The Boss, hit-men, corrupt cops, rival gangs (character)
Rags to Riches, The American Dream, Question Authority (themes)
Film History - These types of movies have been around since films existed (silent era). Gangster film became very popular in the 1930's. They were mostly seen by those who were into things like recklessness and violence. Around 1934, the content in these gangster movies was censored by The Hays Production Code. 1940's-50's was when films became darker and violent after Gangster-Crime merged with Film-Noir. After 1950's was when these types of films had many different types of conflict.
Notable Films - Goodfellas, Scarface, Taxi Driver, Night Crawler, Reservoir Dogs, etc.
~Drama~
Conventions - seriousness, plot-driven films, realistic settings and situations, focused on mental/emotional struggles, plot twists (story-wise)
Heavily focused on characters, relatable characters, main protagonist is vulnerable/unstable, *character development*, hard decisions
Film History - In early days, Drama films were more exaggerated and less realistic. Most drama films were book adaptations. In the 50's, drama started to expand into several types of stories and genres. The 1970's was when the most famous drama directors first created their hit films. Francis Ford Coppola became a big name in the film industry.
Notable Films - Greyhound, Knives Out, Ida, Rebel Without a Cause, Blackboard Jungle
~Musicals and Dance~
Conventions - these types of films utilize song and dance as a key element throughout the story. For a film to be considered a musical, there must be a performance by the main characters. Plot lines include romance, exploration of different topics (sexuality, personal investigation), emotional expression through music, may include the breaking of the 4th wall (music most of the time comes from nowhere)
Film History - traces back to the silent era (operas and stage musicals were showed). It's believed that the popularity of these shows inspired the development in sound of films (1920's). Musicals were first indicators that sound in films would be considered 'revolutionary'. The first notable musical film was The Jazz Singer in 1927 which centered a character who uses blackface to hide his true identity. The 30's were considered the golden age for musicals since Hollywood had produced over 100 musicals in that year alone. Musicals became popular again after the Great Depression in the 60's. Early 90's introduced animated musicals once Disney created them.
Notable Films - Mamma Mia, Annie, High School Musical trilogy
~Action~
Conventions - power divided by labyrinth, speeches that excuse the villain's behaviour, etc.
Film History - Historians believe the first action film was The Great Train Robbery created in 1903. The 1920's and 30's consisted of many "swashbuckling" adventure movies. The 1940's and 50's movies were considered war/cowboy films. In the 50's there was a rise in Japanese Cinema. The 1970's were when Karate movies became popular, while the 80's produced blockbuster films. Action films continued to branch out into sub-genres.
Notable Films - John Wick, James Bond, Mission: Impossible
~Comedy~
Conventions - characters are overly happy, protagonist(s) are all different, villain usually is told to either find/kill the protagonist(s), music is usually lighthearted, set in suburban areas or happy places, films can end in a teaser
Film History - Comedy has always been used to make people laugh, though the jokes were usually based off the time the film was created. Comedy films have still never actually died off. Examples: slapstick, parody, romantic, plot-based
Notable Films - Dr. Strangelove, Back to the Future, Sorry To Bother You, Modern Times
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