Genre Analysis

Romance 

A Little Intro 

The romance genre in film typically targets a female audience from the ages 13-18 years old. This is because the films usually focus on the female character which makes it relatable to the target audience. Romance films usually follow a typical set of characteristics such as:

Genre Characteristics

- the film includes a "love-at-first-sight" moment

- the search for love is the main focus of the film

- the two main characters are better looking than the rest of the cast

- the film follows the journey of courtship, dating, or marriage

- the female character is shy or down to earth

- the male character is outgoing and popular but falls for the shy girl

- the main characters face different sorts of obstacles that threaten the relationship which include:

 One character has or develops a physical illness:

                            

                 In the movie A Walk a Remember the woman that the man falls for is diagnosed with Leukemia. This film follows the same love story that all typical romance films do, but takes a twist in giving the female character an illness that makes the movie unique from the rest. Similarly to other films, it pulls on the heart strings of the audience, but has an even greater effect. The film introduces both characters in a classic manner and follows their love story from their first meeting up until their final goodbye. 

                                          

       In the Fault in our Stars both characters                     In Five Feet Apart both characters have

                           have cancer.                                                               cystic fibrosis.

There are differences in social status between the characters:

                   

          Titanic features two characters of very different social classes which plays a critical role 

in the relationship between them. The woman is of a high social class while the man is of lower class. They end up on the same ship because of a lucky coincidence. This coincidental meeting between both characters happens in many romantic films because it gives the audience the desire for the protagonists to end up together since their encounter was a lucky chance. 

                                   Differences in race/ethnicities or challenges because of families:

In this film The Sun is Also a Star, the main characters are of different ethnicities. Although this isn't a major challenge in the film, there is a scene in which the differences between them are addressed by a family member and it greatly affects the female character. The words of this family member creates a barrier between the two protagonists that is later broken, but it does hurt the protagonist.  

However, there are films that choose to divert from this path but it is a risky decision to do so because the audience may not like this change and therefore not enjoy the movie. 

Institutional conventions

These are the characteristics that are often seen in romance movies because it's what the audience wants. Institutional characteristics are used mainly to market the movie to its audience. One of the things seen most often in romance movies are good looking male actors. Since Hollywood knows that a movie with a popular male actor will gain the most attention, they tend to use these actors often. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

                 

                    The Great Gatsby (2013)                                                       Titanic (1997)

As previously shown, Hollywood has been doing this for years, but the use of the same male actors in romance movies is still seen now. Another example is:

Noah Centineo

                                             

            The Perfect Date (2019)                                               To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

Good looking actors are not the only convention that appeals to the audience. Happy endings is another characteristic seen most often in romance movies. When people choose to watch a romance movies, an optimistic ending is expected. Therefore, directors often choose to include this ending to satisfy the viewer, but there are rare occasions in which a romance movie does not include the expected happy ending. 

Conclusion

Romance films can fall under many sub-genres such as romantic comedies or romantic dramas, but they all seem to have the same characteristics or a common theme. This allows the viewer to feel in control of what they are choosing to watch because they know what to expect. Romantic films promise a detailed, and sometimes intricate love story with a happy ending and that's why they are a safe bet. Go ahead and leave your thoughts of romance films down below. Feel free to include any recommendations of this particular genre you may have!!