed of films that share similarities in the narrative elements from which they are constructed.

What genres are not

There are other methods of dividing films into groups besides genre; for example auteur critics group films according to their directors. Some groupings may be casually described as genres but this definition is questionable; for example, independent films are sometimes discussed as if they are a genre, but in fact independent production does not determine a film's storyline, and they can belong to any genre.

Related Topics:
Auteur - Independent film

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Some have argued that genre needs to be distinguished from style; the latter describes the choices made about such things as cinematography, editing, and sound and a particular style can be applied to any genre. Others argue that some genres, such as film noir are primarily recognisable by their styles, and that this distinction is thus simplistic.

Related Topics:
Style - Cinematography - Editing - Sound - Film noir

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