All films can fit into certain genres but Christopher Booker has gone one step further and developed seven basic plots which films follow. Including my own examples these seven plots are:
Overcoming the monster- This simply describes the act of a hero destroying/killing/capture of a mass villain but the film includes many twists to the plot. The plot here can be used across many genres of film such as sci-fi, action and horror. Examples of this are James Bond and Jaws.
Rags to Riches- Usually entwined with rom-coms and love stories this plot involves character whom are from poor backgrounds to rise to fame by meeting the perfect man/woman or opportunity. Even though we assume people in the 21st century are above the breadline we can still use this plot across many eras in time such as Cinderella originating from Ancient Greece up to today with films such as Maid in Manhattan.
The Quest- Most common in recent years "The Quest" is a popular basic plot with blockbusters such as Avatar and re-make of Clash of the Titans. Involving many different formats such as CGI and real life situations it puts the audience into a new world and gives them the escape they thrive on when visiting the cinema. The Quest is usually based around an outsider who is sent to become a hero by putting themselves in great danger that could result in life or death. Sometimes it also involves the rescue of a female interest.
Voyage and Return- Alice in Wonderland is the perfect illustration of Voyage and Return for the reasons its involves the main character entering another world bring the audience with them. They experience new life and complications such as the scene in Alice in Wonderland where she has to find a way to shrink to fit through the door to enter Wonderland. The theme of escapism is widely used in films that require this plot.
Comedy- Engages the audience with comic acts with ranges of genres such as sci-fi-comedy and romantic comedy. Popular comics such as Will Ferrel and Vince Vaughan have a reputation for their stomach crunching lines which thrill each individual of the viewing audience. Films such as The Proposal, Anchorman and The Hangover have be world wide box office successes.
Tradegy- Often targeting audiences of the female sex, tragedy is popular for its heartbreaking stories such as Romeo and Juilet. Most frequently they involve two people falling in love but then broken by death, family issues or putting an ocean between them. The strain of this is a universal theme which most people experience in their lifetime after all we all fall in love and have our hearts broken one way or another. Love being the main theme among tragedy is just one of many, but their is also loss in particular The Bucket List and Seven Pounds show the effects the aftermass of a tragedy can change someones life.
Rebirth- Common in Christmas films such as Scrooge, Rebirth is the process of one character changing who they were in the past after being faced with situations such as death, crime or realization. Tylers Dad in Remember Me has ignored his children since the divorce of his wife. After his daughter experiences bullying and his son, Tyler dies from an act of terrorism during 9/11 his view changes. This chapter of his life has taught him that life is short and you shouldn't waste what time you have left.
No comments:
Post a Comment