Specialist Study: Romantic Comedies & Postmodernism
Romantic Comedies (Rom Coms) are a cornerstone of cinematic history and have enjoyed large success over the years, especially during the golden years of the 90s and early 00s. However, in recent years it has become a somewhat forgotten and unpopular genre. Over time, the genre has undergone a number of changes and styles, and one of the most defining eras of the Rom Com was the postmodernist era of the late 70s and early 80s. This era of rom com, whilst not the most successful, paved the way for the golden years that would start in the early 90s.
Codes & Conventions
Romantic Comedies are often described as "Light hearted, humorous plots focused on romantic ideals such as true love conquers all" (En.wikipedia.org, 2019). The genre is considered a hybrid genre consisting of both romance and comedy, meaning that it conforms to the postmodernist film theory. Often Rom Coms will have two protagonists that have conflicting personalities in order to emphasize the comedic aspects of the film. The protagonists tend to be a man and a woman, with the film primarily following the journey of the female character so as to appeal to the largely female audience. The costumes of the characters in Rom Coms will usually reflect their personality so if, for example, a character is portrayed as geeky they will often be wearing glasses and plain clothes, whereas if they are meant to be suave and sophisticated they may be wearing a suit without a tie.
Melanie Bernier, Un Peu Beaucoup Aveuglement
Hugh Grant, Love Actually
Romantic Comedies can be set in almost any location but are most commonly set in busy cities such as New York, London and Paris, in order to reflect the bright atmosphere within the films. Many teen rom coms are set in schools or universities as this makes them more relatable to the target audience. Other common locations are coffee shops, parks and offices because this makes them relatable and give the audience a sense of hope that these events may, one day, happen to them.
Examples of locations in Rom Coms
There are a number of commonly used props in Rom Coms that make them easily identifiable to the audience. Examples of such props include rings, flowers, candles and books. There is also several editing techniques that are frequently used in the genre. They tend to be edited to a medium pace whilst using cross cuts and fade outs to help with continuity. Another commonly used technique is split screens in order to show a comparison of the lives of the two protagonists.
Example of split screen in 500 Days of Summer
In romantic comedies there are a number of recurring character types that help make the genre easily recognisable. There are three commonly used protagonist types in the genre; the cool, sporty guy, the clumsy girl, and the geek. Rom Coms also tend to contain a funny best friend of the protagonist as well as a character that tries to ruin the relationship.
Rom Coms also like to reuse the same shot types over and over again in order to show different aspects of the story. One of the most frequently used shots in the genre is the shot reverse shot during conversations alongside the two shot which helps to show the relationship between the two characters. Close ups are often used to show the characters expression whilst an extreme close up is used to emphasise the humour in a scene. Mid shots are used to introduce the characters and set the scene whereas a long shot can be used to show the intimacy between the two protagonists.
Example of a two shot, Hitch
Narrative Structure
There are a number of different narrative structures used in the romantic comedy genre but one specific structure is used more often than others. The most commonly used structure in the genre can be broken into 10 stages:
Unfulfilled Desire- One of the protagonists will have an unfulfilled desire, such happiness or love, at the beginning of the film
Meet Cute- The protagonists will meet for the first time, usually in a contrived manner, and their personalities will clash, which adds an element of humour
Happy Together- They will start spending more time with one another, often having been forced to, and they will become closer
Obstacles Arise- The original lives of the protagonists will catch up with them and cause problems in the relationship
The Journey- The protagonists are able to find solutions to the obstacles
New Obstacles- Despite finding solutions to the original problems, the protagonists encounter new problems
The Choice- The protagonist have to decide if they want to continue their relationship
Crisis- They must now face the consequences of the decision they made
Epiphany- The protagonists realise their true feelings because of the consequences they faced
Resolution- The protagonists finally fulfill their "unfulfilled desires" from the beginning of the film
A great example of this narrative structure is seen in Notting Hill (1999) where Hugh Grant's character feels empty before meeting Julia Robert's character. They then fall in love after spending time together before he finds out she has a boyfriend. They split up but later realise that they need each other and the film ends with them fulfilling their unfulfilled desires.
(Antonio, 2018)
Postmodernist Film Theory
Postmodernist film aims to combat typical conventions of narrative structure and characterisation by focusing on the destruction of hierarchy and boundaries. The theory tends to be more interested in contradiction, fragmentation and instability within the narrative of films which leads to the development of hybrid genres, such as Romantic Comedies and Comedy Horrors. Postmodernist theory states that meaning in films are developed in the spaces between the shots, the transitions and in the collisions between words, moments and images. This led to the introduction of non linear timelines because the spaces between scenes can mean more than the content of the scenes themselves, allowing for less continuity. There are three key characteristics of postmodernist film; the use of homage or pastiche that results in the use of contradictory genres and tones in films, self reflexivity resulting in the relation of an image to other images in the media instead of an external reality, and they bridge the gap between highbrow art and lowbrow art such as parodies of classic artwork like the Sistine Chapel. Self referential films, a staple of postmodernist film theory, make it obvious that the film itself is just a film by emphasising the contrived look of the film. They also use references to other works of fiction, for example When Harry Met Sally often referenced the film Casablanca with the two protagonists discussing the events of that film and relating it to themselves. The use of non linear timelines is also used to highlight the fact that a film is constructed. (En.wikipedia.org, 2019)
Harry and Sally watching Casablanca
Historical Context
Timeline of Romantic Comedy
Romantic comedy, as a genre in film, really came into fruition between 1934 and 1944. The films in this era were commonly know as Screwballs and gave an unsentimental idea of love. However, the early films were considered very modern at the time as they promoted gender equality whilst breaking down class barriers. Class difference was the key to these films as they often had a rich man marrying a poor woman, or vice versa. This provided a lot of hope and optimism in a time of economic hardship as it implied that money doesn't buy happiness. In the 1950s, Rom Coms became more about stability and marriage, reflecting society's desire for an element of consistancy after the turmoil of the Second World War. The 1960s was an important time for the genre as it went through a considerable change. Gone were the innuendos and insinuations of the 30s and 40s as they were replaced by a much more sexual and explicit portrayal of affection. This generation of romantic comedy saw a rise in divorce and break ups seen in films as they tended to focus on single life. The popularity of Rom Coms fell considerably during the 1970s as women's roles in the industry diminished and "Happily Ever Afters" seemed to disappear. However, the films that were created in the 70s led a postmodernist revolution of the genre that paved the way for the golden era in the 1990s. A resurgence for the genre occurred in the mid to late 80s, largely due to the success of Nora Ephron, which saw a number of films dealing with feminism. Characters also became a lot more relatable as they were no longer portrayed as perfect, beautiful people but rather anxious messes that had a lack of confidence. The late 80s and early 90s gave rise to an influx of female writers and directors who started to experiment in an attempt to stand out in a time of great success for the genre. In this successful era for the Rom Com, writers started to explore with gender and sexuality as society became more accepting. During this time the genre evolved from the postmodernist style of the 70s and 80s into a Neo-traditional style. This new form of romantic comedy took traditional narrative structures and concepts and put a more modern and realistic spin on them. The Rom Coms of the late 90s and early 00s became Neo-Traditional through the need to make them more relatable to the ever more modern audience. This was a time of huge success for the genre with Rom Coms dominating the box office and many of the films winning awards. The late 2000s saw the popularity of the genre start to decrease so, in order to slow the decline, writers and directors started to appeal to a male audience. They also started writing more realistic films that are about staying in love instead of falling in love. Whilst this managed to slow the decline for a while, the genre still continued to fall in popularity which lead to many declaring the romantic comedy dead. However, in the last couple of years, the genre has started to make a comeback, and the summer of 2018 saw a number of releases for the genre, such as Crazy Rich Asians, that were able to compete at the box office.
Key Films
There are a number of important films throughout the history of the Rom Com and some have completely changed the genre. One of the most important early films was It Happened One Night (1934) which focused on class difference but broke convention by having the rich character as a woman rather than a man. This, therefore, appealed to multiple audiences and provided a lot of hope to the public, leading to it winning five Oscar awards. Another key film of the time was The Philadelphia Story (1940) which empowered women by showing them that a woman can be both the protagonist and the hero. Both of these films were considered very modern at the time. Annie Hall (1977) is an extremely important romantic comedy in the history of the genre as it proved that the protagonists don't need to end up with each other for a happy ending, and that love isn't always perfect or the answer to everything. Arguably, the most important film of the genre, however, is When Harry Met Sally (1989). The film went away from conventions of the time by having the protagonists be friends before becoming romantically involved. When Harry Met Sally is credited as the first film to do this after which, almost all romantic films followed this structure. The film also broke convention by allowing the characters to spend time apart rather than forcing them to spend time together in order for them to fall in love. The growth of the characters, and the development of the relationship, is more believable than in many Rom Coms due to the timeline of the film being a decade rather than a few weeks as it becomes plausible that the protagonists may have matured in that way.
Key Practitioners
There have been many important faces throughout the history of romantic comedies that have helped the genre grow and adapt as times changed. In the early days of the genre it was the actors that stood out most, people like Katharine Hepburn and Clark Gable who drew vast audiences to whatever film they starred in. As the decades went on though, it was the directors and writers that took centre stage. The likes of Rob Reiner, Nancy Meyers and Richard Curtis who became famed for their efforts in the genre, and who could draw big name casts and ensure box office hits. There are, however, two names that did more for the success of the genre than anyone else; Woody Allen and Nora Ephron.
Woody Allen
Woody Allen started his career in show business as a stand up comedian in 1960. Whilst performing stand up, he developed a comic character who he made intellectual but insecure and timid. This comic character would later become the basis for many of his protagonists in both the theatre and on the big screen. 1966 was a big year for Allen as, not only did he started writing plays, he also began his long career in the film industry. Despite having written scripts for 11 years, it wasn't until 1977 that he really became known, when he wrote, directed and starred in Annie Hall. Annie Hall set the standard for romantic comedies due to a combination of three things; a witty, self deprecating humour, philosophical undertones and, most importantly, the focus on the plot and character growth within it. Many of the rom coms before Annie Hall chose to forgo the growth of a relationship in favour of a romantic, happily ever after. This lead to the audience feeling detached from the protagonists as they were never relatable. Allen realised this and chose to set Annie Hall over a longer time period in order to show the characters grow and mature. The director also became known for the philosophical questions that would underpin his films, with questions about the nature of relationships becoming key to his work. Allen followed up the success of Annie Hall with the equally successful Manhattan in 1979, a film that followed the same formula as its 1977 predecessor and confirmed the new way of writing rom coms. These two films laid the groundwork for a long, successful career where he became known as a pioneer of the postmodern romantic comedy.
Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron is, quite possibly, the most important name in the romantic comedy genre. She started her career in journalism where she became a key activist in women rights in the work place. In 1970 she cowrote a script for All The Presidents Men with her then husband Carl Bernstein, which, although unsuccessful, gave her a taste for screenwriting that would later define her career. It wasn't, however, until 1983 that she had her first successful screenplay, Silkwood. The film was not a huge success at the box office but this didn't deter her as she then adapted her 1982 novel, Heartburn, into a film. 1989 was the defining moment of her career as she was asked by director Rob Reiner to help develop a script for a new romantic comedy. Ephron started by interviewing Reiner, and other members of the crew, about their experiences in relationships. This helped her from the basis of When Harry Met Sally, considered by many as the greatest rom com of all time, as she would base the protagonists on Reiner and herself. In order to create When Harry Met Sally, she took the successful formula of Woody Allen and refined it. She gave the female protagonist her own element of neurosis but lessened the overall amount in the film. Ephron also asked the same philosophical questions as Allen but in a much more subtle and less invasive manner. The biggest change she made to the genre, however, was the exploration of intimacy. In When Harry Met Sally, Ephron set the film over a 10 year period which allowed her to show the protagonists growth and maturity in a far more convincing way than others before her. To help develop a convincing, intimate relationship between the protagonists she included mundane, day to day scenes in order to make them seem imperfect and relatable. Ephron also became one of the first people to include a narrative arc for the secondary characters. In 1992 she made her directorial debut in This is My Life before creating box office hits such as Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail making her one of the most recognisable names in the genre.
Harry & Sally laying a rug down. An example of a
mundane scene used by Ephron
Industry
The film industry, especially the romantic comedy genre, is constantly changing as society grows and evolves. Many of the trends seen in rom coms reflect the political and social landscape in the world at the time. The current era of film doesn't leave much space for rom coms, but those that are being made fit into the Neo-traditional style filmmaking. Neo-traditional rom coms take traditional storylines and adapt them to suit modern times by adding a layer of complexity to the plot. They often go against convention with gender roles being reversed and couples not ending up together. One of the most important trends for the genre at the moment is that they are trying to appeal to male audiences. For most of the genre's history the target audience has been women and therefore they have been written with that in mind but writers are starting to base their films around the male protagonist, not the female protagonist such as in the Big Sick. Rom coms are also starting to explore modern romance more. There is an ever increasing turnout of films focusing on homosexual and polyamorous relationships due to society becoming more accepting of such relationships. There are also more non-binary characters being written into films which not only helps society grow but also appeals to a larger target audience. Romantic comedies are becoming more racially diverse as well, with two recent examples; The Big Sick and Crazy Rich Asians achieving both critical and box office success.
Issues & Debates
There are multiple debates that are being brought up with romantic comedies, ranging from a lack of diversity to the promotion of harmful gender dynamics. A number of recent studies, such as the one by Dr Michele Schreiber from Emory University, have suggested that there is a correlation between people watching rom coms and developing a delusion about love. Those that watch rom coms are more likely to believe in fate and predestined love whilst being less likely to believe that relationships need to be worked at. The genre has also been said to teach people bad habits such as unwanted persistence is acceptable and that men have to make the first move. Because of this there has been an increase in women accepting aggressive tenacity and entering into unhealthy relationships. Rom coms have also been suggested to cause discontent in existing relationships due to the pressure they place on couples. They create extremely high standards through the grand romantic gestures and the idealistic portrayal of love and this has lead to couples experiencing much more pressure than in previous generations and could be a contributing factor to the recent increase in divorces. Romantic comedies are also causing potentially harmful gender dynamics by portraying women as perfect and suggesting that love is the most important aspect of their lives. In actual fact, women need to be portrayed as complex with multiple aspects to their lives, such as work and social lives not just dating. However, there are some good lessons that rom coms teach. They promote hope and positive thoughts by showing people that anything is possible. They also teach people the value of love and how important it can be in promoting happiness in someones life.
Conclusion
Romantic comedies, although under appreciated by critics, are hugely important in the media landscape and can influence the way the public live their lives. The genre has been around since the beginning of cinema and over the years it has adapted and evolved with society. This has lead to many different eras of romantic comedy, with the postmodernist era being one of the most important. Not only did postmodernism change the narrative structure of rom coms to make them more believable, but it also helped increase the comedic aspects of the genre by utilising self reflexivity. Each era has produced important films, such as It Happened One Night and Annie Hall, as well as providing a platform for iconic writers and directors like Nora Ephron and Woody Allen who helped to evolve the genre. Rom coms are one of the worlds most recognisable genres with many peoples favourite stories coming from the genre. Whilst still considered unimportant, time fillers by many critics and academics, the truth is that there are few genres with longevity and ability to influence the public, for both good and bad, as the romantic comedy.
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