Drama

DRAMA

HISTORICAL DRAMA, MELODRAMA, SOCIAL DRAMA

HISTORICAL DRAMA

History is an inexhaustible source of story material. It polishes the past into a mirror of the present, making clear the painful problems of racism in Glory, religious strife in Michael Collins, or violence of all kinds, especially against women, in Unforgiven.

MELODRAMA Also see THE PROBLEM DRAMA

Melodrama is drama of disaster and differs from tragedy significantly, in that; forces outside of the protagonist cause all of the significant events of the plot. All of the aspects of related guilt or responsibility of the protagonist are removed. The protagonist is usually a victim of circumstance. He is acted upon by the antagonist or anti-hero and suffers without having to accept responsibility and inevitability of fate. In melodrama we have clearly defined character types with good guys and bad guys identified. Melodrama has a sense of strict moral judgment. All issues presented in the plays are resolved in a well-defined way. The good characters are rewarded and the bad characters are punished in a means that fits the crime.

In between the male-oriented war films, Westerns, and action films that Hollywood turned out in the 30s and 40s, there was what was called ‘the women’s film’. The genre continued with success into the 50s and 60s, with a slightly more feminist slant. It is frequently associated with soap operas. As a genre, melodrama is the closest to the people, issues and events of our times. The central character of more often female; the presence of a distinct social order is a barrier to the central character and indicates the power structure in the city, region, town, or country; the central character transgresses the power structure – this is usually through a relationship with someone from within the power struggle; the conviction of the central character is fuelled by the belief that life must be and can be improved; Idealism, cynicism, sexuality and aggression reflect the attitudes of the character and, more important, support the central characteristic of the melodrama – a story of power and powerlessness set against an inflexible social and political structure.

What to Watch: Dark Victory (1939), Magnificent Obsession (1935), Mildred Pierce (1945), Far From Heaven (2002), Now Voyager (1942).

THE PROBLEM DRAMA

A melodrama cleansed of contraptions questions: “How do we cure spousal abuse, AIDS, deafness, religious or racial intolerance?” The Problem Play offers offense. Heroes or heroines undergo a test over which they have complete control. They have chosen the test and they are going to succeed. The audiences goes along on the same journey because it makes the audience feel good about themselves; it’s the fulfillment of an adolescent fantasy; we know that at the end of this fantasy good will prevail. We know the hero will discover that deaf people are also people, that blind people are also people. The villain will be vanquished. The hero will come in and save the damsel in distress. The audience indulges in a fantasy of power over the adult world.

SOCIAL DRAMA

This genre identifies problems in society – poverty, the education system, communicable diseases, the disadvantaged, antisocial rebellion, and the like – then conducts a story demonstrating a cure.

Sub genres: Domestic drama (problems within the family); Women’s film (dilemmas such as career versus family, lover versus children); Political drama (corruption in politics); Eco-drama (battles to save the environment); Medical drama (struggles with physical illness); Psychodrama (struggles with mental illness)