ASSIGNMENT 7Narrative and film theory

Name: Rahel Fasil

Due Date: 18th October 2011

Narrative• In a media piece, the narrative is the organisation of

events that are shown to the audience.• There are many different types of narrative. They are;

closed/open narrative, non linear, flashback, foreshadowing, binary oppositions,

Tvzetan Todorov• A philosopher who writes essays and books on this

theories through studying many folk tales. He’s published 21 books focusing on historical matters.

• Todorov’s theory implies that every narrative must have a structure split into three. Starting with an equilibrium, then a disruption to the equilibrium and finally the equilibrium returns.

Todorov’s narrative approach• His theory is that films start with an equilibrium with

everything balanced.• Then during the middle there is a disturbance to the

equilibrium which is the disequilibrium.• Finally at the end the equilibrium is restored which is the

new equilibrium.

Example of a film using Todorov’s narrative

The Shining

Point: start of film has balanced equilibriumExplanation: the character is happy and there is nothing busy going onEffect: calm and steady atmosphere

Point: middle of film has disrupted equilibriumExplanation: faster pace and audience is more drawnEffect: eventful and unsettling atmosphere

Point: at the end equilibrium is restoredExplanation: the film has gone back to happy charactersEffect: calm and stable atmosphere

Claude Levi-Strauss• French ethnologist and anthropologist.• He dealt with people’s race, origins and their unique

characteristics.• He’s published many books on anthropology and the

community.• He also researched myths of tribal cultures.

Levi-Strauss’ narrative theory• The narrative is centred on the forces of opposites and

the purpose of conflict.• Consequently, after researching many myths worldwide,

Levi-Strauss concluded that we understand the world, events and people by using and observing binary opposites.

• Binary opposition helps us to contemplate how ideas are formed.

Example of a film using Levi-Strauss’ narrative

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

• Point: Levi-Strauss’ narrative is being used in this film• Explanation: the girl is alive and dies within seconds• Effect: shows audience that life can be snatched from you at any time which engages

the audience because the death is realistic.

Vladimir Propp• A Russian Soviet formalist professor• He examined the plot of Russian folktales to recognise

aspects of narrative.• He published a Russian book in 1928 called Morphology

of the Folktale signifying key elements such as morphology.

Propp’s narrative theory• After all his research he discovered that in stories there

are 8 types of characters always present; the villain, the donor, the princess, the helper, the dishonest hero, the dispatcher, the hero and the father.

• This is very ambiguous as he didn’t confirm that the 8 characters types were different people; i.e. the father could be the dishonest hero as well.

• He claimed there were 8 character types and 31 they ever do.

Examples of a film using Propp’s narrative

• Point: close up is used of the woman’s face

• Explanation: her mouth and eyes are wide open to emphasise revenge

• Effect: close up enables you to see the facial expressions which allows the audience to immediately distinguish the character’s role in the film

• Point: close up shot is used of the news paper article

• Explanation: makes the woman seem dangerous

• Effect: the audience already has a perception of the character, which is that she could commit crime.

• Point: the woman is holding a knife

• Explanation: this is an example of Propp’s narrative as she seems like the villain of the film

• Effect: the audience already has the perception that she is dangerous and out of control. The atmosphere also becomes intense.