Assignment 6: Simple film structure analysis

Amy Cleary

The impossible

• A regular family of five travel to Thailand to spend Christmas there.

• After settling in they go to the pool like all the rest of the tourists.

• While there they get caught in one of the worlds worst natural disasters, a tsunami.

• The mother and the eldest son get swept away while the youngest two and dad disappear, not knowing if either are dead or alive.

Has the institution created a text with a conventional narrative structure?

• Yes, there is clear linear narrative as the story starts at the beginning and finishes at the end.

• Act 1 (set up)• Act 2 (conflict)• Act 3 (resolution)

B) Explain how the film is implicit or explicit?Explicit Narrative Reasons Explicit Narrative evidence

Reason 1They are on holiday in Thailand and staying in the hotel.

Reason 2The tsunami hits where there staying.

Reason 3The mother and eldest son loose the dad and the two youngest sons.

Reason 4The mother is the most wounded and needs help.

How the film uses conventional narrative structure (Act 1)

Act 1-set up

Scene 1When they arrive.“Maria”

Scene 2Christmas Eve“Lucas, Simon and Thomas”

Scene 3Christmas day“ Henry”

Scene 4Boxing Day“Lucas”

• When they are on the aeroplane, the mother panics when they hit turbulence.

• They are setting off Chinese lanterns to celebrate Christmas.

• The parents wake the children up on Christmas day to open their presents.

• They are at the pool and unexpectedly a tsunami hits.

(Act 2) Scene 4“Maria” and "Lucas”

Scene 5 “Maria” and “Lucas”

Scene 5“Maria and man”

Scene 6

• A tsunami hits and the family are separated. However the mother and Lucas are in sight of each other.

• The mother struggles to climb the tree as she is badly injured.

• A man from the village comes across Maria and Lucas and helps her to safety.

• The mother goes to the hospital with Lucas. He uses his time by helping people look for their relatives in the hospital.

Act 2- conflict

Act 3• Act 3-Resolution

Scene 7“Henry” and “Thomas”

Scene 8“Henry”

Scene 9“Henry, Lucas and Simon”

Scene 10“Whole family”

• Henry tells Thomas he and Simon have to be alone for now, as he needs to look Maria and Lucas.

• Henry calls home and promises “Brian” he will find Maria and Lucas.

• The three brothers are reunited and then find their dad.

• The family fly back home after they are reunited as they have travel insurance and get special treatment.

Why have the film makers used this structure?

• The film makers have used this structure because its familiar to the audience and it leaves us as an audience satisfied because we understand the storyline. If they had changed the acts around, we as an audience may be confused and become frustrated because we wouldn’t understand it.

What impact does this have on the audience?

• This film can have a big impact on the audience emotionally as it is a hard hitting film about a real life natural disaster.

• It makes the audience believe they are in that situation as it is a true story about a real family and it is unexpected and realistic.

These are photos from the real tsunami.

What audience expectations have they established or challenged by using this structure?

• They have established the typical audience expectations as they have used act 1,2 and 3, in this order. However there is a part where “Maria” has a flashback about what happened as the tsunami hit her and this part challenges the audience because it makes a change and its unexpected.