Movies of the same genre tend to have more similarities than they do differences Westerns
“Films of the same genre tend to have more differences than they do similarities” To what extent do you agree? ... You should also make reference to genre theory (where appropriate). To answer the above question, I firstly have to address the issue of what genre is, and also how important it is. ‘High Noon’ and ‘Stagecoach’ both belong to the Western genre. William Shatz argued however that only two genres exist within the world of movies, ‘the genre of order’ and ‘the genre of integration’. The genre of integration is female dominant, usually revolves around a group of people, the conflict is expressed through emotions, with love being the resolution and there is a strong sense of community. The genre of order on the other hand is male dominant, the hero is usually a bit of an outcast, and does not assimilate the values and ideologies of the community he saves, but instead maintains his individuality. ... In Westerns there are basically two types of women, the ‘homemaker’ and the ‘prostitute’. ... Although symbols are of more importance in High Noon than Stagecoach, the Western in general has a particular repertoire of elements, which an audience would expect to see, and are important in both movies. Guns are important; they are phallic symbols, which suggest male dominance and power, which is an important theme in Westerns, as they revolve around male dominance and power. ... In Westerns Landscapes are very important. ... The conflict occurs very differently in both films, although they are both very typical of the Western Genre. ... ) In conclusion, I feel that although there are a great many differences in both of the films, there are still some major components which tie them both to the Western genre, including the setting, costume, archetypal characters, use of binary oppositions and also the repertoire of elements.