Concept of Genre (Discussion)

Kitses

1. Groups 4 and 5: Kitses sees the Western as containing a "philosophical dialectic," which he explains in terms of a "series of antinomies." What does he mean by this? He then charts them in a table that balances "The Wilderness" against "Civilization." Choose a Western you've seen and provide examples from it that illustrate this. Could this notion of a dialectic be applied to other genres?
2. Kitses lists four aspects of the genre that he sees as central to its definition (below). What does he mean by each of these and how might they apply to genres other than the Western? Do they fit film noir, for example?
   1. Group 6: History
   2. Group 1: Themes
   3. Group 2: Archetype
   4. Group 3: Icons

Buscombe

Groups 4, 5 & 6:

1. Buscombe believes that one can escape the "empiricist dilemma" by relying on Wellek and Warren's notion of "inner form" and "outer form." What does he mean by each of these terms?
2. What categories does he provide for aspects of outer form?
3. Choose a genre other than the Western. How would you describe its outer form?
4. What aspect of Kitses' definition of genre corresponds to outer form?

Collins

Groups 1, 2, & 3:

1. Collins's article is "A Reply to Ed Buscombe." So, what does he feel is wrong with Buscombe's approach?
2. What approach to genre does Collins propose instead of outer form?
3. Choose a genre other than the Western. How would you describe it in terms of Collins's approach?

Bibliography

1. Jim Kitses, Horizons West (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969) 6-27.
2. Edward Buscombe, "The Idea of Genre in the American Cinema," Screen, 11.2 (1970): 33-45.
3. Richard Collins, "Genre: A Reply to Ed Buscombe," Movies and Methods, ed. Bill Nichols (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) 157-163.

External links

• Screen shots from My Darling Clementine
• My Darling Clementine video clip.