What makes a drama, a drama?
Most of the movies made today are dramas. With some of the most recognizable including the Titanic, Hidden Figures, and Jaws, this is because dramas cover a spectrum of narratives, from romance to deeply emotional stories. Dramas are driven by intense plots that aim to portray realistic characters, settings, situations, and stories. These stories involve intense character development. There are many beloved subgenres relating to dramas, such as melodramas and biopics, but one of my personal favorites is psychological dramas.
Psychological Dramas, or psychodramas, are dramas that place specific emphasis on psychological elements, using the original tropes of a drama to focus on the human condition and psychological effects. This subgenre overlaps with other subgenres such as psychological horror and psychological thrillers.
Content
Thematic elements- The exploration of thematic elements is a prominent component of psychodramas. Some of these tend to include abandonment, dysfunctional relationships, mental disorders, and even disability. While this is only a short series of examples, this is one of the main fundamentals of the subgenre, being explored through realism most of the time (meaning the characters take a realistic approach to their situation, whether it is "realistic" or not, with the way of making the film prioritizing a realistic portrayal.).
Tone- The naturally developed, common tone of psychodramas takes more of a serious and mature approach, as the themes being explored implicitly or explicitly are serious and impactful ones. While this ranges with the specific story, the tone of this type of genre would contrast greatly with a classic romcom, for example.
Plot- While some psychodramas have a heavier plot, other's main focus is the character's mental state, being paired with less intense plots. The plots of psychodramas tend to be driven by a conflict and realistic portrayal of characters, with their actions and emotional/relational development driving the plot forward. Common plot points include a female or male protagonist who is going through a psychological problem or two leads who explore the common thematic elements or show emphasis on their psychological defaults through their relationship.
Production Techniques
With psychodramas prioritizing capturing life how it really is, realism not only is a key technique used but also affects elements of production. The importance of dialogue as the driving force for transparency into the character's psychological state, and to simply move the plot forward is one that is taken advantage of. This is one subgenre of film that doesn't depend on big action elements or a lot of editing, as these types of movies are more concerned with getting accurate depictions and focusing intensely on the main character's state and using the situation the character(s) is/are in to show development. These types of movies are usually filmed on location. The soundtrack used is meant to say something about the character's state, as are most of the technical elements of production. While more specific elements of production are unique to the specific story, such as lighting and set design, the techniques utilized are meant to emphasize the psychological state of the character/focus inherently on what's going on inside the character.
Marketing
The target age group for this subgenre is older than some other subgenres of drama. While psychodramas are more targeted at people in their mid-twenties to mid-forties, other more innocent dramas, like romance-based dramas, are targeted towards teenage girls. Because the themes are deep and intensely real, they are meant for older people who have experienced more things, as it makes the themes easier to understand/watch. Marketing for these types of movies, like for many, includes trailers, which are majorly exposed through social media. The trailers focus on the protagonist/antagonist of the movie (lead/leads) and showcase their situation. It introduces any important relationships and alludes to the character's differences. Overall, the trailer already starts a connection with the main character(s) and the audience, as the realistic approach can be personal. Having to do with movie posters, they usually include a closeup of the main character(s), with the emotions displaying a part of themselves and already alluding to an aspect of their situation/state. In general, marketing for this genre of movies is intriguing and pulls readers in without the use of exaggerated editing.
Joker is a 2019 film starring Joaquin Phoenix as the protagonist, the Joker, a clown, and an aspiring stand-up comedian named Arthur Fleck. Arthur suffers from a neurological disorder that causes him to have random, uncontrollable laughing fits, requiring medication for which he depends on social services to obtain, most likely caused by his childhood traumas. This character goes through constant public humiliation and disrespect until finally he kills in self-defense and begins to lose hope for his innocence. This movie shows the effect of not only abuse but of societal rejection, and all the feelings in effect of that, ultimately leading him to act the way he does. The tone of this movie is not strictly serious, as the Joker is known to be "comedic", but takes a slightly unconventional approach, as it portrays the classic Jokester as a deeply hurt and misunderstood person.
Good Will Hunting is a 1997 film starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck (the two writers of the movie), Robin Williams, and Minnie Driver. The main character of the film is Matt Damon's character, Will Hunting, who's a natural-born genius who goes from being in jail to being wanted for his mathematic talents. The movie takes place in South Boston, where Will meets Dr. Sean Maguire, a therapist, through his agreement to avoid jail time if he studies mathematics and goes to Dr. Maguire's psychotherapy sessions. At the start, Will is stubborn and close-minded, not accepting the opportunities that could come with his talents. Although it's not explicitly stated, he suffers from PTSD, borderline personality disorder, mood disorder, and inferiority disorder, which could be explained by the abuse he went through as a kid. His childhood traumas made him guarded, which is challenged by Williams's character, as well as challenged back by Will. The reciprocated challenge leads to a father-son-like relationship in the end, as they take up the relationships each one is missing in their life. Overall, the film exemplifies a psychodrama, as the impactful dialogue moves the plot and allows the audience to see through to the character(s).
No comments:
Post a Comment