Melodrama

What is Melodrama?
• Melodrama is a genre based around melodramatic work.
This genre means that a work (usually as a movie or a
play) has many exciting events occur.
• In a melodramatic movie or play the characters are very
exaggerated and the acting is emotionally and physically
exaggerated.
• In a melodramatic movie they use music freely, to
represent the dramatic event in the scene.
 Melodrama continued…
• The term melodrama was given in the early 1900s.
• In the early 1900s Melodramatic movies and plays most
often included war films, westerns and crime films.
• In the 1960s the plots of melodrama in movies and plays
began to evolve around family situational movies. An
example of this are Soap operas.
 Criteria
For a film to fit under the genre of melodrama it should have:
• A protagonist
• An antagonist
• A theme of good versus evil
• Intense emotions
• Stereo typical characters, one dimensional characters. Such
as: hero, villain and a damsel in distress.
 Protagonist
• The leading character, or one of the main characters, in
any narrative work, as a poem, novel, film, etc.
• The protagonist is usually the hero.
• The protagonist is the “good guy”.
 Antagonist
• A person who is opposed to, struggles against, or
competes with another.
• An antagonist contends with another in an athletic
contest, a battle, or struggle for the mastery.
• An antagonist is usually the villain
• An antagonist is the “bad guy”.
 Stereotypes
• Something continued or constantly repeated without
change; a stereotyped phrase, formula, etc.
• In melodramatic movies they use stereotypical characters
such as: hero, villain and damsel in distress.
• These types of characters are stereotypical because they
are used repeatedly in films. Hence why they are
stereotypical.
Lemony Snicket’s, A Series of
Unfortunate Events
 Why is ‘Lemony Snicket’s, The Series of Unfortunate
Events’ fall under the Category of Melodramatic
Drama?

• Based around problems in a family.

• The rollercoaster of events that occur.
• Count Olaf’s exaggerated movements and emotions in the
film.
• Music in the film creating dramatic effect.
• There is a protagonist and an antagonist.
• Stereotypical characters.
Other Melodramatic Films
 The Grinch
• https://youtu.be/0mGmEE20CR0
 The Mask
• https://youtu.be/eEQomU6iFtw
 Batman Forever
• https://youtu.be/Md32bKo0ZDg