Genre
Historical Drama
By Zahra Aslam
Historical drama is a sub genre of drama but has further sub-genres that categorise movies into genres more specifically. We have selected historical drama as our main genre for the film opening. Also known as period films and costume drama, historical drama delves into the past and history of different people, cultures, countries etc. They give us a sense of what the old ages looked like. It includes Historical Romances, Adventure films and Swashbuckler. Swashbuckler, by definition, is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship and many other talents.
Talking about the historical accuracy, most historical films constitute a fictionalised narrative of actual historical events and/or people. Famous examples of this are Chernobyl, Les Misérables, Titanic, Apollo 13 and film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Films that are known for focusing on the accuracy of the historical events/people are known as docudramas as they are a as precise as it can get representation and most of its parts are factually correct.
Period romance,by far, is one of the most famously known genre of historical drama. It takes the audiences into the past love lives and heartbreaks of the previous generations. Pride and Prejudice is the most famous period romance film. An adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the very same name, it successfully shows the Victorian Era of England, which took place in the 19th century. Not only is it about romance between two polar opposite protagonists, its also about the societal values and the status of women in that society.
How do historical dramas work?
A historical event or person is picked and the events that surround that particular moment in history are studied. A timeline and reaction chain are established to provoke the targeted reaction out of the audience as the film ensues. "Verbal and visual seeds" are planted as references to the facts of the actual event that took place. Verbal seeds can be an accurate quote by a person or an excerpt of the radio news that were announced. Visual seeds are the places where those events took place. In a docudrama about a person,it could be the area where they lived their life or places where events of significant took place. Scriptwriters have the choice to envision real life figures as main characters or fictional. Research on the character is very important as factually inaccuracies are not well received by the audiences.
Relationships of the main characters with other supporting characters must be studied to build a narrative as correct as the writer is able to. Part of their significance can be trying to get to know why the protagonist did what they did. Complexities of their relationships adds to the interest of the viewers and makes the movie look more dramatic. Manners of speech of that particular age must be primarily taken into account to make the audience visualise how people talked and behaved. Those patterns can be studied with those of today to distinguish what caused that change. Proper research must be carried out on every element before the production process has started. Setting has the most powerful effect on the viewers as it takes them back to an era in which they didn't exist and help them make a mental picture of that particular time period and place. It could be compared with same time periods and different places to show the disparities of first world and third world countries as well.
The genre, Drama, is very diverse and has various types/sub-genres that have more specific types of plots and basis special to each film in that particular sub-genre. These types include:
Action Drama: Action drama films tend to have the following elements: dynamic fight scenes, extensive chase scenes, and heart-racing stunts correlated with dramatic story and character arcs. Examples include: Inception, The Matrix, Die Hard and Dune.
Crime drama: Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom. Examples of crime dramas include The Godfather, Goodfellas, Chinatown and Pulp Fiction.
Drama Thriller: The protagonist is reluctantly drawn into the story as he has to save the world/affected innocent victims from the insane criminal, who has a very dark and secret past. Examples include Se7en,Shutter Island,Black Swan and Zodiac.
Fantasy Drama: Eric R. Williams states "the hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic and superhuman characters." The costumes are a depiction of the inner struggles of the main protagonist of the film. Examples of fantasy drama are The Lord Of The Rings series,Life Of Pi and Where The Wild Things Are.
Horror Drama: The main characters of the story are isolated from the rest of the world. Horror drama involves very violently graphic scenes and the main characters are killed one by one as everyone tries to save themselves. Examples of this suhgenre are Psycho,The Shining, It, Mother! and Hereditary.
Life Drama: Also known as Day In The Life, life drama signifies the small events in the main character's life and lifts their importance. The small issues are multiple and overlapping each other making them feel and look so huge. Examples include The Wrestler,Locke and Fruitvale Station.
Romantic drama: Romantic drama revolves around the central themes of love and heartbreaks and happy endings. Some of the best romantic dramas include The Notebook,La La Land,Annie Hall and Her.
Science Fiction drama: The protagonist and their allies face an unknown threat that could potentially wipe everything off the earth. The threat could be in the form of a very powerful creature or a scientific scenario. Science Fiction includes Arrival,Blade Runner,Metropolis and Blade Runner 2049.
War Drama: Based in a war setting, war drama follows a group of people who fight to survive the enemies and there's an expectation that the hero of the film has the power to defeat the enemies even when the opponents are at a greater advantage in weaponry,armed soldiers and overall political scenario. War drama films include Apocalypse Now,Life Is Beautiful,Come And see.
Historical Drama: It is also known as period drama and period piece. It focuses on dramatic events in history. Examples include Apollo 13,Schindler's List,Hidden Figures and Dunkirk.
Well known screenwriters and directors in this genre
Christopher Nolan
Best known for his excellent, mostly non linear storytelling,Christopher Nolan has directed Dunkirk and Oppenheimer (2023).
Vishal Bhardwaj
He has directed some of the most critically acclaimed movies in the history of Indian cinema. Haider, Omkara are the indian version of Shakespeare's plays Hamlet and Othello, also recognised as some of the best movies ever produced by an Indian Director.
HISTORICAL DRAMA TROPES/PLOTS:
Slice of life: Slice of life explores the simplicities of life in a specific time period. It shows a bigger picture instead of focusing on a particular aspect such as romance. Examples include Lady Bird,A Very Long Engagement.
Family Saga: It focuses on a family or multiple families over a long period.
Migration: Moving across a country or to another country for the pursuit of a better life or due to chaos in home country. Examples include Manto, The Immigrant and Eden Is West.
Historical taboos: Things that were not considered the norm at that time. Examples include Mississippi Masala,Othello,Haider,Omkara.
Revolutions: Also known as social upheavals,they are the movies which constitute of events that changed the course of the history and impacted the future drastically. Examples include A Force More Powerful, Ablaze, Forest Gump, The Bentley Effect.
Retelling of a historical figure's life: One of the most famous example is the Imitation Game, which explores the life of a British mathematician, Alan Turing and an element of historical taboo is also shown because of Turing's sexuality.
Political Struggle: Tensions between politicians, people in power and governments are shown. Examples are Lincoln, On The Basis Of Sex, The Ides Of March.
Target Audience
Period dramas give viewers a special chance to investigate various times and viewpoints. The genre is broad, encompassing everything from fictional characters living in the past to dramatisations of real people's lives, and even real people appearing in made-up situations. Before the Industrial Revolution, the stories frequently focus on high society or court life in post-medieval Europe. These productions are often targeted primarily to female audiences and feature female protagonists.These aristocratic ladies are commonly depicted in the narratives as they manoeuvre through upper-class society, frequently with themes of romance and adolescence present.
The main audience for historical dramas is females between the ages of 17 and 50. Because it covers such a wide range of topics, this genre has a very wide audience. Historical dramas appeal to a wide range of audiences, in contrast to specialised genres like teen films, because to their diversified casts of characters and storylines.
These dramas frequently have romantic plotlines, which adds to their attractiveness to female viewers. These shows frequently include strong female characters, which appeal to the female audience.
Like works like "Pride and Prejudice," period dramas frequently include complex plotlines that examine the emotions and feelings of their characters. These stories frequently centre on character interactions, which appeals to female viewers who like love dramas.
"Breaking Bad" is a drama, but it doesn't always fit into the period category. The show was initially intended to draw male viewers between the ages of 20 and 49. However, the demographic started to diversify as its popularity increased. Even while the audience is still largely made up of men, the show has been able to pique interest among viewers of all ages.
The racial complexities of the story offer still another level of interest. The majority of the audience is represented by the two primary protagonists, who are both white. However, the introduction of various characters, such as those who are Black and Mexican, broadens the appeal to a wider readership.
However, not all period dramas cater solely to a female audience. A darker, more violent narrative is presented in shows like "Dorian Grey," and this could appeal to a variety of audiences. In a similar vein, 'Breaking Bad,' though not a historical drama, is renowned for its intense and violent content, standing in sharp contrast to classic period dramas.
