Genre - Crime Conventions

by Unknown 02:17 0 comments Research

This genre offers narrative with space for debates on

• Criminality
• Gender
• Race
• Policing 
• Social/cultural values

Crime dramas tend to focus on the kind of crimes that is the most anxiety inducing in the general public such as murder and serial killings.

Key elements to a film in this genre which contribute to audience pleasure -

• Question of morality 
• Debates about innocence/guilt 
• Resolution to a mystery 
• Verisimilitude - audience can see the representation of 'ordinary people' 
• Power struggles within the police force and between the police and the criminals  

This genre is predominantly male, especially in the police. The common characteristics of police officers/detectives/teams in crime dramas include:

• Teamwork and pleasure in success
• Conflict between different modes of policing 
• Father/son relationship between experienced detective and new sidekick 
• Sacrifices of private life made by dedicated police e.g divorce 
• Threat to police's private lives

Crime dramas range greatly to who their main focus is. Commonly, they'll focus on the law enforcement side of it and the struggles of the main detective - its quite rare for it to focus on the criminals side of the story. 

Crime has several sub genres - 

• Crime comedies
• Crime thrillers 
• Film noir
• Heist films 
• Hood films
• Legal dramas
• Mob films
• Mystery
• Police procedural