14 Film Styles

(See the text for more information) These styles are often combined with specific genres to emphasize underlying meaning and/or cultural values in a film. Style is defined by how the cinematography is used, how the lighting is handled, how the narrative is written and even how the characters are created and acted.

• Documentary – The documentary style incorporates interviews, clips, voiceovers and often straight forward filming. Clarity tends to outweigh complex film techniques. Documentary styling is sometimes applied to non-documentary films. This is seen in the making of Citizen Kane, where the film presents itself as a biography, builds its narrative with interviews and uses flashbacks (much like clips are used in documentary films) to make points. (14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible, Shrikers, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years)
• Melodrama – This style contains clear right and wrong, and pure heroes and villains. Good wins in the end. Good characters are often identified by white hats or light clothing. Villains are often identified by dark hats and clothing. Often no reason is required for the villain to be evil or for the hero to be noble. Many early Westerns and War films fall into this style. (The Help, The Magnificent Seven (2018), The Immigrant)
• Film Noir – This style uses black and white film, high contrast cinematography, an ambiguous hero, a Femme Fatale, strong shadows, urban settings, and disenfranchised characters. Many detective stories from the 1940s and 50s utilize this style. These films often reflect the disenchantment of the country after war or in tough times. They tend to have nihilistic undertones. (The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard)
• Neo-noir – This style is the same as above but, often has an exaggerated use of color for psychological affect. Sharp shadows are often accompanied by neon lights, rain, dirty streets and other urban elements. (Blood Simple, Chinatown, No Country for Old Men)
• Realism – This is an approach that attempts to engage the audience through a feeling of entering a real world. The focus is on creating a realistic atmosphere, complete with dirt, blemishes and blood. Naturalistic dialogue and acting are included with unglamorized behavior. (Twelve Angry Men, The Florida Project, Manchester by the Sea)
• Hyper-realism – This style is often seen in modern films on war and superheroes and even horror, where blood spurts onto the screen emphasizing violence. The violent aspects of realism are amplified for effect. Uncomfortable close-ups are sometimes used to emphasize a character’s emotions and reactions. Extreme photorealism and gritty documentary style direction are often used. Sometimes simulation replaces truth. (Gravity, The Matrix, The Truman Show)
• Idealism – Idealism is often seen in early American War movies. This style idealizes heroism, family and/or other “acceptable” aspects of society. The style may glorify war, dying for a cause or fighting for family or country. Many children’s films are idealistic as are most Hallmark movies. The truth tends to win out but characters may be more complex than those seen in pure melodrama. (It’s a Wonderful Life, Moana, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)
• Avant Guard – This style is often symbolic, rather than purely narrative. Visual aspects may be dreamlike or change unpredictably. Avant Guard films are often experimental and break conventional filmmaking “rules.” The style lends itself to flashbacks, inner monologues and multiple possibilities for interpretation. Most works of David Lynch fall into this category. (The Whole Shebang, Sleep, Eraserhead)
• Animation – Animated cartoons, stop-motion photography and CGI based films fall into this category. These films may be in any genre and may incorporate several styles. CGI is used in many films that do not fall into this genre as they are primarily live action. (Think of the lizard in the otherwise live action, Death in Paradise series). (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Run, The Fantastic Mr. Fox)
• Ai Films – A highly controversial development in filmmaking.