This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
What is an anthology film?
An anthology film is one film with several different stories or parts, usually linked by a common theme, an event, or some kind of framing device. Unlike regular films, they don’t follow a single narrative arc, they have a variety, and this allows for more diverse storytelling techniques and themes. Anthology films might also be called omnibus films, package film, or portmanteau film. You can also think of them as several short films together under one theme.
Each “part” to an anthology film could be directed by a different person, written by a different person, or might have been made at a different time.
What are some themes in anthology films?
An anthology film can cover anything really, but here are some common themes that tend to tie segments together.
Love and relationships
Love is quite often in the air when it comes to omnibus films! This might be romantic love, or it could be familial relationships, or even friendships. Generally, they explore human connection.
Horror and supernatural
Horror anthology films are fairly popular and so there are quite a few horror anthologies kicking around. They tell ghost stories, look at supernatural events, or focus on psychological horror – this format is a good way to keep audiences engaged with scares and twists.
Morality and consequences
Moral dilemmas and the consequences of actions are popular anthology topics. The parts of the anthology might look at things like justice, revenge or redemption.
Life and death
Life, death, mortality, and the afterlife are common stories. They’re usually all about the human condition and existential questions… or crises!
Social issues
Addressing social issues through anthology films can be quite effective. Presenting multiple perspectives on systemic injustices like racism, gender inequality or economic disparity can provoke discussion and even action.
History of anthology films
The concept of anthology films has been around a good while, but gained popularity in the mid-20th century.
Early cinema
In the silent film era, some early films hinted at an anthology format. D.W. Griffith experimented with parallel storytelling in Intolerance (1916), which presented multiple stories set in different historical periods. This film was actually a response to the outcry about his previous film, The Birth of a Nation (1951) and the overt racism in it. Although not an anthology film as we understand them now, it did lay the groundwork for the potential of several narratives in one film.
The 1940s and 1950s
By the time Dead of Night came along in 1945, the concept of anthology was starting to solidify. Dead of Night is a British film with five stories linked by an overarching narrative. What’s unusual about this is that it’s a horror film (with a tinge of comedy), one of very few around that time as horror films weren’t allowed to be produced during the Second World War. Dead of Night set a precedent for horror anthologies and showed the potential they had for creating suspense.
The 1960s: Experimentation and art house
Within art house and international cinema in the 1960s there was a surge of anthology films. Federico Fellini's Boccaccio '70 (1962) had parts of the film directed by different people, showing how anthologies could be a platform for unique styles under one umbrella.
The 1980s and 1990s: Popularity at last
In the 1980s and 1990s, anthology films reached a form of mainstream popularity. Creepshow (1982), directed by movie-horror-legend George A. Romero and written by author-horror-legend Stephen King, became a cult classic. This was actually King’s screenwriting debut and two parts of the anthology were based on his existing stories.
Another significant 90s anthology is Pulp Fiction (1994) by Quentin Tarantino. It’s not a traditional anthology in the sense that it’s non-linear, (which the purists argue means it can’t be one) but the stories connect and there’s more than a nod to the genre.
2000s to present
In the 2000s and 2010s anthology films started to get more diverse and innovative. Paris, je t'aime (2006) had a whopping 18 parts to it and lasted two hours. Each section was set in a different district of the city and the project had originally intended for this to be 20 (one for every district) but 2 of them didn’t work out so weren’t included.
The V/H/S series (2012-2014) was a horror anthology that used the ‘found footage’ format that everyone was so hung up on around that time.
Examples of modern anthology films
1. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Directed, written and produced by the Coen Brothers, this anthology is a collection of six Westerns, each story different in its tone and style, ranging from hilarious to tragic, including a singing cowboy, a bank robber, and a prospector. The Coens bring their very particular style to this by blending dark humour with in-depth storytelling. It has beautiful cinematography and powerful performances by its cast.
2. V/H/S (2012)
As we’ve mentioned already, V/H/S is an anthology horror film series of 6 films, plus later, two spin-offs. The shorts are tied together by the story of criminals finding a bunch of mysterious videotapes. Each tape has a different horror story from supernatural spookiness, to a more psychological thriller. Although found-footage films were being somewhat overdone at this time, V/H/S put a unique spin on the genre by making it an anthology and blending a variety of horror styles and interesting storytelling techniques together.
3. The ABCs of Death (2012)
This was a rather ambitious comedy horror anthology with 26 short films, each one inspired by a letter of the alphabet. Each short explores a different method of death, and they were directed and produced by a variety of filmmakers from around the world. Giving a letter to each filmmaker was an unusual but effective way to give creative freedom, and it resulted in a range of weird and disturbing tales.
4. Four Rooms (1995)
Four Rooms is about a bellhop who has four different experiences with people staying at a hotel. The anthology is a farce written and directed by four different filmmakers: Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino, and the stories range from a coven of witches to a dangerous bet involving a finger. This is a fairly eclectic anthology, and very, very surreal.
5. Three... Extremes (2004)
This Asian horror anthology is made up of three segments directed by Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, and Takashi Miike, each from different countries. The stories are Dumplings, Cut, and Box, and they involve body horror, revenge, and psychological terror. The production values in this are great and it’s considered to be a masterpiece by many fans.
Why do anthology films appeal?
We know what anthology films are, but why do they exist? What is it about anthology films that appeals to us, and to the people who make them?
Variety and diversity
One of the big draws of anthology films is the variety they offer. Audiences get to experience multiple stories, genres, and styles in one neat bunch. In cinema we quite often like to be surprised, and having several stories in one film usually ticks that box. It also means that if you weren’t so keen on one short, you may still enjoy the rest.
Creative freedom
Thinking from a filmmakers’ perspective rather than an audiences’, anthology films are a great opportunity to experiment with different narratives and styles. Directors can explore themes and ideas that might not be feasible in a feature-length format. More freedom quite often means they’re a little more bold and take greater risks with the storytelling, possibly why there are so many utterly surreal anthologies!
Short attention span
Well, it’s a factor. Audiences are less attentive than they used to be and in many ways, like episodic programmes, anthology films cater to that by being shorter, self-contained stories. For people looking for a quick burst of entertainment, they can watch segments of an anthology without needing to commit to a whole film, just like watching an episode of a show.
Exploration of themes
Anthology films can get quite deep into specific themes by showing multiple perspectives. For example, a film exploring the idea love could show different types of love, like romantic, familial, or friendships and so on. This way, they can sometimes offer a richer and more nuanced understanding of whatever it is they’re showing.
Appeal to different audiences
Because anthology films are made up of a whole range of stories and styles, they can appeal to a broad audience. Different segments might attract different viewers, meaning the film is accessible to a wider demographic, and this can widen its reach.
Are there any challenges when it comes to anthology films?
There can be… here are a few!
Consistency
One of the main challenges of anthology films is a consistency in quality and tone across different segments. If you have multiple directors and writers involved, that can mean there are significant variations in storytelling, style, and execution. Making sure that all parts of the anthology align with the overall theme and tone, and still keep a high standard, can be a tricky task.
Pacing
Balancing the pacing of an anthology film is crucial because each part or short needs to pull its weight. They all need to be engaging and concise and still contribute to the overall flow of the film. If the pacing is poor it can make the film feel disjointed or uneven, and an audience might even give up on it after just a few segments.
Audience expectations
Managing audience expectations can be challenging with anthology films. Viewers might come in with preferences for certain genres or directors, leading to mixed reactions to different segments. Satisfying a diverse audience while maintaining the film’s integrity can be a complex task.
Budget and production
Anthology films can be expensive and logistically difficult to produce. Coordinating a bunch of directors, casts, and crews means a lot of time, money, and organisation!
Conclusion
Anthology films have been around in one form or another since the start of cinema. The appeal of telling bite-size stories within a larger theme, is strong, and it gives directors, producers, and writers, the chance to let their creativity run unbounded a little more than a feature-length can.
Anthologies have changed and shifted with time, just like other aspects of cinema, but weirdly, we’re in a place now where they have the potential to be more popular than ever. With streaming, we’re used to start-stopping movies and shows whenever we want, watching on demand. An anthology fits that mentality really well, it’s designed so that (if you want to) you can watch one of the segments and come back to it without the overall film feeling too disrupted. Anthology would also fit fairly well with technological developments, like the possibility of interactive storytelling impacting the segments that we see – who knows, but anthology films are certainly here to stay.
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About this page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Ian Yates.
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
Marie Gardiner | Sciencx (2024-06-27T14:29:43+00:00) What is an anthology film? Let’s look at some examples. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/06/27/what-is-an-anthology-film-lets-look-at-some-examples/
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