From 1895, when the Lumière brothers first
delighted French audiences with their “moving
pictures” to today’s multi-billion-dollar film
industry, movies have become a popular type
of entertainment, an important art form, and a
way to shape people’s opinions. The “magic”of
movies is that they are created from a series of
individual images shown in rapid sequence.
▼ COMEDY
From slapstick to spoofs, audiences
have always loved comedy films. Some
rely on the dialogue for the laughs,
others on physical quirks of the actors –
or a combination of both. These films
often have happy endings, even if they
explore the darker side of life.▼ DISASTER
Asteroids hurtling to Earth,
shipwrecks, and earthquakes
have all been subjects of disaster
movies. Since the 1990s, the
introduction of CGI special effects
has made it easier to create visually
spectacular disasters.▼ BOLLYWOOD
From the early 1900s, Hollywood has been the
centre of movie-making. Today, more than 1,000
films a year are made in India. Many are lavish,
colourful Bollywood musicals (the name is from
the “B” in Bombay, the old name for Mumbai).▲ THRILLER
Action-packed and fast-paced, thriller movies
create audience tension as the hero tries
to outwit an evil adversary. Some thrillers
feature plenty of action, while others rely
on creating an atmosphere of suspense.▲ MARTIAL ARTS
These Asian-based action films feature
spectacular fight sequences using one
or more of the martial arts. Among the
martial artists who became stars due to
their skills are Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.▲ MUSICAL
Featuring singing and dancing as part
of the storytelling, musicals are often
adapted from stage productions. Recently,
Hollywood musicals have played to wide
audiences in a revival of the genre. 271270_271_Film.indd 271 03/01/19 12:11 PM