What is melodrama?
Melodrama is a theater genre in which music played under or between lines delivered emphasizes and exaggerates characters or plot, which makes the story emotional. Usually this includes only a handful of characters of songs, including a hero, heroine, villain and one or two helpers, and the overall concept is always good triumphs over evil. Although it started in the 1700s on stage, it was eventually used in different ways for operas, operettas, musicals, salon show, television and radio programs and movies. The popularity of style decreased in the 21st century, but melodramatic graphs are still popular in comics and cartoons. In modern times, the terms "melodrama" and "melodramatic" are more commonly used in a negative way to refer to any story that contains sensational situations and too emotional storyline that seems to be designed to play the viewer's feelings.
Basic elements
The term "melodrama" comes from Greek Words Melos , which means "music" and dran , which means "play" - dosLova translates like "making music". She referred to an artistic form in which people recited lines at the top of the background or spoke alternately among the music sections. The themes in the compositions were very important, with special harmonies and melodies serving as motifs for characters and improving the emotional aspects of conspiracy.
Generally melodrams show a very basic view of the world and divide things into the basic categories of "good" and "evil". There is almost always a hero who fights for what is right, and a villain trying to defeat the hero for his own manic purposes. The heroine usually holds the affection of the hero and the villain, and she usually has to save her one way or another during the plot - she's a lady in distractions.
Sidekicks are other storage characters that learn from the hero and villain as apprentices and help them in any tasks or needs that they might have. Although the chartY can be quite complicated, eventually they usually shrink on a hero who puts on himself and his relationship with the heroine, the villain represents a threat and tries to steal the heroine through stunning or strength, the hero beat the villain and ends happily.
Theater history
The earliest use of the melodrama returns to stage productions at the end of the 18th and at the beginning of the 19th century. Although other earlier works contain scenes or parts that can be grouped with the genre, experts believe that the first complete example is pygmalion , the game from Jean-Jacque Rousseau, which was first performed in 1770.ogue with music lower streams.
Theater took melodrama to New Heights in the 19th century France, where playwright Rene Charles Guilbert de Pixérécourt converted his real experiences to his successful games. He used full orchestras - earlier, pianos or small chamber groups provided music in most cases - and, for example, pyrotechnic effects. Other forms of entertainment finally copyThey have what Pixérécourt suggested as a structure for the genre. Under his template was the first act of usually an antagonistic event, followed by a second act of increased conflict and the last third act of complete moral solution. Any tragedy in the story was reduced by the use of comedy, romance or positive end.
At the end of the 18th century, theater melodrama began to fall out of kindness. They continued to develop as a salon Entertainment, which was carried out privately in homes or other small places. The artists usually acted at least when they released their lines, but over time people came to see these versions as very amateur, connected them with actors and composers who could not really "do it".
move to the movie
When films became a popular form of entertainment in the 20th century, melodramatic elements were saved from fading away. During the era of the silent film at the end of the 20th and at the beginning of the 20th century.Zy face to get a conspiracy to the audience, so the producers rely strongly on the successful use of Pixérécourt music to strengthen the emotional aspects of the story. Many of these films used short adaptations of well -known stories and novels, partially earning interest that the public had already had on land and characters, and partly to make sure the audience would understand what was happening.
d.w. Griffith was one of the first directors to efficiently used film melodrama and created Broken Blossoms in 1919 and orphans Storm in 1922. Actress Lillian Gish was his frequent star and managed art emotions through long -term. In the era "Talkie" of the 30th of the 20th century, Weepies were huge hits. These were usually extremely sentimental stories about strong female characters who tried to fight against trimming in their lives, but usually enjoyed happy results. In the end, they retreated to soap opera, which became popular in women from the age of 50 and 60.
producers and directors have since applied melodramatic elements in a large number of films that are considered a classic. One of the best -known examples is the 1946 film, is a wonderful life , who played James Stewart as protagonists, George Bailey and Lionel Barrymore as antagonist Henry Potter. Bailey suffers from various frustrating calamities in the hands of Potter, even considering suicide, a huge and happy finals. Romantic tear from 1942, Casablanca , is also suitable for this category. Producer Douglas Sirk further explored the genre during the 1950s with films such as beautiful obsession (1954) and imitation of life (1959), but people saw many of these later attempts as less sophisticated compared to earlier films.
Radio and TV
As a melodrama was captured on a large screen, he also found success in radio and television. One of the most popular American radio examples is The Lone Ranger , who represented a heroic lawyer fighting for justice and order-stress moved to television in 1949. With this precedent, the hero became the main topic on television, reached a peak in the 1970s and 80s.
Concomitant use
In the current society, the term "melodrama" has gained many negative connotations and is associated with Winad Directors or emotions that look unrealistic. Yet some productions still fit into the genre. An example of the film is Moulin Rouge (2001). Television franchises such as Law and Order show that the concept of the hero overcoming evil is still important, although violence, language for adults and realistic situations are increasingly included.
Maybe the best area where the genre is still doing is in cartoons and comics. Stories of heroes like Batman, Spiderman and Superman still keep the viewers' attention for decades after their introduction, and adventureIt often turns into a popular TV series or Blockbuster movies. Many children around the world form a similar conspiracy in their active everyday game, which shows that people of all age groups can enjoy style.