Why is it that Marvel and other action-based franchises such as DC tend to ascribe at least one distinct social cause to each film? Is it a return to the overly simplistic style of prescriptive storytelling that was popularised in fairytales? Films such as Captain Marvel or series like the Falcon and the Winter soldier directly focus on social issues that are in current discourse (broadly feminism and anti-war sentiments). Though there seems to be more focus upon grey areas between the black and white, good guy bad guy format that originated in the comic series there is still very little complexity given to such large issues. Is it important for films such as Black Panther, which has had a great impact on the Black Lives Matter movement and provided much needed diversity in representation, to be released? Or are they simplifying complex issues, fitting them into a three act structure that has the potential for sequels, to market them to a specific demographic? Though both sides can easily be argued, it remains important to consider how prescriptive binary morality of good and bad can affect social movements, especially when displayed in films that have an immense global reach.
This topic has a lot to cover, but it is interesting to think about. – Cetrias2 years ago
I think the more pressing issue with marvel is their handling of villains. Due to their need for the heroes to always be perceived as upstandingly moral, villains who would otherwise champion the various social causes Marvel uses are written to be inexplicably monsterous. It sends the message that its more damaging to be passionate about a cause that affects you than maintaining the system that causes suffering. The Flag smashers from The Falcon series were a great example of this, along with the new captain being a viable candidate for representing everything they were justifiably against. – SunnyAgo2 years ago
In the world of movie musicals and musical episodes of TV shows, characters process their emotions and make decisions through song-and-dance numbers. The protagonists of these stories often seem to have an uncanny ability to influence people around them and make them break into song and dance.
In Encanto, Mirabelle's gift seems to be making her family sing about their feelings, especially when they don't want to talk about them: she makes Luisa admit she's nervous about the Pressure, she gets the whole family to sing about Bruno, etc. In the High School Musical series, Troy Bolton turns a basketball practice into a song-and-dance number because he can't stop thinking about musical theatre. Then he convinces all of his friends to work at a country club even though it's hard.
In The Greatest Showman, P.T. Barnum uses the power of song-and-dance to turn his group of social outcasts into the greatest show on Earth and to convince Zac Efron's character to join his team.
If the songs are diegetic (the characters are aware they are singing and dancing), they are conscious choices by the characters, so they can be considered part of the characters' development. If the songs are non-diegetic (only the audience is aware of what's happening), they are mainly plot devices.
Other examples include Zooey's Extraordinary Playlist, The Flash/Supergirl crossover "Duet," and The Magicians' annual musical episodes.
Analyze the narrative impact of these characters and their musical influence. Does this phenomenon work better as character development, a plot device, or a combination of both?
You could also discuss Orpheus in Hadestown, who is both a musician and musical protagonst (with Eurydices). Singing is part of his identity in the show. – Sean Gadus3 years ago
'The Power of the Dog', directed by Jane Campion, has received numerous nominations and accolades, and is another example of a recent film in the Western genre made by a female director. Chloe Zhao's 'The Rider' and Kelly Reichardt's 'Meek's Cutoff' are other recent examples. Jordan Kisner's article 'The Western Rides Again' delves into some of these recent adaptations. I'm interested in the staying power of the genre and figuring what, if anything, the genre has left to give us in new iterations.
Really thoughtful question here. I wonder if these directors might push this genre to explore various avenues not gone down before. – alince2 years ago
Also interesting to note is that neither of the two female directors you mentioned are from the United States. The Old West has so many myths and symbols attached to it, including the machismo aspect, that maybe the genre needs more views through a non-American (and less biased) lens with that additional female/outsider perspective. – jwintersallen2 years ago
Star Wars is arguably one of the most influential sagas ever created-it's tales have touched countless lives over the past several decades. Explore what makes these stories so powerful, why they have stood the test of time and how have they grown to live through so many generations of fans. Is it the characters? The plots? Something else completely? What adaptations has Star Wars embodied to remain a timeless tale that so many have connected with?
Hello! I'm sorry for the extra note, though I just wanted to say that I have revised this topic, but my edits didn't save when I went to update it. This is the altered topic that I came up with as a result of the given notes. Thank you for your feedback! "Star Wars is arguably one of the most influential sagas ever created-it's tales have touched countless lives over the past several decades. My Dad grew up following the story of Luke Skywalker, and 30+ years later “Star Wars the Clone Wars” became a cornerstone of my brother’s childhood. Explore what makes these stories so powerful, but also how they have been able to grow to stand the test of time. Is it the characters? The plots? Something else completely? What differentiates and connects Luke and Rey as protagonists, how was “Star Wars the Force Awakens” able to successfully recycle the villain of the Death Star into the Starkiller Base? What adaptations has Star Wars embodied to remain a timeless tale-and in what ways have they evolved so that their stories exist in harmony without becoming over-repetitive or trite?" – mmclaughlin1023 years ago
I’m no star wars fan (only watched a few, tho none of them have been compelling enough for me to be become a fan who watches every thing in its entirety )
But I will say that perhaps it’s the fact that it created or popularized the hero’s journey. A writer’s structure that has made the films writing engaging? – Amelia Arrows3 years ago
star wars also uses Propp's 'spheres of action' model for characters so that every character is a recongisable and relatable figure which i think has made it stand the test of time – lizawood3 years ago
In all JRR Tolkien’s lore, the Elves and Dwarves are diametrically opposed races. However, in the filmed adaptations of his works, we see an emphasis on the developments their positive relationships. In The Lord of the Rings, the camaraderie between Gimli and Legolas is a core element of the films, and there’s a not-insignificant amount of fan content created about the possibility of a romantic relationship between them. In the more recent Hobbit trilogy, a romance was added between Tauriel the elf and Kíli the dwarf prince; one that didn’t exist at all in the book (as Tauriel herself was a new addition to the narrative). It seems likely that the new Amazon Rings of Power series will also explore dwarven-elven relations (if not relationships) as well. What about Tolkien’s stories and worldbuilding has people consistently drawing these two sides together? Is it just the appeal of an opposites-attract narrative?
I think this is an interesting discussion as it could also be examined for the dichotomous attitudes to racial representations present in both Tolkien's work and the interpretations of his work. – Sarai Mannolini-Winwood3 years ago
This is such an intersting aspect of this series to explore. I personally have not read Lord of the Rings, though my brothers are big fans and I know a bit about this compilation of stories from them. I feel like one of the most powerful things about Tolkein's stories is how they create such fantastical, adventurous tales with roots in very human emotions and ideals. In a way, I think the connection between dwarves and elves is a representation of how people from all walks of life can share the same path, share comrodery and stregnth and joy through trying times. One of the greatest gifts in life is good company, and there is something hopeful and endearing in these connections between dwarves and elves-that differences don't have to be a divider, they can open our eyes to new perspectives, and help us grow for the better. – mmclaughlin1023 years ago
Consider the role of technology in romantic relationships. For example, how many relationships begin on Tinder and other dating sites. Or how people can meet on social media and get into relationships. How are these things shown in film? Think of old tropes such as a man waiting 3 days to call a woman after a date. How does that impact audiences to watch these tropes today? For example, with this trope, how would contemporary audiences feel watching “He’s Just Not That Into You” (2009)? If it were remade today, what would be done differently?
I think the larger scope would actually be looking at the way in which romance is made, although meeting at a bar and at a workplace are still common, the uptake of romantic and sexual apps highlights the way in which "love" has changed. What I find interesting about the use of many of these match up tools, websites and apps is that they have fulfilled a role once held by friends and family. I think this would be a fun topic to explore and especially to do a little comparison of how love matches are made in film and television today and compare it to those from pre-2000s. – Sarai Mannolini-Winwood3 years ago
Dating 'rules' and romance tropes are different from each other, and it would be worth making the distinction clear in the article.
In books and scripts there is a thing called 'beat sheets' which have major events that are expected to occur in a certain genre. I recommend looking up 'romance beat sheets' for this article.
Youtubers Jenna Moreci and Alexa Donne have some great material on romance tropes vs beat sheets.
I personally don't think technology has changed romance tropes too much. Not everything can happen over messenger/text, though some does. Before this would have just happened over the phone, email or (gasp) letters. – Jordan3 years ago
Maybe consider writing about "meet cutes" and the impact technology has had on them. – derBruderspielt3 years ago
Romcoms are an incredibly popular genre, and some of the relationships – from the perfect meet-cute to the inevitable dramatic finale – are truly dream-worthy. But a lot of romantic comedies also feature clearly unhealthy relationships. Consider The Wedding Planner, where the male lead is engaged for the majority of the film, or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, where both sides of the couple are trying to trick one another. There are countless other examples.
It would be interesting to explore why this is. Does a relationship need to be unhealthy (or, commonly, founded upon lies) to be "funny"? Why can we set aside critical judgement of blatantly unhealthy behaviours when we're watching these movies?
Add screwball comedies to that and it would improve it greatly. – leitercary3 years ago
The questions you pose here are very interesting. How would we define “unhealthy” in this inquiry? You seem to imply dishonesty or deception as informing that qualifier, which I think is right, but also, what of other problematics like sexist gender roles set as expectations via swoon-worthy rom com get-togethers? Perhaps this is where some of the unhealthy humor of this genre comes into play, where we laugh at the blunders the characters commit as they themselves attempt to fit the expectations of idealized heteronormative relationships— ‘boys will be boys, girls will be girls.’ – duronen3 years ago
This is a great observation, but I think it all depends on the story's climax. Usually stories like these involve some sort of breakdown or revelation in the final act: a moment where he breaks up with his fiancée, she admits that she's catfished him, secrets are revealed, fights are had or silent treatment commences, and perpetrators sufficiently repent and abandon their old ways. In great rom-coms, these unhealthy foundations often serve as a vehicle for character transformation, and such resolutions create that addictive sense of relief just before the final credits that contributes to the enduring appeal of the genre. If you'll allow me to jump on my English-major high horse, I'd say the theme goes back to Shakespearean comedies, in which relationships are fraught with misunderstandings and outright lies until they reach the Act V Breaking Point, when everything is revealed and all the liars and schemers have endured so much drama and strife for their mischief that they renounce it all and promise to behave themselves from that point on (and they live happily ever after, etc). Of course, if these things happened in real life, there would be much bigger issues, but rom-coms are their own breed of modern fantasy that are meant to be taken with a grain of salt, perhaps comparable to popular fairytales with a 'moral' the audience is meant to detect. – Emory Grace3 years ago
This is brilliant, and I agree wholeheartedly. Maybe mention the role that conflict has in any story, and consider how in a romantic comedy, tension between the central protagonists is a requirement to progress the plot, often leading to a relationship which a regular person would consider toxic. – tomgerrans2 years ago
The lack of healthy communication in rom coms makes it very hard to root for the central romance. There is little to no character development in most in this genre (apart from them realising their love for each other) and there is a high chance the romance won't last long after the movie ends. – tarushharris2 years ago
Is there such a thing as a healthy relationship? In any case, abnormalities are preferred in fiction. Normality is usually not worth telling. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Is it worthwhile to adapt YA books into TV or film? What determines if it is done well? Is it wise to change a lot when carrying over to a different medium? Compare popular examples like the Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, etc.
This is a bit of a loose topic, but could then be left open to the person who selects it. There are a few interesting approaches that could be looked at here. Obviously there is always the element of debate around adaptations of any book to film, what to keep, what to change etc. and with this the value in such changes and the complexity of allowing the new version to speak for itself. However, when considering YA specifically this is interesting as it has become a financially viable field, and as always where there is money there is usually an agenda. What I find interesting is the wealth of "queer" and non-binary YA that is present in today's marketplace but have much more limited discussions about their application to the big screen. Is YA being used to perpetrate socialised stereotypes in a repressive manner? Another discussion is often scope, most YA are serialised (again that is where the money is), how do you successfully guarantee the transition to film will ensure the full series is made, some are very successful such as HP and HG, but others such as Vampire Academy struggled to make a mark in an over saturated marketplace. Finally, there is also the question of canon - if significant changes are made, characterwise and narrative, how does this impact the canon of an ongoing series and the fan experience, especially when considering much YA has a huge fanfiction following that values their own interpretations - so is that a can not worth opening? Indeed the fascination with YA is an interesting development rather specific to this century. – Sarai Mannolini-Winwood3 years ago
I think it can be worthwhile, but I think screenwriters and directors need to be careful with their adaptations. I personally think multi-episode show adaptations (like Shadow and Bone) work better than individual movies because movies often cut out crucial scenes in order to fit within the 2-hour limit, whereas shows can work with at least 7-8 hours of content. – isabeldwrites2 years ago
