Exam response advice - Advice

Here is an example of a, A grade student introduction to the genre question. You can see this would give a great impression to the examiner and sets up the specific textual analysis (identify and justify) for Fish Tank, Sin City and District 9.

Good practice would be to include a micro introduction for each text. Firstly identify each genre the text belongs to and make evaluative comments which uses language from the question. You could say you almost answer the question simplistically in the first couple of lines and then go on to proof it with real detail in terms of specific genre conventions backed up with specific and appropriate scenes/narrative description.

The above and below images are from the A2 Media studies guide available from the exam board, WJEC, found on Amazon.

Sin City can quite easily be established as postmodern due to it being a clear collaboration of a number of genres, creating hybridity within the text. The opening sequence, however, conveys genre conventions that can strongly be associated with the film noir genre.

Could have establish the two main genres which it belongs to most.

An establishing shot is used to, at first, frame an unknown ‘assassin’ (The Man) on a balcony in a cityscape, this mise-en-scene highlights the urban environment commonly employed in film noir films from the 1940’s.

No Specific detail here. I think a different scene would have been more appropriate to represent classic noir iconography.

Further film noir conventions can then be seen with the inclusion of the ‘lady in red’ who displays the characteristic features of a major noir element, the femme-fatale – with red lips, cigarette in-hand and slinky dress. This character is also lit using low-key lighting, a commonly used technique in film noir to suggest deception or deceit. Audiences familiar with the genre would therefore make assumptions about her narrative role by relating her to similar characters seen in classic noir films of the 40’s, such as The Maltese Falcon and The Big Combo.  

Good point in terms of the visuals, which link to the noir genre and femme fatale. However due to the experimental narrative we do not get any back story on this particular femme fatale so it is difficult to real identify how pure a femme fatale she may be. Again there are more appropriate scenes. Comparison to other noir films is a real strength.

Sin City, though, then breaks away from the stereotypical femme-fatale character when ‘The Man’ shoots the ‘lady in red’. This plays with the normal narrative convention and provides genre difference to the text, making it untypical. This adds a shock for the viewer and could be regarded as a way to keep the genre fresh for the audience.

Very good, answers the question and justifies the texts actions.

Further film noir conventions can be seen later in the film when the more established noir protagonists arrive in the form of the heroic ‘flawed’ males – Hartigan, Marv and Dwight. Each of these male characters is cynical, damaged and ‘hard-boiled’ like the original noir heroes from the 40’s features I mentioned earlier. Marv, for instance, states in a voice-over narration (another typical characteristic of the genre), that “Sometimes I even wonder why I’m on this earth” - therefore expressing a cynical viewpoint on his existence and his worth in the world. As with all the scenes throughout Sin City, Marv is regularly framed at a ‘dutch tilt’ angle and in stark high contrast black and white to not only represent his skewed view on the world but also his strong moral views of what is right or wrong.

The response is getting stronger, good reference to genre convention and justified with a quote, quote isn’t quite accurate, but gets the point across. Further quotes could have been added from the other protagonists.

The merging of genres in Sin City, to create a hybrid, clearly makes the film untypical of the original genre though. The continuous use of comic-book conventions, such as Marv’s ‘superhuman’ strength, establishes the fact that Sin City, although displaying many opposing conventions, is in itself a text which is both noir and comic-book; a comic-noir if you like. Evidence of this can be seen with the persistent use of comic-book framing and over-exaggerated actions. Hartigan’s shooting on the docks, by Bob (his cop-buddy), clearly shows signs of both noir and comic-book features when John is shot multiple times but still manages to save Nancy and express his feelings through a voice-over; again a noir convention.

A scene could be linked to Marvs super human strength. Not entirely sure what is meant by over exaggerated actions? However, this paragraph helps answer the questions. The hybrid nature of the text will of course dilute the conventions.