The Shifting Definitions of Genre

<p> Histories of science fiction often dicuss Fritz Lang's <I>Metropolis</I> as a classic work within the genre--yet the term science fiction had not been invented at the time of the film's release. If the genre did not have a name did it exist? Does retroactive assignment to a genre change our understanding of a film? Do films shift in meaning and status as the name of a genre changes meaning over time?</p><p> These provocative questions are at the heart of this book whose thirteen essays examine the varying constructions of genre within film television and other entertainment media. Collectively the authors argue that generic labels are largely irrelevant or even detrimental to the works to which they are applied.</p><p> Part One examines the meanings of genre and reveals how the media is involved in the production and dissemination of generic definitions. Part Two considers specific films (or groups of films) and their relationships within various categorizations. Part Three focuses on the closely tied concepts of history and memory as they relate to the perceptions of genre.</p>