Iconography in Rom-coms

By Aminatta Sylva 12H

Things that are iconographic in rom-coms•The setting-

The majority of romantic comedies show places like parks, restaurants, gyms, cafes, subways (if it is set in New-York). So when we are watching a romantic comedy and we see two people in a restaurant, we immediately know that it is a romantic comedy. However if this would not be shown to an audience that is watching a film of the Horror/Thriller genre as this isn’t iconographical of that genre. Iconography is important in films as it establishes the genre clearly to the audience, so that they don’t feel confused. We as an audience expect to see certain things in different film genres, for example in a western film we would expect to see balls of dust rolling around in a deserted place, in a crime drama film we would expect to see a forensic team.

Things that are iconographic in rom-coms•Kissing -This can happen in almost any genre mainly because it’s part of modern/western relationships. However in the romantic comedy genre when the two main protagonists finally get together it just happens to rain and they end up kissing in the rain. Kissing in the rain is known to be magical and when the girl lifts up her left leg it means that she is in love with him. Kissing is also an element of this genre and associates itself with blue comedy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvoSHLfrtfM

•Flowers- Are featured a lot in romantic comedies as characters often want to show their love for each other through buying things that are considered to be romantic and women like flowers- so the male is likely to buy the woman flowers after an argument.

•Chocolate- Is seen to be a romantic element- Valentines day and anniversaries couples often buy chocolate (heart shaped maybe or the box) for each other, to show the love again. Chocolate can be also seen as a comforter- women often consume large amounts of chocolate when they go through tough time and heartbreaks.

•Champagne/Wine is often featured in rom-coms to either show celebration- wedding, engagement, new job etc. Or to show times of grief for example a woman drinking wine whilst crying about the way that her boyfriend dumped her.

Things that are iconographic in rom-coms•Music with lyrics-

In romantic comedies the opening often includes some non-diegetic music that might have lyrics that are meaningful and relate to the narrative. For example Adele’s song Someone Like You may be used when a character is thinking about their ex or if the narrative is about finally moving on a letting go someone that has let you go time ago. Furthermore this only goes with the comedy/romance genre not for example a Horror film unless it’s a psychological horror film, as the horror genre music is made by the company to produce effect and a sense of emotion for the audience.