cinema2020

Genre cinema starting from the last years of the 20th century. it has been increasingly dominated by Hollywood's blockbuster policy , that is, high-budget films launched with great media impact and at the center of an impressive marketing phenomenon. Initially conceived as exceptional events, since the 1990s they have become the main vehicle of a production aimed at a world market, with themes and language largely modeled on youthful tastes, wide influences of video clips and video games, massive use of digital effects, editing tight and mostly repetitive story. Rather than referring strictly to traditional genres, most of these products adopt a transgeneric cut, favoring action , fantasyor comedy, and addressing subjects already widely known by the public: hence the intense practice of sequels and remakes, or the exploitation of comics, editorial successes and television series. The new millennium opened with three highly successful series that can be traced back to a fantasy field : the four Harry Potter films based on JK Rowling's bestsellers (starting from Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone , 2001 , Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone , Ch. Columbus), the lord of the rings ( LOTR ) conceived as a single work in three parts (outputs respectively in 2001 , 2002 and2003 ) from New Zealand P. Jackson, the new Star Wars trilogy ( 1999-2005 ) which marked the return to the direction of G. Lucas, while with The matrix revolutions ( 2003 ; Matrix revolutions ) by A. and L. Wachowski you the other seminal trilogy of the early 21st century ended .

The analysis of the blockbusters led to identify their main characteristics in the prevalence of the show over the narration, of the surface on the structure, of the audiovisual sensations on the emotional involvement. While in the past the sectors favored by spectacular superproductions mainly concerned biblical subjects, disaster movies or highly prestigious historical and literary subjects, starting from the nineties of the 20th century. characters from the comics are more and more preferred: main event, the release of the two Spider-Man (from 2002 and 2004) directed by S. Raimi; but the films on X-Men, Daredevil, Blade, The punisher, Catwoman, Hellboy, Fantastic Four, as well as the attempt to relaunch the Batman series with the film directed by Ch. Nolan ( Batman begins , 2005 ) and the formally extreme, almost experimental, operation of Sin city ( 2005 ) by F. Miller and R. Rodriguez, where the shots reproduce the graphics of the drawn tables. These are accompanied by films inspired by popular television series ( Charlie's angels , 2000 , by McG; Starsky & Hutch , 2004 , by T. Phillips), video games (e.g., Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ,2001 , Tomb Raider: the cradle of life , by S. West; Resident evil , 2002 , by PWS Anderson) or even theme parks: the influence on the visual and narratological level of the videogame is not only found in the spread of the so-called playstation aesthetic , but also in the transition to the cinema of directors trained in that in addition to that of the advertising spot and the video clip.

Thus a new generation of directors specialized in blockbusters has emerged , such as M. Bay, R. Emmerich, S. Sommers, often accused of being anonymous professionals at the service of a production machine; others managed to maintain a marked personality (just think of Jackson, Raimi or Lucas), while numerous directors who had trained in the genre system continued their authorial career in this area. This is the case of C. Eastwood, consecrated as one of the greatest directors of American cinema and always faithful to a policy of genres continually reinvented ( Blood work , 2002 , Debito di sangue ; Mystic river , 2003 ; Million dollar baby, 2004 ); or S. Spielberg, who continued an extremely personal work both within the comedy ( Catch me if you can , 2002 , Try to take me ; The terminal , 2004 ), and science fiction ( AI - Artificial intelligence, 2001 , AI - Artificial Intelligence ; Minority report , 2002 ; War of the worlds , 2005 , War of the worlds ). W. Friedkin also remains faithful to a genre cinema supported by a strong directorial personality (both Rules of engagement are remarkable, 2000 , Rules of honor , both The hunted , 2003 , The hunted - The prey ), B. Schroeder, author of noir and 'Langhe' detective stories ( Murder by numbers , 2002 , Formula for a crime ), J. McTiernan ( Rollerball , 2002 ), P. Verhoeven ( Hollow man , 2000 , The man without shadow ) and many others, while the relationship with genres in an openly problematic and postmodern key is crucial for J. Demme ( The Manchurian candidate , 2004 ), the Coen brothers (The Ladykillers , 2004 ) or for Q. Tarantino, which is a stand-alone case ( Kill Bill: Vol. 1 , 2003 , Kill Bill: volume 1 , and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, 2004 , Kill Bill: volume2). Top figures such as FF Coppola, J. Carpenter, W. Hill, M. Cimino, J. Dante, J. Milius, J. Landis, however, have been marginalized, thus highlighting the crisis of that fruitful combination of authors, genres and industry that had developed from the seventies onwards. Quite different is the relationship carried out by the new generation of 'independent' directors, who set themselves on a breaking ground with the Hollywood classicism and when they look at the genres they adopt an ironic and detached attitude, in a position of exhibited extraneousness both towards of tradition, both towards the 'cinephile' reinterpretation of the seventies generation.

European cinema, which had seen its traditional production of genres collapse, is trying to re-enter the international market with a series of initiatives that go beyond works confined to an almost exclusively internal exploitation. England, which has always had a privileged relationship with the United States, has joined the successful production of comedies with a neonoir based on paroxysmal violence, grotesque deformation and video language ( The snatch , 2000 , Snatch - Lo strappo , by G. Ritchie; Layer cake , 2004 , The pusher, by M. Vaughn). On the one hand, France has attempted to promote projects and co-productions capable of challenging Hollywood on its own terrain (the way of indigenous comics: Asterix & Obelix: mission Cléopatre , 2002 , Asterix & Obelix: Cleopatra mission ), on the other it has boasted a lively production of thrillers and action-movies, in some cases attributable to the figure of L. Besson as director or producer. But numerous thrillers and horror films have also arrived on the international market from Spain (just think of directors such as A. Aménabar and J. Balagueró) or from Germany, which is very active in the field of co-productions, while Italy has continued to remain in a secondary position. The real, impressive international news, however, is the explosion of Far East genre cinema, where Japan has imposed not only its animated films but also its horror films, and the Republic of Korea (Korea South) experienced a period of exceptional creative vein in the early years of the new millennium. Moreover, the spread of DVD films has accelerated a phenomenon of globalization already opened in the eighties by the videotape market, drastically reducing the centrality of the film market: since the consumption of films in theaters has become a minority, it has also grown in the West the importance of previously marginalized films. Thus, for example, the interest in Indian cinema has rapidly expanded, and more recently the phenomenon of Nigerian cinema has highlighted, which produces hundreds of films of popular genres directly on video each year.CLASSIC GENRES: US AND EUROPEAN PRODUCTION.- In this overall context there are some classical genres that seemed to have almost disappeared, but are occasionally taken up and reworked in a new perspective. The most evident case is that of the western, which in the nineties of the 20th century. it had had a weak recovery following the successes of Dances with wolves ( 1990 ; Balla coi lupi ) by K. Costner and Unforgiven ( 1993 ; Gli ruthless ) by Eastwood. Costner himself later created Open range ( 2003 ; Borderland), twilight variation on classic themes and situations such as the life of cowboys , their aging, the privatization of lands, the final shooting. Another major title concerns a director in the wake of the Hollywood tradition as R. Howard ( The Missing , 2003 ), while TL Jones has signed with The three burials of Melquiades Estrada ( 2005; The Three Burials ) a contemporary westerns inner moral strength and visionary, full of references to the work of S. Peckinpah. But the tendency is above all to see the western blend in as a structure, archetypal appeal or cultural reference within other genres and formulas: from animation ( Spirit, 2002 , Spirit - Wild Horse ) to war, adventure or science fiction films, from original melodramas such as Brokeback mountain ( 2005 ; The Secrets of Brokeback Mountain ) by A. Lee to postmodern transpositions of taste like Dust ( 2001 ) by M. Mančevski, american gothic or fantasy variations ( Blueberry , 2004 , by J. Kounen), not to mention the western temptation always underlying the fantastic films of a director like J. Carpenter ( Vampires , 1998 ; John Carpenter's ghosts of Mars ,2001 , Ghosts of Mars ).

Another genre occasionally re-proposed is the classic musical, triumphantly back in the limelight with Chicago ( 2002 ) by R. Marshall, winner of six Academy Awards and set precisely in that period between the two world wars in which it has its roots. On the opposite side, B. Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge ( 2001 ) looks to the legendary Parisian restaurant of the late nineteenth century to concentrate a century of musical spectacle, in a triumph of postmodern aesthetics based on citations, digital images and visual solutions from video clips. In the context of the musical, individual 'author' variations also stand out, such as Dancer in the dark ( 2000) by L. von Trier, played by singer Björk and winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, or vehicles for successful artists such as C. Hanson's 8 Mile ( 2002 ) inspired by Eminem's biography.

As far as the war film is concerned, the genre is at a turning point that sees the 'humanistic' formula of classic cinema progressively replaced by the new models of combat films , as the war no longer concerns civilians sent to the front, but specialists trained to fight. After the two events of the late nineties ( Saving private Ryan , 1998 , Save the soldier Ryan , by Spielberg and The thin red line , 1998 , The thin red line , by T. Malick), therefore, single interesting titles were released (such as Three kings , 1999 , by DO Russell; or Windtalkers ,2001 , by J. Woo), alongside the development of a videogame aesthetic, exemplary represented by films such as Behind enemy lines ( 2001 ; Behind enemy lines - Behind the enemy lines ) by J. Moore, Black Hawk down ( 2001 ) by R. Scott or Stealth ( 2005 ; Stealth - Supreme weapon ) by R. Cohen.

Other traditional genres include the adventure in costume ( The last samurai , 2003 , L'ultimo samurai , by E. Zwick; Master and commander - The far side of the world , 2003 , Master & commander - Challenge to the borders del mare , by P. Weir) and the peplum , successfully reinvented by Gladiator ( 2000 ; Il gladiatore ) by R. Scott, Troy ( 2004 ) by W. Petersen or Alexander ( 2004 ) by O. Stone; finally, a separate case is the biographical film ( biopic), returned to show its attraction both for the notoriety of the characters faced and for the stars who habitually interpret it ( A beautiful mind , 2001 , by R. Howard, with R. Crowe in the role of the mathematician J. Nash; Alì , 2001 , by M. Mann, with W. Smith playing Cassius Clay-Muhammad Ali; The aviator , 2004 , by M. Scorsese, with L. Di Caprio as H. Hughes; Capote , 2005 , Truman Capote - A cold blood , by B. Miller, with Ph.S. Hoffman as the writer).

Comedy

The new production and distribution policies have led to a redefinition of the gc which tends to replace, at least partially, the usual subdivisions of the classical period. This is partly due to the natural tendency of genres to develop through contaminations and hybrids, partly to industrial strategies that favor transgenericity as a tool to reach the largest number of spectators. Furthermore, the films are often divided according to both the age groups and the categories of the audience they target ( children , family-movies , teen-movies, etc.) more than on the basis of individual genres, and a teen-comedy has more analogies with a teen-horror filmthan with a comedy that is aimed at an adult audience. Beyond the transgeneric blockbuster , whose main point of reference remains mainly the action-fantasy , the most popular and pervasive genre is still the comedy, where the generational change integrates with the persistence of strong elements of continuity with the past.

The most traditional of the formulas is that of romantic comedy , a sentimental comedy that often alludes to the great models of the past, making fun of the conventional nature of situations but basically restoring and perpetuating them. Star leading this trend are J. Roberts ( Notting Hill , 1999 , by R. Michell) and R. Gere ( Shall we dance? , 2004 , P. Chelsom), flanked by emerging performers (K. Hudson, SJ Parker, R. Whiterspoon, A. Sandler) but also older, starting with an always caustic J. Nicholson ( As good as it gets , 1997 , Something has changed , by JL Brooks; Something's gotta give, 2003 , Everything can happen , by N. Meyers). On the lighter side, great success was obtained by R. Zellweger with the character of B. Jones, a thirty-year-old from the city ​​of London used to commenting ironically on his sentimental misadventures ( Bridget Jones's diary , 2001 , The diary of Bridget Jones , of S. Maguire, and Bridget Jones: the edge of reason , 2004 , What a mess, Bridget Jones!, By B. Kidron). The English setting and actors - like H. Grant - have a particular importance in this vein, also due to the success of films such as theFour weddings and a funeral ( 1994 ; Four weddings and a funeral ) by M. Newell, Sliding doors ( 1998 ) by P. Howitt, Shakespeare in love ( 1998 ) by J. Madden.

The other trend is comic films, often produced in the wake of comedies with a funky taste ( There's something about Mary , 1998 , Tutti pazzi per Mary , by B. and P. Farrelly; American pie , 1999 , by P. Weitz) who have imposed an open and aggressive comedy, full of scatological or sexual gags that take the tendency to use every body aspect in a farcical key. This youthful formula, in which the structure of the comedy tends to be suffocated by the simple succession of gags, can also result in the parody or eccentricity of the Austin Powers 'camp' series inspired by the spy movies of the sixties, for example, Austin Powers in Goldmember ,2002 , directed by J. Roach, author of the 'family saga' Meet the parents , 2000 , Meet my parents , and Meet the Fockers , 2004 , Present me yours? . On the other hand, there is an American comedy of an 'independent' matrix which programmatically opposes Hollywood models, focusing on a sort of sophisticated estrangement, both in dramaturgy and in figurative composition. The best known examples are Punch-drunk love ( 2002 ; Ubriaco d'amore ) by P.Th. Anderson; Broken flowers , 2005, by J. Jarmusch, with the laconic B. Murray, actor symbol of this trend, and not by chance also among the performers of The Royal Tenenbaums ( 2001 ; I Tenenbaum ), as well as protagonist of S. 's Lost in translation ( 2003 ) Coppola and The life aquatic with Steve Zissou ( 2004 ; The water adventures of Steve Zissou ) by W. Anderson; About Schmidt ( 2002 ; About Schmidt ) and Sideways ( 2004; Sideways - Traveling with Jack ) by A. Payne, both built on an on the road route characterized by a sense of estrangement from the world.

As for France, alongside the solid tradition of choral comedies based on the screenplay ( Le goût des autres , 2000 , Il gusto degli altri , by A. Jaoui), the main novelty is constituted by J.-P. Jeunet, who with Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain ( 2001 ; The fabulous world of Amélie ) offered an original reinterpretation of the 1930s models in the postmodern age of video, comics and digital images. German cinema has had one of its biggest hits with Goodbye Lenin! ( 2003) by W. Becker, a comedy on the reunification of Germany, while Spanish brilliant cinema tends to be characterized by more loaded tones, both in physical deformation and in sexual provocation: in this direction, a dark comedy such as Crimen ferpecto ( 2004 ; Crimen perfecto ) by Á. De La Iglesia. But one of the most successful international trends is the so-called ethnic comedy, set among minorities and based on the problems of integration told from the point of view of family conflicts between old and new generations. Among the major successes, My big fat Greek wedding ( 2002 ;My big fat Greek wedding ) by J. Zwick, on the Greek community in the United States, but there is one on the Pakistani one and the Indian one in England (respectively, East is East , 1999, by D. O'Donnell, and Bend it like Beckham , in 2002 , Bend It like Beckham , G. Chadha), on the Middle East in Sweden ( Jalla! Jalla! , 2000 , J. Fares), of the greek-Turkish ( Politiki kuzina , 2003 , a touch of Spice , by T. Boulmetis) and so on, while K. Loach provided a more problematic version in Ae fond kiss ... ( 2004; A passionate kiss ).

Horror and science fiction

The nineties ended with a series of youth horror films in which the stereotyped situations of the genre were playfully highlighted: the culmination of this trend was the Scream trilogy ( 1996 - 2000 ) directed by W. Craven. Alongside this self-reflective vein, which soon led to the actual parody ( Scary movie , 2000 , by KI Wayans), there is a return to the seventies models, where however the rethinking of the origins of the 'new horror' often falls into simple exploitation of cult titles through the practice of the remake ( The Texas chainsaw massacre , 2003 , Do not open that door , by M. Nispel;Dawn of the dead , 2004 , Dawn of the Living Dead , by Z. Snyder). In this shot, however, there was also room for the return of GA Romero with the fourth episode of his epic ( Land of the dead , 2005 , The land of the living dead ) or a series of small horror films capable of still showing elements of inventive, like Jeepers creepers ( 2001 ; Jeepers creepers - Il canto del diavolo ) by V. Salva, Joy ride ( 2001 ; Radio killer ) by J. Dahl, Cabin fever ( 2002 ) by E. Roth, House of1000 corpses ( 2003 ; The house of 1000 bodies ) by R. Zombie or Session 9 ( 2001 ) by B. Anderson. A separate case is instead made by MN Shyamalan, one of the most important names: from The sixth sense ( 1999 ; The sixth sense - The sixth sense ) to The village ( 2004 ), his metaphysical thrillers are anguishedly suspended between a dimension realistic and fantastic, and immerse the viewer in a universe on the edge of mystery and unspeakable.

Spanish, French and German productions also contribute to the international thriller-horror circuit, with authors such as Aménabar ( Abre los ojos , 1997 , Open your eyes ; The others , 2001 ), Balagueró ( Los sin nombre , 1999 , The nameless ; Darkness , 2002 ), M. Kassovitz ( Les rivières pourpres , 2000 , The rivers of purple ) or Ch. Gans ( Le pacte des loups , 2001 , The covenant of wolves), but the big news is the growing importance of Far Eastern horror, especially Japanese and Korean (for which see below). As far as science fiction is concerned, the most lively strand is that which explores cloning, virtual realities and parallel universes, in a dizzying crisis of identity, memory and relationship with reality ( Paycheck , 2003 , by J. Woo ; The island , 2005 , by M. Bay; Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind , 2004 , If you leave me I'll delete you, by M. Gondry) which is part of a more general interest in perception and representation, aimed at disrupting the linearity of traditional narration. Finally, another persistent trend is the apocalyptic one, in films such as D. Boyle's 28 days later ( 2002 ; 28 days later ), R. Emmerich's The day after tomorrow ( 2004 ) or Spielberg's War of the worlds speculating the end of civilization due to viruses, ecological catastrophes or alien invasions: a trend that flows into the more general one of the ditaster movie, already resurrected in the nineties in the service of new digital effects, but then returned with more complex meanings after the attack on the Twin Towers of 11 September 2001 .

Documentary

The relaunch of the documentary (v.), Which took place in the early years of the new millennium, is largely attributable to the exceptional success achieved by M. Moore with Bowling for Columbine ( 2002 ; Bowling a Columbine ) and Fahrenheit 9/11 ( 2004 ) , and the extensive discussions that the American director has triggered for the personal and incisive, but also controversial, use of documentary tools. In its wake, other documentaries with a political background, including The agronomist ( 2003 ) by Demme or Comandante ( 2004 ) , also received greater attention and distribution.) by Stone, while in Italy the pamphlettistic formula was taken up by S. Guzzanti in Viva Zapatero! ( 2005 ). The phenomenon reflects an undoubted interest of contemporary cinema in the documentary, also testified by the success of the French Etre et avoir ( 2002 ; Being and having ), made by N. Philibert, taking up the life of a school year at a school between document and fiction in the countryside, but is also part of a more general trend of cinema to explore the boundaries between documentary writing, narration, sometimes even autobiography. Moreover, many docudramas should be attributed to this area, who have dealt with historical episodes and current situations by adopting documentary techniques in a context of fiction, or vice versa. A return to the success of naturalistic documentaries has occurred instead with works such as Le peuple, migrateur ( 2001 ; Il popolo migratore ) by J. Perrin, J. Cluzaud and M. Debats, Deep blue ( 2003 ; Profondo blu ) by A. Byatt and A. Fothergill, and La marche de l'empereur ( 2005 ; The march of the penguins ) by L. Jacquet.GENRE FILMS IN ITALY

The production of genre films in Italy has continued to focus on comedies and comic films, which conquer the top spots of the national box-office every season: Ask me if I'm happy ( 2000 ), The legend of Al John & Jack ( 2002 ) by Aldo Giovanni and Giacomo, Merry Christmas ( 2001 ), Christmas on the Nile ( 2002 ), Christmas in love ( 2004 ) by N. Parenti, Paradise suddenly ( 2003 ) and I love you in all languages ​​of the world ( 2005) by L. Pieraccioni. Among comedians, the position of Pieraccioni, of the trio Aldo Giovanni and Giacomo, of the couple formed by M. Boldi and Ch. De Sica who has continued to conquer the Christmas box-office with popular comedies such as Christmas in Miami ( 2005 ) , remains dominant by Parenti, a film that marked the announced end of the partnership. C. Verdone has also returned to success, who after attempting to radically reinvent his image has oriented himself on a more solid and articulated comedy with Ma che guess we have it ( 2003 ), Love is eternal as long as it lasts ( 2004 ) and My best enemy ( 2006 ), while Benigni laterLa vita è bella ( 1997 ) left the boundaries of the traditional comic film, as confirmed by Pinocchio ( 2002 ) and La tigre e la neve ( 2005 ), and P. Villaggio interrupted the long series of Fantozzi after 1999 . Successfully continuing in the wake of the national comedy are mainly directors such as P. Virzì ( My name is Tanino , 2003 ; Caterina goes to the city , 2004 ), in part A. D'Alatri ( Casomai , 2003 ; La febbre , 2005 ) and G. Veronesi, screenwriter passed to the direction (What will become of us , 2004 ; Love Manual , 2005 ), while the brothers C. and E. Vanzina dedicated themselves to small productions that look at a minor popular cinema, recalled with sincere cinephile passion ( Sunday lunch , 2003 ). As part of the comedy, it is also worth mentioning the emergence of a trend aimed at an adolescent audience with youthful successes such as Tre metri sopra il cielo ( 2004 ) by L. Lucini, What will become of us ( 2004 ) by G. Veronesi, Notte before exams ( 2006) by F. Brizzi. But the most important novelty is the unexpected success of The Last Kiss ( 2001 ), which made its director G. Muccino famous and imposed a formula halfway between generational comedy and sentimental-family drama, also re-launched from the soap formulas now very popular with national television productions: the director's next film ( Remember me , 2003 ), The Beast in the Heart ( 2005 ) by C. Comencini and in part also the work of F. Ozpetek, mostly hinged on emotions, anxieties and reflections related to the discovery of an unknown dimension ( The ignorant fairies, 2001 ; The front window , 2003 ; Sacred heart , 2005 ).

Definitely less incisive, however, the Italian production in the context of other genres that enjoy greater international attention. The ambitions born in the field of animation after the success of E. D'Alò 's The Seagull and the Cat ( 1998 ) have diminished, especially the work on genres carried out by G. Salvatores in his attempt to get out of usual themes and formulas of Italian cinema, moving from generational comedy to a cinema attentive to the noir and pulp tendencies of youth fashions, with titles such as Denti ( 2000 ), Amnèsia ( 2002 ), I am not afraid ( 2003). As part of the thriller, the main novelty is the films of newcomer A. Infascelli ( Almost Blue , 2000 ; Il serum della vanità , 2004 ), while D. Argento continued his production with Nonhosonno ( 2001 ) or Il cartaio ( 2003 ), while some titles indicated a possible revival of noir, both with M. Placido's Romanzo criminale ( 2005 ), and with films inspired by the novels of M. Carlotto ( Il fuggiasco , 2003 , by A. Manni; Arrivederci amore , hi ,2006 , by M. Soavi). The persistent marginality of Italian genre cinema coincides, however, with a growing attention towards the so - called Italian b-movie of the sixties and seventies, a period in which thriller, horror, peplum, western, detective, music, erotic comedy and other successful formulas they made up a significant part of the production. The international esteem for popular authors and films of the time dates back to the sixties, when the French critics celebrated M. Bava, R. Freda or V. Cottafavi, and then continues with the critical reinterpretation of the seventies: the current phenomenon concerns however authors, films and veins long considered minor and also feeds on the most recent theories on trash and pulp, perhaps in the wake of Tarantino's enthusiastic statements and his participation in the retrospective dedicated to the Italian b-movie during the 2004 Venice Film Festival .ASIAN PRODUCTION: THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS OF THE GENRE FILM

After the imposing affirmation of Hong Kong films during the nineties of the 20th century, the beginning of the new millennium appears to be characterized by an even wider success of Far Eastern cinema on the international cinema market. One of the most relevant phenomena is that of Japanese horror, with films ranging from ghost stories to the most innovative mixes of genres. In the latter sector, Miike Takashi has a particular cult following, to whom we owe paradoxical, violent and grotesque inventions ranging from Ō dishon ( 1999 , known with the title Audition ), to Koroshiya 1 ( 2001 , known with the title Ichi the killer), or Bibita Q. ( 2001 , known as Visitor Q. ), while other protagonists of the horror wave are Nakata Hideo ( Ringu , 1998 , and Ringu 2, 1999 ; Honogurai mizu no soko kara , 2002 , Dark water ) and the more refined Kurosawa Kiyoshi ( Kairo , 2001 , known with the title Pulse ). Again, Hollywood has attempted to adapt to the new trend, making remakes of Japanese hits ( The ring , 2002 , by G. Verbinski; Dark water, 2005 , by W. Salles), producing them on site ( The grudge , 2004 , by Takashi Shimizu), calling successful Japanese directors in the United States ( The ring two , 2005 , by Nakata Hideo), but above all, cautiously trying to insert iconography , narrative situations and visual solutions typical of Japanese production within a Hollywood fabric.

More recently, the importance obtained by South Korean cinema since the second half of the nineties, when the introduction of new capitals coincided with the emergence of a new generation of 'cinephile' directors. Thus the production of 'planned films' developed, designed on the basis of market research, at the same time as the formation of a highly dynamic and original language, often based on the contamination of g. and styles, including horror, thriller, action and comedy. The phenomenon prevailed even more in the first years of the 21st century, with the production of blockbusterswhich are opposed to Hollywood products by resorting to similar strategies, and with an export that first spreads to Asian countries, then also faces the western markets. The 2004 Cannes Film Festival consecrated Park Chan-wook, author of the 'revenge trilogy' ( Boksuneun naui geot , 2002 , Mr Vendetta ; Oldboy , 2003 , Old boy ; Chinjeolhan geumjassi , 2005 , Lady Vendetta ), but other names of prominent are those of Kang Je-gyu ( Swiri , 1999 , known as Shiri ), Kim Sung-soo (Taeyangeun eobda , 1998 , known as City of the rising Sun ), Bong Joon-ho ( Salinui chueok , 2003 , known as Memories of murder ), Kim Jee-woon ( Janghwa, hongryeon , 2003 , Two sisters ), Im Sang-soo ( Baramnan kajok , 2003 , The lawyer's wife ; Geuddae geusaramdeul , 2005 , known as The President's last bang ).

Hong Kong production also offered signs of recovery after the crisis that occurred in the late 1990s: one of its main protagonists, Tsui Hark, returned to work at home ( Seunlau ngaklau , 2000, Time and tide ; Qi jian , 2005 , Seven swords ), while J. To has established himself in the big European festivals ( PTU , 2003 ; Dai si gein, 2004 , Breaking news ; Hak seh wui , 2005 , Election ) and S. Chow has continued brilliantly in his mix of action, martial arts and comedy ( Siu lam juk kau , 2001 , Shaolin soccer - Referees, penalties and Zen philosophy ; Gong fu , 2004 , Kung fusion ). Meanwhile, the particular Chinese genre of costume and martial arts adventure ( wu xia pian ) is successfully exported, perhaps in a more sweetened and aestheticizing way, as happened for Wo hu cang long ( 2000 ; The tiger and the dragon ) by A. Lee, Ying xiong ( 2002 ; Hero ) and Shi mian maifu ( 2004 ;The Forest of Flying Daggers ) by Zhang Yimou.

The other Asian cinematography that is attracting great attention is the Indian one, one of the most prolific in the world, both in the field of melodrama and in that of comedy, musical or adventure. Some films have attempted to bring Western audiences (the modest Bride & prejudice , 2004 , Matrimoni & prejudizi , by G. Chadha) closer to the taste of the so-called Bollywood , but the phenomenon seems to be only at the beginning, although it has already achieved discrete relevance: that the same globalization that imposed the blockbusters phenomenonHollywoodians, with their postgeneric synthesis, is in fact profoundly renewing the imagery and the usual distinctions of genre cinema with a movement of the opposite nature, which proceeds from specific markets and cultures.BIBLIOGRAPHY

Genre and contemporary Hollywood , ed. S. Neale, London 2002 ; Cinema & genres , curated by R. Venturelli, Recco 2005 .