Genre Research: Marty

 Marty is a  1955 Romantic Drama Film, focusing on the titular Marty, a heavyset butcher who is at 34, still a bachelor. He meets a plain high school chemistry teacher named Clara. and reevaluates his life. I chose to study this film because I wanted to get an idea of how dramas were filmed in the 1950s and how they differ from today.

What elements of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have? 

Despite moments of comedy, Marty is a drama. In fact, the flashes of comedy may make it an even better drama, as it adds to the realistic tone. The film has dramatic themes such as loneliness, societal expectations, and motherhood, all of which are treated as serious topics. The dialogue is less funny as it is reflective and it often helps to drive the plot along. In terms of lighting, Marty uses soft lighting often in the film, in order to give the film a softer, more serious tone. The acting was not over the top and was directed in such a way that it reflects the character's emotions and personality realistically, rather than trying to get an emotion out of the audience, like fear, as a horror may do. Ultimately what makes Marty a drama is that it focuses on the main character's struggle in a serious manner. 

What elements of the genre did the movie have that you like? 

I think Marty was a beautifully shot film, with its graceful pans and zooms. The lighting was also lovely, the film was in black in white, so it is a bit more difficult to differentiate between types of lighting, but the lighting never felt too fluorescent or inappropriate for a scene. I also really enjoyed the core story and found it to be both heartwarming and at times a bit heart-wrenching. I enjoyed most aspects of the film overall, and plan on watching it again.

What elements of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal to you? 

Like a lot of dramas, Marty is very dialogue-heavy. Which while I generally don't mind that and may even enjoy it, Marty pads out a lot of its dialogue with repetition and retellings, sometimes from the same character. Additionally, at times the themes in the film are presented very unsubtly. With characters often stating their woes out loud, the filmmakers often tell, rather than show.