Chapter 3: Types of Movies
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following is one of the meanings of the word “narrative” in regard to movies?
a. a nonsequential organization of events in a movie
b. the topic that a particular film tells
c. a character who narrates events in the film through voice-over
d. the particular system by which a fictional story is structured
e. a concept describing the theme presented in almost any kind of movie
2. Why do human beings continually create narratives out of various facts and details?
a. because narratives inherently convert storytelling material into propaganda to instill in others a
particular political point of view
b. because narratives are the most efficient way of disseminating and communicating all information
c. because without narrative, people would not be able to make sense of the world around them
d. because narrative style is the same all over the world, and thus to use narrative is to universalize
particular experiences
e. because by framing and presenting information we use narrative to arrange and understand the
world and our place in it
3. How is the term “narrative” used in a broad conceptual context?
a. to denote any cinematic structure in which content is selected and arranged linearly
b. to apply to any film that has characters
c. to categorize only Hollywood films that adhere to a five-act structure
d. to designate only experimental films that have no discernible story or action
e. to rethink films in relation to literature, painting, music, and the like
4. Which of the following is an example of a film employing narrative organization in a way that goes
against the arrangement of events in conventional order?
a. A film possesses an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement.
b. A film’s material is chosen and organized so that one event leads to another in a recognizable
progression.
c. A film jumps from scene to scene so that events proceed, not in chronological order, but rather
according to poetical associations.
d. A film advances linearly from scene to scene by following a character throughout the course of her
day.
e. A film documents the development of a protest movement by following several participants in
dramatic fashion.
5. Why can it be said that nearly every movie, regardless of genre or type, employs at least a semblance
of narrative?
a. because all art is narrative
b. because the linear nature of movies lends itself to structures that possess some form of progression
c. because all movies contain characters and recognizable situations
d. because all movies follow the same formula for structured action
e. because of the way audiences have been taught to understand art, which forces them to transform
seen, read, or heard material into a story
6. Why can categorizing movies into strict classifications be problematic?
a. because classifications are useless
b. because there is no general agreement concerning classifications
c. because classifications have nothing to do with film form
d. because only experts can classify movies
e. because many movies defy exact classification by any standard
7. Which of the following is one of the primary concerns of documentary filmmaking?
a. the recording of reality
b. the commercial return on investment
c. the coordination of lighting design and camera movement
d. subjective truth
e. the creation of fictional events
8. Which of the following demonstrates how documentary filmmaking inherently entails the “creative
treatment of actuality”?
a. A director decides to simply base a fiction film on a true story rather than shoot a real-life subject
because of potential legal repercussions.
b. A scriptwriter loosely incorporates into a fiction film’s action the facts of a well-known historical
event.
c. A director captures events behind the scenes of a political campaign and edits his footage so as to
portray the candidate in a harsh light.
d. A producer withdraws funding from a documentary that dares to investigate the ramifications of
mass-marketed baby food.
e. A cinematographer decides to record the events at a bustling marketplace by simply setting up her
camera from one angle and shooting footage for an hour.
9. One of the four basic approaches to documentary filmmaking is
a. fictional. d. demonstrative.
b. comprehensive. e. propaganda.
c. entertainment.
10. What is the purpose of persuasive documentary films?
a. to present people or processes in straightforward ways, without unduly influencing audiences
b. to present a particular perspective on social, political, environmental, and other issues
c. to educate audiences about shared concerns or interests
d. to carry a political message from a government.
e. to take the audience into a completely fictional or artificial film realm
11. Footage that documents subjects (the people the documentary is about) in action and events as they
unfold is known as
a. primary footage. d. narrative voice.
b. b-roll. e. interviews.
c. interior perspective.
12. What characteristic of notable documentary movies has allowed them to enjoy unprecedented popular
and critical success in recent years?
a. big budgets
b. controversy
c. a refusal of narrative
d. voice-overs by famous actors
e. hybridity of foundational approaches to nonfiction filmmaking
13. Which of the following does film scholar Fred Camper say is a characteristic that most experimental
films share?
a. commercial intent
b. an impersonal style and sensibility
c. conformity to narrative conventions
d. a noncritical stance toward culture and media
e. an invitation to individual interpretation
14. Which of the following constitutes a major difference between commercial narrative films and
experimental films?
a. Most commercial narrative films refute storytelling conventions.
b. Most commercial narrative films dissuade audiences from identifying with characters.
c. Many experimental films repeatedly remind audiences that they are watching a movie.
d. Many experimental films are made by large teams of moviemaking professionals.
e. Many experimental films find huge audiences in multiplex theaters.
15. What is the defining characteristic of found footage experimental movies?
a. a personal approach to unconventional filmmaking strategies
b. a political approach to unconventional filmmaking strategies
c. a purely formal approach to unconventional filmmaking strategies
d. the manipulation of film from other sources in order to create meanings and associations
e. the manipulation of originally produced film in order to create meanings and associations
16. Which of the following was a characteristic of the avant-garde movement in France in the 1920s?
a. surreal content d. a critique of capitalism
b. objective observation e. a desire to please
c. an abundance of actors
17. Which of the following films would be considered part of the self-reflexive strain of experimental
cinema?
a. a film in which a city during the evening is shot as a play of light and color
b. a film that pokes fun at classical Westerns by irreverently editing together John Wayne films
c. a film in which a filmmaker records daily scenes of his own life in a fragmented, oblique fashion
d. a film that explicitly yet poetically documents acts of lesbian eroticism
e. a film that animates abstract shapes to the tune of a Bach sonata
18. How have narrative feature films incorporated into themselves documentary filmmaking techniques?
a. by using small crews, natural lighting, handheld cameras, and nonprofessional actors
b. by tackling issues of political and social importance
c. by being informed by painstaking research
d. by interrupting the narrative flow with interviews of experts in the field that the film is examining
e. by being made with extremely small budgets
19. What is the definition of genre?
a. the categorization of narrative films by their cost
b. the categorization of narrative films by their indebtedness to literary sources
c. the categorization of narrative films by featured actors
d. the categorization of narrative films by country of origin
e. the categorization of narrative films by the stories they tell and the ways they tell them
20. How do film genres generally tend to originate and develop?
a. organically, as inspired by shifts in history, politics, or society
b. artificially, as concocted by quasi-scientific marketing teams
c. ideologically, as created by filmmakers trying to advance a political platform
d. commercially, as thought up by movie theaters in need of familiar hooks to attract moviegoers
e. academically, as developed by intellectuals arguing for movies as a legitimate art form
21. Why have genre films been prevalent since the advent of cinema?
a. They are the most challenging kind of movie to produce.
b. They are the cheapest kind of movie to produce.
c. They immediately possess a preestablished script in the form of the literary sources upon which
they are always based.
d. They involve little to no creative input from the director.
e. They appeal to audiences’ preference for predictability over novelty.
22. One significant cultural motive behind attending genre movies lies in
a. watching the performance of certain beloved actors.
b. enforcing fundamental beliefs.
c. recognizing and analyzing specific generic patterns.
d. avoiding uncategorizable films.
e. therapeutic consolation for problems that remain irresolvable in real life.
23. Which of the following demonstrates how genre is thought of and employed by the film industry itself
in producing movies?
a. A studio decides to stop production of a fantasy film because of its similarity to another movie of
the same genre.
b. A director with no experience shooting Westerns is chosen to helm the production of the biggest
Western in the last several decades.
c. An actor associated in the public’s mind with the persona of the tough-talking, no-nonsense
private detective is hired to play the latest version of film noir hero Philip Marlowe.
d. The sets featured in a recent romantic comedy are reused by another with only slight variations.
e. The current rise in child-oriented movies forces several producers to go with risky, adult-themed
scripts in reaction to what they see as a passing fad.
24. How are conventions enforced in genre films?
a. To the letter: Every conventional generic element must be present in the movie for it to be of a
particular genre.
b. Strictly: At least five conventional generic elements must be present in the movie for it to be of a
particular genre.
c. Obscurely: Only scholars and critics are allowed to deem a movie of a particular genre depending
on the conventional elements it incorporates.
d. Perfectly: No genre movie has ever wavered from a set formula.
e. Somewhat: Conventions are not enforced, and while every movie within a particular genre will
incorporate some of its elements, few include all conventions.
25. Which of the following is part of the story structure of a typical romantic comedy?
a. When two protagonists meet, it is love at first sight.
b. Two protagonists fall in love due to extreme compatibility.
c. Two protagonists must overcome obstacles to their relationship.
d. Two protagonists enter into marriage without really knowing each other.
e. When the two protagonists’ relationship appears doomed, they both make a grand gesture that
reunites them.
26. What is a movie theme?
a. a song heard over and over again on the sound track
b. a unifying idea that a film expresses through its narrative or imagery
c. a pitch, or short description of the film, presented by the producers to the studios they are trying to
get to fund the film
d. a recurring element in the story or imagery of the film, such as a lighting scheme or prop
e. a type of genre
27. What is the central theme of the Western?
a. the conflict between civilization and wilderness
b. the conflict between love and success
c. the conflict between parental control and children’s rights
d. the conflict between the romanticization and the demonization of the outlaw
e. the conflict between conservative and liberal politics
28. What is a character type?
a. a movie’s protagonist
b. a movie’s antagonist
c. a familiar character with a few essential traits that recurs throughout a genre
d. an unfamiliar character with a three-dimensional personality that recurs throughout a genre
e. a character seen once and then never again in a specific genre
29. What character type recurs throughout horror films?
a. the wise-cracking sidekick
b. the prim and proper schoolmarm
c. the hardboiled detective
d. the naive new kid in town
e. the malevolent and differentiated “other”
30. How do stars factor into an understanding of genre movies?
a. as incidental to their design.
b. as absolutely necessary to their definition
c. as an unfortunate drawback of the Hollywood system
d. as an important factor in their classification and analysis
e. as far less worthy of study than the role of directors, producers, and the like
31. Which of the following was a characteristic of film noir during and after World War II?
a. They were top-priority A-movies with large budgets and big stars.
b. They were produced to satisfy the government’s quota for wartime propaganda to drum up support
for the military.
c. They were low-budget B-movies where much stylistic risk taking and innovation could be tried
out.
d. They were critically lauded by American but not French critics.
e. They were high-spirited, lighthearted comedies meant to provide audiences with escapism during a
difficult era.
32. Which of the following movies represents the film noir style of cinematography?
a. a brooding crime thriller with high-contrast, low-key lighting featuring deep shadows
b. a sunny, optimistic musical with low-contrast, high-key lighting featuring bright illumination
c. a disturbing science fiction-horror hybrid with pitch-black darkness and scarcely any illumination
d. an experimental film with disorienting, washed-out colors and uniform illumination
e. a guerrilla-style documentary with grainy film stock that captures natural lighting
33. Which of the following movies features a film noir protagonist?
a. an urban rags-to-riches/rise-and-fall story centered on a young man who ascends the ladder of
organized crime to become a top underworld boss
b. a tough crime drama in which a jaded private detective falls for the charms of an alluring but
deadly temptress who hires him to find her kidnapped husband
c. a fast-paced action film starring a muscular hero who defeats a group of terrorists who take over a
train station
d. an eerie suburban-based movie in which a lonely teenager discovers he can turn into a werewolf
during the full moon
e. an experimental art film in which a mystery story soon evolves into a meditation on the very
nature of photography itself
34. What is the science fiction genre’s thematic relationship to issues concerning advanced technology?
a. The genre retreats from the potential threats associated with technology by speculating about
fantasy worlds in which it does not exist.
b. The genre unconsciously champions technology no matter what the ethical cost.
c. The genre repeatedly depicts technology as unimportant to society.
d. The genre speculates and fantasizes about only the wonders of future technological advancement.
e. The genre expresses anxieties concerning technology and its cost to human freedom and even life.
35. What similarities does the horror genre share with the science fiction genre?
a. Both speculate on future trends and possibilities.
b. Both deal with the transformation of ordinary people into extraordinary beings.
c. Both deal with the human’s encounter with forces beyond his or her control and understanding.
d. Both feature heroes that are typically stoic, courageous, and politically progressive.
e. Both are made with the intent to scare and terrify audiences.
36. Which of the following hypothetical movies exemplifies the horror genre’s similarities to primitive
religion?
a. a werewolf movie that mocks the clichés of the subgenre to which it belongs
b. a vampire movie that intends less to scare its audience and more to provide it with a romantic love
story
c. a slasher film that subverts formal elements to such an extent that it could be considered an
experimental movie
d. a supernatural thriller that makes audience members identify with a character who barely survives
an encounter with occult forces
e. a zombie film that works first and foremost as a political allegory
37. Which of the following is a typical feature of horror movie narratives?
a. the establishment of a normal chaotic world that will be threatened by the arrival of the other
b. the revelation of the other as merely the projection of the protagonist’s repressed fears
c. the prominent use of high-key lighting
d. the initial rejection by the protagonist of his or her suspicions of the other
e. the destruction or apparent destruction of the protagonist by the other
38. Which of the following is a typical variation of the basic horror plot structure?
a. The other is accepted by the community that it initially terrorized.
b. The protagonist comes to recognize that the other is simply a figment of his or her imagination.
c. The protagonist and the other join forces to destroy the community.
d. The protagonist begins to become the other and eventually faces the decision to either destroy
him- or herself or else complete the transformation.
e. The protagonist realizes that the other is just as misunderstood as him- or herself, and brings it into
his or her life so that both can become benevolent allies.
39. Which of the following exemplifies the horror movie antagonist as a compelling, three-dimensional
character?
a. a powerful supernatural force that is never provided with a proper name or fixed identity
b. an unstoppable slasher who never speaks and never fully reveals himself to the audience
c. a darkly sarcastic human-insect hybrid that increasingly reveals to his victims an inner torment and
self-loathing
d. a demented madman whose motivations are reduced to textbook psychological clichés and
explanations
e. a child possessed by a demon that represents pure, unadulterated evil
40. What kind of lighting is typically used to distort facial features and cast shadows in horror movies?
a. Halloween lighting d. natural lighting
b. chiaroscuro lighting e. colorful lighting
c. bright lighting
41. Which of the following represents the way characters can embody both the traits of the wilderness and
civilization in the Western genre?
a. a Native American stereotype meant to symbolize complete savagery
b. an outlaw-turned-sheriff who must come to terms with his dark past
c. a shy schoolmarm who brings school learning to the outer reaches of the frontier
d. a bank robber who must be captured or killed to restore order to the community
e. a mysterious, gun-slinging wanderer who never settles in or helps the society of the Old West
42. What kind of acting style is appropriate for most Western heroes?
a. frenetic d. subdued
b. humorous e. angry
c. melodramatic
43. Since the Western inherently concerns the thematic conflict between civilization and the wilderness,
its grandiose landscapes typically symbolize
a. the monotonous routine of the frontier.
b. the confined lives of frontier inhabitants.
c. the overwrought emotions of cowboys.
d. the alienation of nineteenth-century labor.
e. the endless possibilities and untamable environment of the Old West.
44. What was one of the major solutions to making audiences accept the unrealistic conventions of the
musical in a realistic medium like the cinema?
a. having characters only sing instead of dance in elaborate choreographed sequences
b. using songs from familiar Broadway stage hits
c. making the stories of musicals center on backstage musicals where the characters are employed to
sing and act anyway
d. forcing audiences to sing songs from the musicals while watching in the theater
e. limiting musical numbers so that audiences would not be overwhelmed by the artificial elements
of the genre
45. What is the extent to which the musical can combine with other movie genres?
a. The musical remains a genre entirely distinct and impossible to integrate with others.
b. The musical can be integrated with a wide variety of genres and styles, including action and horror
movies.
c. The musical can be combined with a limited number of genres: gangster films and film noir
exclusively.
d. The musical only melds correctly with the romantic comedy genre.
e. The musical only melds correctly with melodrama.
46. Which of the following constitutes a subgenre?
a. police films involving the pairing of two partners with completely opposite personalities
b. Westerns starring John Wayne
c. screwball comedies of the 1930s
d. low-budget horror films
e. the stylistically disparate yet thematically united films of director Quentin Tarantino
47. From left to right, which of the following lists a chronology of American comedy?
a. romantic comedy; slapstick comedy; light sex comedy
b. outrageous farce; gross-out comedy; comedy of wit
c. neurotic comedy; screwball comedy; black comedy
d. slapstick comedy; screwball comedy; light sex comedy
e. musical comedy; sentimental comedy; comedy of wit
48. What is generic transformation?
a. the process by which a particular genre is adapted to meet the expectations of a changing society
b. the process by which a particular genre resists the expectations of a changing society
c. the process by which a particular genre is transformed by a single innovative director
d. the process by which a particular genre splits off into multiple subgenres
e. the process by which a particular genre falls into disrepute and irrelevance
49. Which of the following demonstrates the necessity of generic transformation for a continually
successful movie genre?
a. A movie genre that has undertaken conservative themes retains the same message during a period
when Americans are rethinking long-held political principles.
b. A movie genre becomes unpopular for appearing relatively old-fashioned and silly to a new
generation of filmgoers.
c. A movie genre responds to a period of economic turmoil by failing to address, either explicitly or
implicitly, anything concerning current events.
d. A movie genre is largely made a field for repetitive sequels, while other genres find original ideas
by embracing advanced digital video technology.
e. A movie genre reinvents itself when a host of young directors decide to use its form to create
allegories about America’s “war on terror.”
50. Why did the Western genre decline in popularity from the 1960s until the mid-2000s?
a. because John Wayne’s aging and eventual death robbed America of its greatest Western screen
hero
b. because the increasing use of photographic color diminished the appeal of a genre inextricably
associated with black-and-white
c. because the genre was seen to be out–of-touch with audiences who had new ideas about moral
absolutes, Manifest Destiny, and the role of minorities in settling the West
d. because audiences demanded movies in which homosexuals were portrayed as flawless heroes
e. because the Western combined generic elements with those of the melodrama and romance
51. Instead of being described as a distinct movie genre, animation can best be categorized separately from
other types of films due to its unique
a. narrative patterns. d. lighting techniques.
b. process. e. themes.
c. characters.
52. Besides cinematic escapism, what other appeal might films in the superhero genre generally hold for
audiences?
a. They offer narrative representations of Americans as rugged, self-sufficient individuals taming a
savage wilderness.
b. They appeal to viewers’ inner aspirations of affecting meaningful change in a dauntingly complex
universe.
c. They offer audiences the exhilaration of confronting the dreaded other without the devastating
consequences.
d. They relieve science-inspired anxiety as their central theme for audiences.
e. They are deeply rooted in the concept of the American dream, in which anyone, regardless of how
humble his origin, can succeed.
53. “Storytelling is storytelling no matter what your medium is. And the language of film is also the same.
You’re still using close–ups and medium shots and long shots. You’re still trying to introduce the
audience to a character and get them to care.” What is director Brad Bird speaking about here?
a. television d. animation
b. foreign films e. virtual reality
c. musicals
54. What film claims to be the first fully animated feature-length documentary?
a. Chicago 10 (2007)
b. Song of the Sea (2014)
c. Tower (2016)
d. Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)
e. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
55. What basic type of animation is also known as hand-drawn?
a. cel d. computer
b. stop-motion e. 2-D
c. 3-D
56. What was the first feature-length computer animated film?
a. Antz (1998)
b. Toy Story (1995)
c. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
d. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001)
e. The Lion King (1994)
57. The theoretical concept used to explain the unease and discomfort felt by viewers for the motion
capture animation in The Polar Express (2004) is known as the
a. mysterious basin. d. mystifying abyss.
b. unnatural depression. e. uncanny valley.
c. enigmatic canyon.
58. The Lego Movie (2014) is a form of ________ since it imitates or appropriates recognizable stylistic
elements from a previous work or works.
a. allusion d. pastiche
b. parody e. symbolism
c. allegory
59. The Lego Movie (2014) borrowed the distinct style of low-budget, stop-motion animated films known
as ________ for its herky-jerky character movement and themes associated with Lego toys.
a. animatics d. Legocinematics
b. robotics e. brickfilms
c. CGI pantomimes
60. Like Harry Potter, the original Star Wars saga, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lego Movie is
structured around a story mythology known as
a. the “journeyman’s quest.” d. the “protagonist’s odyssey.”
b. the “hero’s journey.” e. the “cycle of stories.”
c. the “villain’s comeuppance.”
ESSAY
1. Explain how movies that purport to tell a true story adapt the stories they tell so as to serve
conventional principles of narrative structure.
2. Describe some of the various ways movie narratives are shaped by predetermined factors.
3. Why is there is no such thing as a purely objective documentary?
4. Explain how an experimental movie that seems to have nothing to do with human characters or
situations can still impart meaning to viewers.
5. Name and explain some of Maya Deren’s innovative contributions to experimental filmmaking.
6. Explain how experimental cinema continues to thrive in an age dominated by Hollywood blockbusters.
7. Provide an example of how genres are brought about inadvertently, not through conscious planning but
through a cultural response in story form to changes and issues occurring in society.
8. Why might a filmmaker famous for directing successful gangster films take on as his next project a
movie in the romantic comedy genre?
9. Explain how gangster films are simultaneously romantic and moralistic.
10. Citing an example, explain how film noir plot structures evoke a feeling of disorientation.
11. How might a filmmaker design an alien’s appearance in order to not only emphasize its malevolent
“otherness” but also reflect on certain aspects of modern technology?
12. Why do flawed protagonists encourage in all kinds of movie narratives the kind of character
development that satisfies audiences?
13. Using the example of the Western genre, explain the role of myths in amplifying and enlarging upon
actual events.
14. Using an example, explain how the integrated musical can be much more effective than the backstage
musical in revealing its characters’ emotional states through song and dance.
15. Explain the dual tendency of genres as they evolve over time.