Topic > Analysis of Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom as an example of a Bildungsroman film

Genre is the classification of art, music, literature, or film into different categories based on the codes and conventions they follow. A film's genre often tells audiences the type of film and overall emotional response they can expect. The genre is made up of certain elements, such as characters, story, plot and setting; which are used to determine the class of the film. Filmmakers and directors choose a genre for the film to find a potential audience as quickly as possible in order to increase overall sales. Some common genres include comedy, action, horror, science fiction, romance, and many more. Often these genres intersect, as one film usually falls into multiple categories, such as romantic comedies or science fiction thriller films. Many of these genres are very broad, such as comedy, which branches into many different forms of comedy, such as slapstick, satire, or farce. Filmmakers also have different intentions for some films than others. For example, science fiction films are extremely popular around the world but are rarely in the running for awards (e.g. Avengers: Endgame). Avengers: Endgame is the most watched film of all time, but it most likely won't win an Oscar. Instead, the awards generally go to well-made melodramatic films like Dunkirk (2018). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The “Coming-of-Age” genre or sometimes known as “Bildungsroman” contains many key characteristics that are easily recognizable when watching one of these films. The focus of these films is the physical and moral growth of the main characters over the course of the film. In most cases, the character is transitioning from youth to adulthood, either literally or mentally. Each Bildungsroman film has a fixed structure that they usually adhere to. At the beginning of the films the characters already have the impression that the world is not a happy or safe place. Usually this is due to an event that happened before the story begins, which is revealed later in the film. Once the character is introduced, an event will happen that will make his life even more difficult, resulting in motivation to pursue his goals. It is in the pursuit of these objectives that the transformation of the character occurs. On this journey, the character will realize that he no longer has the support he was once used to and that he is now alone in the world. This realization provides the main character with the courage to face their problems rather than walk away from them. An example of a Bildungsroman film is Wes Anderson's 2012 film, Moonrise Kingdom. The story is about a young orphan named Sam Shakusky, who was sent to Camp Ivanhoe by his adoptive parents. He doesn't feel like he has a specific role or place in the world until he meets a young girl named Suzy. She's another introvert who doesn't feel like she belongs with her family. The plot of the film is the escape together that they had previously devised through handwritten letters to each other. It is on this journey that the two experience their transition from youth to adulthood. Moonrise Kingdom follows almost all the necessary conventions of the Bildungsroman. For example, at the beginning of the film, both Sam and Suzy are innocent and pure, although dissatisfied with the current world in which they live. They do not enjoy life as they are, both dissatisfied with the state of their families. Eventually they decide they can't live like this anymore and run away. This is the part of the movie "Coming of Age" where the characters pursue their goals, and as they do so, they realize how independent they need to be and how much they need to do.