Melodrama - Similar Films and History Of Drama

The History Of Drama: 

In the early years of film (Around the 1940's) , there were mostly pantomimed styled melodrama in silent films. In 1940's films such as 'The Grapes Of Wrath' by John Steinbeck,  show the devastating effe
cts of the Great Depression. This was something almost everybody could relate to at the time, which made it more upsetting and led to a great understanding of the audience.





In the 1950's, there was a rise in fame in dramatic actors. One actor who particularly gained a lot of fame from this genre was James Dean, who acted in melodramas such as East of Eden, in which A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.
and Rebel Without A Cause. The main focus of Dramatic films at this time was character development and relationships. One of the most famous drama films of this time was called 12 Angry Men.






In the 1960's and 70's , Dramas were more politically focused, particularly associated with war and devastation. This involved films such as Flashback (1969) and The Manchurian candidate starring Denzel Washington in 1962. 

In The 80's, Dramas started to put focus on highly emotional themes. Dramas began to create a whole new sub-genre, with dramas having sci-fi themes involved in movies such as ET and Bladerunner (Both in 1982)

In the 90's , Dramas were becoming increasingly popular. There was a strong theme of hope, such as in films like The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and Schindler's List (1993). Even themes of comedy in drama became apparent, in films such as Forrest Gump, which had a real feel good factor for the audience. 

Nowadays, Dramas have developed on a whole new level, with a variety of sub-genres which make each film made unique and satisfying to the audience. These include comedy drama, paranormal drama, sci-fi drama, fantasy drama and romance drama.















Similar Films:

The Sixth Sense




Plot-line: In this chilling psychological thriller, eight-year-old Cole Sear is haunted by a dark secret: He is visited by ghosts. A helpless and reluctant channel, Cole is terrified by threatening visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. Confused by his paranormal powers, Cole is too young to understand his purpose and too terrified to tell anyone about his torment, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the ominous truth about Cole's supernatural abilities, the consequence for client and therapist is a jolt that awakens them both to something harrowing -- and unexplainable.

This is similar to our film as it involves the paranormal world and the confusion it can create. Also the plot twist at the end of the film is very similar to ours, as Bruce Willis's character in the film is not aware that he is dead. Our character is also portrayed as being alive until the very end,so the twist is very similar. We also have one character who can see the girl throughout the film, as the little boy can in this film. This is helpful in not giving away the twist until the very end, as it is not immediately obvious that the girl in our film is dead. 

City Of Angels

Plot Line:  Seth (Nicholas Cage) is an angel who hovers over the city of Los Angeles, listening to people's thoughts, observing their lives, and guiding them to the next world when they die. While Seth and his fellow angels try to offer comfort to people as they can, they are discouraged from direct contact with humans and are usually invisible to them. While at a hospital, Seth sees Maggie (Meg Ryan), a dedicated heart surgeon who attempts to save the life of a patient Seth was to call upon. 

Plot-line: This film has similarities to ours as it involves the spirit world and the human world intwining. It shows the process of life and death and the emotions and confusion which come with it. Seth (the angel) in this film is almost like the character of Lola's friend - eager to protect and help the living cross over to the dead. Their are many emotional aspects to the film which both this film and our film deal with - particularly around relationships. In this film the Angel falls in love with someone from the human world and is eager to speak to her. In our film, our character has a boyfriend in which she wants to communicate with, but cant, due to the spiritual barriers.