Fantasy film

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The film genre Fantastic Film , from English also fantasy film , encompasses in the broadest sense all films whose plot contains elements that exist exclusively in the human imagination and are actually inconceivable as such in reality . The fairy tale film is closely related to it ; most fairy tale films are also fantasy films, but not all fantasy films are fairy tale films. Basically, different types of fantasy film can be distinguished, for example science fiction and horror are often combined with the genres .

The classic fantasy film

The classic fantasy film takes place in the earthly Middle Ages , or in a world whose development corresponds to the Middle Ages on earth. There is no modern technology, but there is magic that can be used as a weapon or to dominate and manipulate other people. Some stories take place partly on the planet earth of the 20th century, but to a not inconsiderable part also in a non-technical world, which corresponds to the classic fantasy film specifications, and are therefore also assigned to this area. In addition to magic, there are also typical fantasy characters such as dwarves , elves , fairies , elves, goblins , trolls , orcs and dragons . The plot is mostly knitted according to a simple good-bad scheme.

Typical representatives of the classic fantasy film are:

The modern fantasy film

The modern fantasy film takes place on planet earth in the 19th, 20th or 21st centuries and is usually also characterized by magic and / or fantasy characters. Often times, these films deal with mystical relics from the past that have been forgotten and then rediscovered. This area has been shaped in many ways by television series such as Buffy - The Vampire Slayer and Charmed - The Magical Witches .

Typical representatives of the modern fantasy film are:

The science fiction film

The distinction between fantasy and science fiction is not easy (see science fiction ). Some science fiction films in which supernatural or quasi-supernatural abilities appear can also be assigned to the fantasy genre. Often the only difference is that in the science fiction film these skills are explained more or less scientifically , while the fantasy film accepts them as supernatural. The explanation need not actually be scientifically plausible . A good example are the teleportation and local weather control skills described in the X-Men films and comics , which are attributed to gene mutations there. The incompleteness of this explanation is obvious, since it simply uses a scientific catchphrase for explanation. In contrast, Star Trek (which is clearly assigned to science fiction) generally uses more complex arguments to explain the nova.

Over time, the genre of science fantasy , which combines both genres, emerged.

Films on the border between science fiction and fantasy can be:

Film festivals and film awards

Several film festivals specialize in fantasy films. The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival , Fantasporto and the Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya are among the most important in the world .

One of the best-known film awards for the genre is the Saturn Award for the best fantasy film .

See also

Fantasy film

Fairy tale film

Science fiction film

Literature (selection)

  • Mark Achilles: Fantasy Fiction - the search for the true human being in "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings". In: Thomas Bohrmann, Werner Veith, Stephan Zöller (Eds.): Handbuch Theologie und Popular Film. Volume 1. Ferdinand Schöningh, Paderborn 2007, ISBN 978-3-506-72963-7 , pp. 95-113.
  • Rolf Giesen : Fabulous worlds. The fantastic film. Wilhelm Heyne, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-453-03776-6 .
  • Norbert Stresau : The Fantasy Film. Heyne, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-453-86068-3 .
  • Norbert Stresau, Heinrich Wimmer (Ed.): Encyclopedia of the fantastic film. Corian, Meitingen 1986-2007, ISBN 3-89048-400-X .

Web links

Wiktionary: Fantasy film  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations