NARRATIVE FILM THEORY

WHAT NARRATIVE THEORY IS➤ Narrative Theory is the way in which a story is told in both a

fictional and non-fictional media texts.

➤ Narrative can be defined as ‘a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time’.

➤ Narrative Theory could also imply the way of which curtain events are put together to be presented to the audience.

➤ It can be applied to film, tv, photographs and magazines.

WHERE DO WE SEE/HEAR STORIES

➤ Tv programmes

➤ Novels and short stories

➤ Films

➤ Advertisements

➤ News in papers, tv or radio

➤ Social Media: Facebook, snapchat, twitter etc

➤ Gossip

“ONCE UPON A TIME”

➤ Once - this word invites the audience into the narrative world, it will always happen in the past tense.

➤ Upon a Time - this tells the audience that what is happening is different from our time, in a time that is not now.

➤ The Once Upon a Time concept can be applied to film because it essentially means that all films start with a beginning - an equilibrium as Todorov states - a starting point where everything in the film world is ‘Ok’.

TODOROV (1969)➤ Todorov is a Bulgarian literary theorist

➤ This theory suggest that all most all stories or plot lines have the same pattern or path.

➤ The 5 steps in this pattern

1. Equilibrium - the happy start of the story.

2. A Disruption - a problem or something disruptive has occurred.

3. Realisation - when the problem is realised and its a chaos.

4. Restored Order - when the characters what to attempt to repair the damage and fix the problem.

5. Equilibrium - the final part of the plot. The problem is fixed and everyone/thing can be happy again.

PROPPS (1929)

➤ This Russian critic identified that most folks tales were similar. He then identified a theory about characters and actions s a narrative function. He decided that characters should have a narrative function because they provide a structure for the text.

PROPP’S CHARACTER TYPES - CHARACTER EXAMPLES IN FILM

Batman - The Hero Character

The Joker - The Villain CharacterMary - There is

something about Mary - The Princess or

Damsel in Distress

Morpheus from The matrix- The Donor sends - Neo on a quest

Robin - The Typical Sidekick

Lois Lane from the Man of Steel / Superman-

helps Superman in his quests

PROPP’S CHARACTERS

1. Hero - the hero is traditional male and defeats the villain. He restores normality. He also wins over the heroine.

2. Villain - the causer of disruption and enemy to anyone good. Usually a threat to the heroine.

3. Dispatcher - this character send the hero on the journey to bring peace back. Usually the father or father figure.

4. Donor - this an object that helps the hero for their journey. Could be for protection or a weapon use.

5. Helper - these characters help the hero along his/her journey to defeat the villain e.g. sidekick

6. Heroine - this is usually the lover of the hero. The character is passive and vulnerable, threatened by the villain.

7. False Hero - a character who claims he has saved the day but hasn’t. This character turns to be against the the hero or deceives the hero.

ROLAND BARTHES (1960S)

➤ Roland Barthes suggested in his analysis of film that 1 or more of 5 codes can describe a film text. The film text can be either “open” or “closed” he says, meaning it can be unravelled in a lot of different ways and meaning is given to the audience through these different ways.

➤ The 5 codes:

1. Enigma code

2. Action code

3. Semantic code

4. Symbolic code

5. Referential code

ACTION CODES

➤ These signifies events which move the narrative on n a particular direction e.g. knock on the door or a phone ringing. These actions are

used to change the scene/narrative for a specific reasons. They allow the audience to know something different the characters or the plot. They

supply information to the audience about the narrative.

Action codes pass meaning to the audience

about the narrative and plot.

➤ Examples:

1. Starting of a car

2. Flashing lights

3. Sirens

4. Hospital bed wheels

ENIGMA CODES➤ This is a question given within the narrative that cannot immediately be answered without

continuing to watch the film and thus draws the audience into a text.

➤ E.g. a body is discovered at the beginning of the of a thriller movie. The killer’s identity is the enigma. The audience continue watching to find out who the killer is.

➤ The Use of Enigma Codes within a film - The use of enigma codes in the classic psychological thriller for example starts with a woman running through some sort of misty woods, this makes the audience ask… who is she? why is she running? 

➤ As she runs on, you then see her climb over part of an assault course which then answers one of the questions for the audience - she is an FBI agent… this plot devices of using props in this ways gives the audience a little bit of information but not to much…. next her phone rings…Mr Crawford wants to see her. Next the audience ask… who is Mr Crawford and what does he want?… and so on… this use of misery and suspense is what engages the audience to watch a film or TV show after the initial few minutes

TECHNICAL AND SYMBOLIC CODES IN FILM OPENINGS

➤ Codes and conventions are a key part of film language. Codes and conventions are the aspect of film that give meaning to the audience. Codes are systems of signs, which create meaning for the audience. Codes can be divided into two categories – technical and symbolic.

➤ Technical codes are all the ways in which film making equipment is used to tell the story, for example the camera shots and movements chosen by a director. In this screen shot below, the close up of a ‘ticking bomb’ tells the audience that firstly, there is a ticking bomb, secondly it gives the audience a sense of time - time may be running out for the characters within the film narrative. Lastly it creates drama - this specifically chosen close up of this film element has given meaning to the audience about the narrative of the film - This is the Symbolic code of this camera shot - it shows the audience what is beneath the surface of what we see - a deeper sense of narrative is created.