ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 introduces readers to the concept of genre in art, including cinema. What are the qualities that constitute genres, and how do we define them? The chapter begins by discussing the workings of genre in culture more broadly and in film specifically. Then follow explanations of the various elements that comprise different film genres. Conventions, iconography, settings, narratives, and characters are all considered in turn, with examples drawn from across film history and a range of genres. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the problems that arise in genre study involving definition and canon and the debate over genre purity and hybridity.
