Marvel phase 2 has financially continued the momentum of the
earlier films produced by Marvel Studios often referred to as the Marvel
Cinematic Universe. The standalone films part of Marvel Studio’s phase 2 shares a
unique thread. They are 70’s throwback genre films. Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) is a space opera, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
is a political thriller that even boasts Robert Redford, and Ant-Man (2015) is a heist movie.
The
three genres discussed span decades of cinema history but each one has a decade
or era that is most closely associated with that genre. Embracing the tropes of
these short hand are useful storytelling devices. They create a short hand with
the audience a kind of coding similar to the hero wearing a white or the scared
or effeminate villain. Even if movie goers are not consciously aware of this
coded short hand they are so familiar with these tropes from TV and movies they
will make these associations subconsciously.
The
cold war political thriller starts in the 50’s and continues into present day
with film like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but is most closely associated with
the post Watergate 70’s. Space Opera is another genre that spans the decades
but thanks to Star Wars among other reason the 70’s is the decade people think
of when they think space opera. Of the three genres the heist genre can be
argued successfully that it is not a 70’s genre but a 60’s genre.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
is a cold War/political thriller influenced by films like The Marathon Man (1976) starring Dustin Hoffman, All the President’s Men (1976), and
Three days of the Condor (1975). Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
embraces this genre so whole heartily it casts Robert Redford in a major
supporting role. This would be like making a film that is an homage to the John
Hughes’s teen films of the 80’s and casting Molly Ringwald in a sizable part.
Captain
America fits well into the 70’s cold war political thriller genre because he
has a history in the source material as a character willing to rebel against
the seats of power and stand up for the ideals and principles of America. Post
Watergate disillusionment with the government is a prevalent theme in the 70’s
political thriller genre. This is is mirrored in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) with the subversion of
SHEILD by HYDRA. The idea that government at its highest levels can be
corrupted was a major idea in the 70’s political thriller that fits perfectly
with the plot of Captain America: The
Winter Soldier (2014). 
Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) can be broadly
described as a science fiction movie but more specifically it falls into the Space
Opera genre. Space opera franchises like Star
Wars (1977) and Battlestar Galactica were created during the 1970’s. Space
Opera is more about melodrama and adventure and not as concerned with science
and futurism as hard science fiction. Space opera is more high adventure while
hard science fiction is more thought provoking and philosophical. If you are
still having trouble distinguishing between hard science fiction and space
opera these two examples might help illuminate the differences. Star Wars (1977) as mentioned previously
is space Opera 2001: A Space Odyssey
(1968) is hard science fiction.
Adventure,
melodrama, and a sense of wonder discovery are all aspect of the space opera
genre that is a huge part of the DNA of Guardians
of The Galaxy (2014). The retro soundtrack helps immerse the audience in
the golden age of the space opera. Captain
America: The Winter Soldier (2014) uses Robert Redford as an anchor or patronus
if you will to the retro genre its homaging. In Guardians of The Galaxy (2014) the soundtrack as opposed to an
actor is used as the retro genre patronus.
Noticing
Ant-Man (2015) was a heist film was
the first time I noticed that the MCU phase 2 stand alone films were genre
movies. Of the three genres this one is arguably more 60’s then 70’s. Many of
the strongest example of this genre are 60’s films like The Thomas
Crown Affair (1968), Ocean’s 11(1960), and The League of Gentlemen (1960).
Arguing
about 60’s vs. 70’s genres is semantics. What is most interesting is Marvel
Studios taking what is considered a cookie cutter genre (the super hero film)
and melding it with genres that rose to prominence during the American New Wave
and the growth of the film school director. With all the 60’s psychedelic talk surrounding
pre-production on the Doctor Strange film it seems like Marvel Studios will
continue to make interesting genre choices with their stand alone films.
More than
ever the super hero genre can be compared to the western. However this is not
because of its popularity while yes this is a coincidence the super hero genre should
be compared to western because of its versatility as a genre. The western was a
setting that allowed storytellers to tell virtually any type to story they
wanted. With Marvel Studio’s blending of the super hero genre with other genres
we are seeing the same phenomena unfold. You can make a superhero heist film or
a super hero political thriller the possibilities are limitless. Much like how
comic writers in the 80’s who grew up with the medium started to deconstruct the
medium we are now seeing the same thing with the super hero genre in filmmaking.
Storytellers who grew up with comic books and super hero movies like Superman (1978) are starting to see the potential
in the super hero genre as a malleable canvas for storytelling.
*Fingers crossed for a blacksploitation inspired Black
Panther movie.*
