Anna Bednarz

4 FAUT

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button as an Example of

Multigenre Movie.

American cinema consists mostly of genre movies described by Barry Grant as

“commercial feature films, which through repetition and variation, tell familiar stories with
familiar characters in familiar situations” (1). Moreover, in the course of history of American
cinematography, creators of films have exploited a whole variety of filmmaking practice,
which has resulted in an emergence of an abundance of genre movies. Each genre exhibits
some distinctive features, fulfills a specific function and meets needs of different types of
viewers. Although genre categories, such as science fiction, romance, thriller, pornography,
comedy, drama for many years have conveniently divided popular cinema, another type of
movies has came into existence- a multigenre film (Grant 33). Multigenre movies comprise
elements of different movie genres, which provides the viewer with an unparalleled
opportunity to plunge, at the same time, into the world of fantasy, horror, love, and action.
One of the most astonishing multigenre movies that has been ever committed to celluloid is
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button directed by David Fincher. It is a groundbreaking
movie about Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who was born old and is aging reverse as well as his
great love, Daisy (Cate Blanchett).
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button bears all the hallmarks of melodrama. As all
movies belonging to the genre, the movie deals with tragedy, crises of human emotion, failed
love, emotional hardship and strained familial situations (Internet source no 1). Moreover,
John Mercer and Martin Schindler, while providing a detailed description of melodrama in
their book “Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility,” stated that: “melodramas are not stories
concerned with action and active protagonist but rather they are principally concerned with
emotion” (22). Undoubtedly, the movie directed by David Fincher stirs up powerful feelings.
The plot is filled with unexpected and tragic twists of action. As a newborn child, Benjamin
Button was abandoned on the porch of a nursing house by his father. Mr. Button rejected his
son because he blamed him for the death of Benjamin’s mother who died soon after giving
birth to him. The touching story of the small cripple, an object of ridicule and disgust, very
easily tugs at the viewer’s heart. Moreover, the fact that throughout the movie life is
intermingled with death, love with hatred, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button appeals to
heightened emotions of the audience. However, not only Benjamin’s but also Daisy’s life is
full of unexpected turns of action. Daisy at the peak of her fame sustains an injury, which
forces her to resign from her career. Even her love for Benjamin is from the very beginning
doomed to failure. The lovers were aware of the fact that with time their paths would diverge.
Another highly emotional strand of the plot was the story of Mr. Gateau whose the
only son was killed during the First World War. Mr. Gateau in an act of reluctance to war
creates a clock which is working backwards. He wants to believe that by turning back time his
son will come back home and lead a normal life. Additionally, the movie provides the
audience with a story of Captain Mike whose dream about being an artist was shattered by his
own farther and a story about Elizabeth Abbott, an unhappy wife of a British spy. For the very
reasons, I believe that in terms of immense emotional impact the movie is completely
satisfying.
However, movies belonging to melodrama are not only to evoke feelings of sadness
and compassion. John Mercer and Martin Shingler underlined that melodrama is “…a genre
combining elements of both tragedy and comedy. At a level of pure entertainment melodrama
established notoriety through its astonishing turns and twists of fate, suspense, disaster,
tragedy and comedy, its last minute rescues and happy endings.” The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button is full of comical situations. Benjamin’s first visit in the brothel, his outings
with Captain Mike to the pub are for me the most hilarious scenes in the whole movie.
Nevertheless, the positive mood of the movie is not only attained by the situational comedy
but also the verbal one. The majority of the characters are with an optimistic disposition
which helps them to cope with the most dreadful situations in their lives. Benjamin Button on
the sight of a man who just has died said: “The lord taketh and the lord giveth.” His words can
be also considered as evidence that the characters are reconciled with the cruelties of fate.
Moreover, the inability to take action to resolve problems is one of the characteristic features
of melodrama’s characters.
Additionally, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button can be considered as a fantasy
film, firstly, as it exceeds viewers’ expectations, secondly, as it depicts supernatural
occurrences that are taking place in the “real” world. The film is set in New Orleans, just after
the end of the First World War. The curiosity of Benjamin Button’s case lies in the fact that
he was born as an old man. Unlike other newborn babies, Benjamin’s body was covered with
wrinkles and he was plagued by the infirmities of an old age. Surprisingly, throughout the
movie he is not getting older but he is aging backwards. By employing the hi-tech technology,
special effects and laborious makeup, Benjamin’s process of aging is handled very
successfully.
Moreover, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button can be considered as a peculiar
legend for adults, which gives the movie a “fantasy-like” character. Richard Mathews in his
work “Fantasy: The Liberation of Imagination” pointed out that “fantasy is a medium for the
exploration of philosophic concepts” (12). The movie deals with the theme of passing time. It
may seem for one that as the main character is getting younger throughout the movie, the
story of Benjamin will fill with hope for eternal life those who are particularly bothered about
their appearance. However, the movie conveys a massage that individuals are helpless against
passing time and that death is an inevitable part of human life. Queenie, one of the main
characters of the movie states: “Everyone feels different about themselves one way or
another, but we all goin' the same way; taking the different route, that’s all.” The movie
shatters a utopian vision that human beings can live endlessly as well as it accustoms the
viewer with death. In The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the notion of death is presented
as an inevitable stage of human life. At the nursing house, Benjamin Button almost every day
is forced to reconcile himself with the loss of people he loves. Additionally, the clock made
by Mr. Gateau can be considered as a symbol of human helplessness against passing time,
because no matter how hard one might try “time and tide wait for no man.”
Undoubtedly, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button can be called an adventure movie.
Along Benjamin Button’s emotional journey of life he comes across a lot of interesting people
and great adventures. The nursing home is full of people who impart practical wisdom to the
small cripple. With the utmost attention Benjamin listens to the stories of Mr. Oti who for
almost three years has been living with monkeys at The Philadelphian Zoo. As a “young” man
Benjamin joins the crew of Captain Mike’s ship and travels to different parts of the world. He
meets a whole variety of people and even encounters his first lover, Mrs. Abbott. However,
his life cannot be considered only as a serene quest for adventure. When he is 21 the Second
World Word brakes out. Benjamin Button, along with Captain Mike, decides to fight against
Japan and Germany. This very fact can be considered as proof that the movie deserves to be
call a history movie. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gives a unique view of the
tumultuous history of The United States between years 1918 and 2003. The movie provides
one with a detailed description of the realities of war. Moreover, one can learn about the
epoch of hippie, music and customs of people who lived in the early 1960s.
For me, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is foremost a moving romance about
love that overcomes all boundaries. Daisy meets Benjamin for the firs time at a nursing home
in New Orleans when is a repulsive old man and she an adorable small girl. For most of their
youthful years they live separately. Eventually, their paths met again when they are at the
same age. Soon after their repeat meeting, they decide to live together and Daisy gets
pregnant. Like almost in all romance stories, their happiness does last long. Benjamin Button
aware of the fact that with time he will turn into a baby, and that he will not be able to take a
proper care of his own child, abandons family. However, fate holds another surprise for the
lovers. Daisy finds very young Benjamin, who has lost his memory, and looks after him till
his death. At the time when Daisy is for Benjamin Button more like a mother than a lover, the
most striking and touching thing is the fact that despite his amnesia, Daisy can feel that the
boy recognizes in her the woman he used to love. Moreover, the very fact may prove that
Daisy’s words: “Some things last” has turned to be true. David Fincher depicts their great
love with an air of sadness and melancholy, which causes that the movie for a long time
remains in the viewer’s memory. Additionally, the love story portrayed in the movie
comprises elements of a traditional romance- a woman who is almost all of the time out of the
lover’s reach and love that can be fulfilled only for a short time. The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button also perpetuates the notion of a real love that lasts forever.
To sum up, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an excellent example of a
multigenre movie that transcendences strict boundary of genre categorization. The film
directed by Fincher portrays a marvelous tale about time traveler, people and places that he
meets, the power of love, ups and downs of human life and the cruelties of fate. But not only
the unexpected twists of action should deserve on a great appreciation. The movie plays on
human emotions, drives one from the moments of complete elation to the moments of deep
sadness. Undoubtedly, due to the fact that the movie broaches the whole variety of topics,
comprises elements of different movie genres and has an immense impact on human
emotions, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will ponder to tastes of the most discerning
audience.

Works Cited
1. “Melodrama Films.” Filmsite 6 Feb. 2010 <http://www.filmsite.org/melodramafilms.html>
2. Grant, Barry. Film Genre: From Iconography to Ideology.
3. Mathews, Richard. Fantasy: The Liberation of Imagination. New Your: Routledge, 2002
4. Mercer, John, and Martin Schindler. Melodrama: Genre, Style, Sensibility. Great Britain:
Wallflowerpress, 2004.
5. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” The Internet Movie Database. 6 Feb. 2010
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421715/>
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Dir. David Fincher. Perf. Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett.
Warner Bros., 25 Dec. 2008