ADMISSION ESSAY

  
The following essay outlines and discusses what the film genre system implies and
how it works, it also critically reflects on some of the issues surrounding the system
of classification in films. The content below covers the above-mentioned information
and focuses on the genre of horror in films.
The genre system in film implies that every film written, directed, and produced by
filmmakers must fall into a certain genre, this means that all the films that are
released fall into genres or subgenres that have been created in the past, each film
must have certain qualities to fall into a certain genre. Each film follows a traditional
way of filmmaking to make it fall into a genre and has a target audience that it must
reach. The genre system makes the audience choose a specific genre of films they
love to watch; this helps them align themselves with the content they enjoy watching
Corrigan White (2008).
A film or movie can be categorized by its props, setting and character types as to
which genre it falls to. Some films are based on true stories, some are based on
shared theories/stories about the past, and some are based myths that have been
circulating over the years. A film can either be a fiction or it can be about a real event
that took place, this helps the audience have an insight into what they are going to
watch, and this is how most films sell in the movie theatres and their target audience
Corrigan White (2008).
Horror
Horror is film genre that thrives on suspense, shock, and terror. It has been present
since the year 1796, the short word horror means something that scary to imagine or
watch; it features horrifying depictions, and it shows its audience scary pictures and
makes them imagine bizarre images of what they are watching or reading.
The essential elements of horror incorporate characters that have some sort of
abnormalities either physically, mentally, or spiritually. Its storylines are based on
suspense and shock. Its aim is to make the audience sit on the edge of their sit
wondering what will happen next. Most horror films feature a villain that was once
good and turned bad because of the things that have been done to him or her, some
feature monsters that horrify other characters in the film, and finally some of the
horrifying actions are carried out by a person who has some sort of mental problems.
Most of the horror films that have been produced scare their audience with a lot of
blood spill, terrifying injuries, and grotesque images of the villain in the movies
Corrigan White (2008).
There are three subgenres of horror films which are Supernatural, psychological, and
physical horror films. The supernatural horror film features a person or some living
entity that is spiritually possessed by a demon or some sort of dark spirit that roams
around them, in some cases it is a scientifically developed thing that alters its way
into human lives, for example, The Conjuring: The Devil made Me do it (2021); the
second one is a psychological type of horror movie that features a person who has a
mental disorder that causes them to carry out actions that harm other characters or
themselves in the film, for example, The Shining (1980); the third one is a physical
horror film which features a person who thinks violence and injuring others is the
only logical thing to do, in most cases the films revolve around revenge, for example,
I spit on your grave (2010) Corrigan White (2008).
the film I liked
The film I liked is The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. I loved this film because
it was well produced, and it has a great storyline that’s accompanied by a great
cinematography. Although it falls under the Supernatural subgenre it makes the film
seem like something that would also happen in our real life. It features a woman (the
occultist) who is a witch and has casted a spell on a child (David). David carries an
action of whatever the evil spirit tells him to do even if his family seeks help from the
priest, it all becomes in vain because the curse continues to roam around the family.
The priest tries to pray for David but the evil spirit in him refuses to succumb to the
prayers of the priest and David’s family. In the end of the film the culprit (the
occultist) of the evil deeds which possessed the people of this town finally came out
and was defeated by a woman and her husband. Even though supernatural deeds
may seem unreal, this film makes the audience believe that the curse is present
because the movie is based on myths of evil deeds which are shared in the society
even today. The film is well edited as one can see from the transitions of the scenes
to the filming of the movie. The film has made a lot of noise to many people who love
supernatural horror films. It is a sequel of the first and the second series of the film
so when it came out horror fans were astonished by its greatest as it has the
franchise has made a name for itself in the history of horror films.
Most supernatural films like this one are based on a shared belief that witchcraft
really exists in our day-to-day life, so when the people go to watch in cinemas or at
home, they already have an idea about what is about to happen in the film.
A film that I disliked
I spit on your grave is a film that I disliked because it has a lot of bloodshed, although
the film is about revenge. I believe one should not take the law into their own hands
because they might end up in the same place where the perpetrators are supposed
to go. The film has a series of three movies. It features a woman who is raped by a
group of men, and they leave her dead, however, she does not die, and she gets her
revenge be going the men who did the bad things to her.
This film falls under the physical horror subgenre because it has a lot of blood shed
and the woman who is wronged by this group of men does not think about the
outcomes of her actions because all she ever wants is to get revenge and make
these men pay for their gruesome actions. The physical horror subgenre features
storylines of something that could happen in real life, anyone can be a victim of rape
and think of getting even with the perpetrators.
I did not like this film because such things do happen in real life and the some of the
victims never get justice of what was done to them. In most cases their pain stays
with them their whole life and they also live to see their perpetrators roam around the
streets without getting arrested, after watching such a movie they would also get
ideas to also get revenge for what has been done to them. This will lead to them
getting arrested because doing revenge after the event of being raped is not
considered a lawful thing to do. I spit on your grave is a film that should not be
recommended for children because it promotes rape, violence, murder and taking
the law into your own hands. Its cinematography is not up to par because it was
produced back in 2010 when the film industry was still growing and finding its feet.
In conclusion the above essay has discussed what the genre system implies. It also
discusses the film genre of my choice, the film I liked and, the film I disliked.
List of references
Corrigan, Timothy & Patricia White. 2008. Chapter 8: Rituals, Conventions,
Archetypes, and formulas: Movie Genres. In The Film Experience, 2nd edition.
Bedford: St. Martin’s Publisher. Page 315-51.