Allen, J., Livingstone, Sonia 
ORCID: 0000-0002-3248-9862 and Reiner, R.
(1997)
The changing generic location of crime in film : a content analysis of film synopses, 1945-1991.
Journal of Communication, 47 (4).
pp. 89-101.
ISSN 1460-2466
Abstract
Is the number of films containing crime increasing? If so, for which kinds of films? Using a sample of synopses for all films released in Britain between 1945 and 1991 we identify shifts in the major film genres and their proportion of crime contents. The overall proportion of crime films remains constant, as does the proportion of crime contents in all film genres. But this masks underlying differences. Content analysis reveals which genres, including those with both high and low crime contents, are rising or falling in popularity. It also reveals that for some genres, the proportion of films containing crime is rising. No differences were found between British and American films in terms of proportion of crime contents by genre. This historical content analysis provides an overview of trends in the inclusion of crime in film. These trends offer a broader context for the interpretation of more detailed analyses of single films. The implications for the audience's expectations of films are discussed.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Official URL: |
http://joc.oxfordjournals.org/ |
| Additional Information: |
Published 1997 © Oxford University Press. LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (http://eprints.lse.ac.uk) of the LSE Research Online website. |
| Divisions: |
LSE |
| Subjects: |
H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Date Deposited: |
17 Oct 2005 |
| Last Modified: |
03 Jan 2024 02:09 |
| URI: |
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/414 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Download Statistics
Download Statistics