This comedic short theatre piece follows the main character as she applies the five stages of mourning a death (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) to her recent break-up. The process section then details the writing, development, and performance of the piece for the first time, as well as plans for its future iterations. / text

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<p>The author discusses three Soviet comedies from the</p><p>1970s: Moskva slezam ne verit (Moscow Does Not Believe</p><p>in Tears, Vladimir Menshov, 1979), Osenniy marafon</p><p>(Autumn Marathon, Georgi Daneliya, 1979), and Ironiya</p><p>Sudby, ili S lyogkim parom (Irony of Fate, Eldar</p><p>Ryazanov, 1975), and how they relate to both</p><p>conventions of romance and conventions of the</p><p>mainstream traditions of the romantic comedy genre.</p><p>The text explores the evolution of the genre and</p><p>accompanying theoretic writings, and relates them to</p><p>the Soviet films, focusing largely on the conventions</p><p>that can be grouped under an idea of the romantic</p><p>chronotope. The discussion includes the conventions of</p><p>chance and fate, of the wrong partner, the happy</p><p>ending, the temporary and carnevalesque nature of</p><p>romance, multiple levels of discourse, and some</p><p>aspects of gender, class and power. In addition, some</p><p>attention is paid to the ways in which the films</p><p>connect to specific genre cycles, such as screwball</p><p>comedy and comedy of remarriage, and to the</p><p>implications that a communist system may have on the</p><p>possibilities of love and romance. The author argues</p><p>that Soviet and Hollywood films share many conventions</p><p>of romance, but for differing reasons.</p>

The author discusses three Soviet comedies from the 1970s: Moskva slezam ne verit (Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears, Vladimir Menshov, 1979), Osenniy marafon (Autumn Marathon, Georgi Daneliya, 1979), and Ironiya Sudby, ili S lyogkim parom (Irony of Fate, Eldar Ryazanov, 1975), and how they relate to both conventions of romance and conventions of the mainstream traditions of the romantic comedy genre. The text explores the evolution of the genre and accompanying theoretic writings, and relates them to the Soviet films, focusing largely on the conventions that can be grouped under an idea of the romantic chronotope. The discussion includes the conventions of chance and fate, of the wrong partner, the happy ending, the temporary and carnevalesque nature of romance, multiple levels of discourse, and some aspects of gender, class and power. In addition, some attention is paid to the ways in which the films connect to specific genre cycles, such as screwball comedy and comedy of remarriage, and to the implications that a communist system may have on the possibilities of love and romance. The author argues that Soviet and Hollywood films share many conventions of romance, but for differing reasons.

This thesis examines the differences between teen romantic comedy films marketed to Generation X teenagers in the 1980s and Generation Y teenagers in the 1990s, focusing on the presentation of gender roles, consumptive behavior, and family. The 1980s films are discussed within the social context of the Reagan era and the conservatism of the New Right. The 1990s films are examined as continuing a conservative sensibility, but they additionally posit consumption as instrumental to achieving an idealized romance. Romantic comedy is traditionally a conservative genre, but these films illustrate female liberation through consumption. The source of difference between the cycles of teen romantic comedy is attributed to the media's attempt to position Generation Y teenagers as ideal consumers.

From Sam Taylor’s 1929 Taming of the Shrew to Kenneth Branagh’s 2000 Love’s Labour’s Lost, nine comedies have been filmed and released for the mainstream film market. Over the course of the twentieth century a filmic cycle developed. By the late 1990s, the films of Shakespeare’s romantic comedies included cinematic allusions to films produced and distributed in the 1930s. This cycle indicates an awareness of and appreciation for the earlier films. Such awareness proves that the contemporary films’ meaning and entertainment value are derived in part from the consciousness of belonging to a larger tradition of Shakespeare comedy on film. Recognizing the intertextuality of Shakespeare’s comedies on film challenges the notion that Shakespeare’s comedies do not merit the same critical attention as their tragic counterparts. The cinematic conversation between directors—as played out on screen—illustrates the relevance and cultural significance of Shakespeare’s comedy. This dissertation explores these comedic adaptations chronologically and offers analysis of the films as they enter the cinematic Shakespeare tradition. Each decade in which the comedies were produced reveals a unique view or understanding of the role of comedy in Shakespeare. For 1930s audiences, the three comedies offer innovative performances by big-name stars as some of them transitioned from silent films to talkies while others tried to flex their acting muscles. 1960s movie audiences saw Shakespeare comedy that was less about the theatrical tradition and more about cinematic realism and social relevance. Kenneth Branagh would move to capitalize on this approach and take populism to the next level with his two comedies in the 1990s. Branagh’s contributions to the comedy tradition proved to be both monumental and overconfident; however, the impact Branagh himself had on the field of Shakespeare on film is undeniable. His influence would inspire other directors (including Trevor Nunn and Michael Hoffman) who pay homage to Branagh stylistically and thematically. Recognizing the history of Shakespeare’s comedies on film allows us the opportunity to revisit and reexamine the comedies’ place on the Shakespeare-on-film canon by calling attention to what these films attempt to accomplish through cultural, social or cinematic means.

In today's society, most media users are aware that the image of reality that media producers create differs from real life. However, the knowledge about the power that the media holds is forgotten in daily media use. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the image of reality that the media communicates is in many cases more tangible than the actual reality. The media thus has a decisive role in how reality is perceived, and in this case how relationships are perceived. A negative or unrealistic representation of romantic relationships can cause a problem for individuals' perception and attitudes towards their partners, or future partners. In recent years, romantic comedies have slowly become more popular with both men and women. They have started spreading from their conventional and traditional structure to other territories and areas. The genre is characterized by a focus on idealized love. It usually consists of suspense with love being challenged and a happy ending to the story. The plot keeps the audience glued to their seats hoping that love will triumph in the end. This study aims to investigate the representation of relationships in three romantic comedies from the 2010s. Certain expectations of a romantic relationship can be constructed in the films. By scanning the movie database IMDb for the top rated romantic comedies from the 2010s the top three movies were selected, with the three movies being Leap Year (2010), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Something Borrowed (2011). By applying a thematic analysis, the representation of the main relationships in the movies will be analyzed. Themes will be selected in relevance to the research question.  The relationships in the movies showed interesting similarities and differences in the way gender roles, initiative and complications were represented. Stuart Hall's theory of representation supports the study´s emphasis on the importance of the topic and explains how stereotyping can be used by producers to promote a specific demeanor.

Vi har genomfört en komparativ kvalitativ innehållsanalys av filmen High Fidelity (2000) och serien High Fidelity (2020). Vårt syfte har varit att synliggöra hur romantiska relationer samt män och kvinnor representeras över tid. Studien har utgått från teorier om socialkonstruktivism, genus, representation, stereotyper och normen om tvåsamhet. Vi har tagit del av vårt material i sin helhet samt utifrån specifika scener för att genomföra en djupare analys. I kontrast till tidigare forskning som studerat verken utifrån musikteori, har vi studerat verken ur nya perspektiv. Studien bidrar till vidare forskning om ämnet genom att undersöka ett inte tidigare berört verk; High Fidelity (2020). Vårt resultat visar att både filmen och serien innehåller representationer som bekräftar och reproducerar normer. Serien innehåller, jämfört med filmen, en mer komplex och inkluderande representation av kvinnor. Sammantaget för de båda verken är att tvåsamhet tycks vara det centrala temat och idealet. / This essay consists of a comparative qualitative content analysis of the film High Fidelity (2000) and the series High Fidelity (2020). The aim of the analysis was to make visible how men and women and romantic relationships are represented over time. The study was based on theories of social constructivism, gender, representation, stereotypes and heteronormativity. We have taken part of the material in its entirety as well as on the basis of specific scenes in order to carry out a deeper analysis. In contrast to previous research that has treated the works based on music theory, we have studied the works from new perspectives. The study contributes to further research on the subject by examining a work not previously touched upon; High Fidelity (2020). Our results show that both the film and the series contain representations that confirm and reproduce norms. Compared to the film, the series contains a more complex and inclusive representation of women. Overall for both works, the norm of twosomeness seems to be the central theme and ideal.

This thesis seeks to better understand the relationship of film genre to globalization through an examination of the use of the British romantic comedy and other related genres by the production company Working Title Films (WTF) from the 1900s through the 2000s. Because of the sudden and unexpected global success of British romantic comedies by Working Title Films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, the 1990s is a significant period for the study of the genre. In this examination the process of globalization is understood as one of complex connectivity postulated by John Tomlinson in Globalization and Culture as ‘the rapidly developing and ever-densening network of interconnections and interdependences that characterize modern social life’. This theory of globalization is used as a methodological framework to understand the complex network of global and local interconnections that has driven the development of Working Title Films over the past twenty five years to becoming one of the most important British production companies in the international film industry. Through a detailed analysis of the practices of development, production, distribution and exhibition by Working Title Films and the Hollywood dominated global film industry, this thesis seeks to understand the function of genre and genre films as cultural products, economic products and meaningful representations in the global market and to better understand Hollywood, mainstream film and cinema as social institution. The analysis in the following chapters serves as evidence to support the central argument of this thesis that the use of genre in the film industry’s production, distribution and exhibition processes of globalization was the critical area for Working Title Films to master in order to produce value as meaningful audience appeal and connectivity to global audiences for on-going economic success.

Throughout history, sex and sexuality has been a subject for many debates. It has been regulated through both authorities and social norms. Female sexuality has been seen both as a symbol for motherhood and as a sin. Women have also been judged both for their virginity and their lack of it. This matter appears regularly in the media, whereas women still are objectified and judged for how they choose to exert their sexuality. Therefor, we have chosen to study how this appears in teenage movies in modern times, through a case study of the movies Easy A, Juno and The first time. We want to examine which kind of messages that are transmitted to youths about women and their sexuality. We have used the variables informal sexual education, slut shaming, victim blaming, the madonna/whore complex and objectification. Our results shows that women’s sexuality still is criticized and regulated by society and its values.