Fantasy films have been a part of cinema since the very beginnings of the medium. Although fantasy films can be found in every decade of the last century, the genre only became persistently successful from the late 1970s onwards. Perhaps the relatively recent prominence of fantasy goes some way to explain why the genre lacks the academic discourse that other film genres have encouraged. Another reason why fantasy has evaded considerable discussion as a genre could be because of the difficulty in defining it. Fantasy can encompass numerous types of films, and features an array of different thematic and visual styles. Previous studies examining fantasy either fail to consider the mode as a genre, or only consider a limited array of films. Using Tzvetan Todorov’s assessment of The Fantastic as a framework, this thesis examines fantasy films from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. I reassert fantasy’s position as a genre rather than a mode or impulse. Analysing a wide range of films from this period, this thesis outlines the preoccupations of the genre and identifies the various cycles and sub-genres encompassed by the term ‘fantasy’. These categories include those that concern the style of film and those that concern the intended audience. Deconstructing the fantasy genre in these sub-genres makes it more manageable to appraise the genre as a whole. Consistent patterns emerge in the examination of these films, ranging from archetypal characters to a fixation with subversion. The 1980s was a critical time for fantasy cinema as it was the first sustained period of frequent successful films. Fantasy was the most commercially successful genre of the decade; Hollywood’s output in this period still reverberates in today’s industry. Thus, the fantasy genre is most worthy of the critical discussion afforded to other genres.

Sammanfattning: The Lord of The Rings-trilogin slog världen med storm då första filmen kom ut år 2001. J.R.R Tolkiens böcker var väldigt omtyckta och framförallt omtalade men det hade aldrig funnits icke-animerade filmer på dem. Peter Jackson tog på sig att skapa filmerna och klarade detta åtagande väldigt bra. Däremot var kvinnorollerna, precis som i böckerna, väldigt små och inaktiva. Detta är därför någonting jag valt att ta upp i min uppsats. Kvinnornas roller i jämförelse med männens. Uppsatsen jämför de olika rollfigurerna mot varandra och deras roller överlag i specialversionerna av filmerna.

<p>Sammanfattning: The Lord of The Rings-trilogin slog världen med storm då första filmen kom ut år 2001. J.R.R Tolkiens böcker var väldigt omtyckta och framförallt omtalade men det hade aldrig funnits icke-animerade filmer på dem. Peter Jackson tog på sig att skapa filmerna och klarade detta åtagande väldigt bra.</p><p>Däremot var kvinnorollerna, precis som i böckerna, väldigt små och inaktiva. Detta är därför någonting jag valt att ta upp i min uppsats. Kvinnornas roller i jämförelse med männens. Uppsatsen jämför de olika rollfigurerna mot varandra och deras roller överlag i specialversionerna av filmerna.</p>

This diploma thesis examines fantasy genre in world cinematography at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. It defines the genre and focuses on one of the sub genres - urban fantasy. On several examples of movies it shows this phenomenon in contemporary production. The main part is an artistic concept based on a scenario "Killing on carnival row" by Trevise Beacham. The proposal solves its space from urban unit to particular design of exterior and interior.

xx, 800 p. : music. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Despite the immense popular and critical response given to the Harry Potter narrative and phenomenon, little has been written about the music for the Harry Potter films. I establish that the aesthetic differences that viewers perceive between the different Harry Potter films are largely due to the musical approaches of composers John Williams, Patrick Doyle, and Nicholas Hooper over the course of four director/composer collaborations for the first five films. This study provides a rare opportunity to examine the work of different composers for a continuing narrative. Moreover, when we explore how music is used in varied ways within the films, we see how each musical approach shapes film visuals into the narrative that the filmmakers sought to convey; when the music changes, the story changes. Music creates the geographic, cultural, and temporal landscapes that draw us in to Harry's 'muggle' and magical worlds. Music defines the way we perceive Harry's emotional experiences of love, joy, loss, and death, and also defines the philosophical perspectives on the nature of evil and its conquest. Sometimes, the music provides clues to the mystery long before visuals and dialogue address them, and musical relationships (with visuals and within the music itself) allow us to perceive the properties and powers of magic and humanity that may otherwise transpire unseen. Music also plays a role in the types of humor that are represented in the films--from socially-sanctioned transgressions, to macabre, to bawdy, deadpan, and caricature. However, while the core narrative themes in the films are closely related to the main themes in Rowling's original novels, an examination of how Rowling's descriptions of musical events compare with representations of these events in the films reveals that Rowling created a more nuanced social landscape (especially with regard to gender) than is re-contextualized with music in the films. / Committee in charge: Marian Smith, Chairperson, Music; Anne McLucas, Member, Music; Mark Levy, Member, Music; Carl Bybee, Outside Member, Journalism and Communication