Assignment 7: Narrative analysis in a scene

Name 1Name 2Name 3

Part 1

Overall Narrative

Momento• We are analysing the last scene from

‘Momento’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqW9fnkhqrs

Story:• Lenny has short term memory• He is seeking to kill the man who raped and

murdered his wife• Uses polaroid's and tattoos to remember

people and facts• He has help with people he trusts including a

woman who he has a relationship with, he doesn’t trust another friend ‘Teddy’

• Through his collected facts, he discovers a close friend is the killer and he shoots him with a gun

Is this a whole narrative, a section or an enigma?

Section Enigma

• This is only 2 minutes scene from the film

• Enigma present with non linear narrative (the film goes backwards in time)

Beginning scene where main character is fleeing after wrongly killing a suspected murderer of his wife)

Because the chronological end is the beginning of the film this raises questions to the audience: -as to why he did it -who he and the other character are

If you are looking at a section of a narrative, what function does this section have for the narrative? (Think about the whole)

Polariod developing in reverse

Lenny killingTeddy in reverse (which is chronological end)

Lenny waking up (going back in time before murder)

Works with Teddy to try to find killer

He doesn’t trust Teddy

Works with girl to find killer – he doesn’t remember

……….

……….

……….

Just after Lenny killed wrong guy

Teddy knows he is on right trackLenny knows

Teddy is dishonest and is killer but needs to prove itAudience can make sense of story and all enigmas are answered

The function of the END scene is to answer all enigma's that were answered at the: -beginning (which is who did he kill)

-through the film (why did he kill him and how did he find him)

Does the film follow the conventional narrative (3 part)? Explain yes or now

NO

BeginningIs Chronological End

End of Day 5

The film is non linear with changing the order of time in a very confusing way to create enigmas for the audience

Narrative Structure of film

Audience emotions

Does the clip fall into a conventional narrative structure? Explain yes or no

Part 2

Narrative Structure

Is it linear? How? Or is it non-linear? How (Does it have flashbacks, flash-forwards, or episodically)

NON LINEAR STRUCTURE

Sees the licence plate and writes down to remember later

Start(in car)

Chronological(leaving location)

Chronological(driving away from location before)

Chronological(him thinking as he is driving)

FLASHBACK(different time and location of him with his wife)

Chronological(him thinking as he is driving)

Is it being presented in segments, separated by changes in location or time?

LOCATION TIME

IN CAR At abandoned location

OUT OF CARAt abandoned location

IN CAR Driving away from 1st location

IN BEDWith wife in the past

In real time

In real time

In real time

In the past

Ellipsis (a few moments later)

Immediate cut to next scene

Flashback (of his thought in car)

Return to real time (back in car)

Is it being broken up or linked by graphics?

• No graphics are present in this clip.

• (If they were then screen grab and explain their function)

Is there a single narrative (even if different aspects in this narrative are being shown)?

Or are multiple narratives being shown?

Single Narrative

Lenny suspecting

Teddy

Lenny writing down Teddy’s Licence plate #

Lenny driving off

Lenny thinking of his wife

Lenny seeing tattoo parlour

Lenny obviously

going to tattoo licence plate # to remember

Only scene in different location/time

(but relates to the single narrative)

Is there a single narrative (even if different aspects in this narrative are being shown)?

Or are multiple narratives being shown?

Narrative 1 Narrative 2

Are there clear character roles and functions being established, such as a hero or villain?

How does their role(s) connect to the narrative?HERO VILLAIN

ROLE/REPRESENTATION

THEIR FUNCTION -To get sympathy and understanding from audience(he is a victim = for losing his wife and having short term memory loss )

-To be admired by audience (he is an attractive hero because he killed a killer = (his revenge is seen as fair justice)

-To be hated by audience (he is nerdy and less attractive hero because he killed Lenny’s wife and is a corrupt/dirty cop, he abuses and manipulates Lenny because of his disability)

-To get sympathy and understanding from audience(he is a victim = for losing his wife and having short term memory loss)

CONNECTION TO NARRATIVE

Masculine, attractive Nerdy, unattractive

Blue eyes, blond hair, manly jawline

Drives sporty, posh masculine convertible (in control)

Older, balding, nerdy/glasses, casual/unstylish clothes

Left behind (no car) and not in control = powerless)

Serious look on face and wearing smart suit

Worried look on face

In what ways is the narrative constructing the ideology of the text? Is this explicit/obvious (like in a lot of adverts) or is it

implicit/hidden?

IDEOLOGY Evidence Implicit Explicit

Masculine, and victimized, attractive and powerful hero

Being in love and being driven by love

Seeking revenge and justice

Consequence to deceit and bad Behaviour

√

√

√

√

Lenny is clearly attractive: masculine, blond short hair, blue eyes, well

dressed, good character, has authority and power

Ideal to be in happy heterosexual relationship with woman feeling safe

with man who loves her, they are in bed

Revenge and justice is murder which is not in this scene, yet the audience

piece together how he figured out it was Teddy

Lenny is killed for his actions of murder and rape (which is not seen in this

scene) He is left alone and helpless for being deceitful to Lenny

Part 3

Time

Story Time & Discourse TimeSTORY TIME DISCOURSE TIME

Screen Grab N/A

ExplanationNo evidence but probably within

an hour

-minutes to write down licence,

-seconds to drive away-minutes to drive while thinking

-daylight remains (light looks the same = not much difference in

time)

Takes 2:26 minutes to narrate this scene

Identify all types of time being represented:Types of Time Screen Grabs/Evidence Explanation

SummaryScene takes place over approx 1 hr Clip is only 2:26 long, therefore by editing time

is reduced to represent an hour over only 2 mins

Ellipsis 1) At abandoned location2) Lenny driving away3) POV of Lenny driving4) POV of arriving at Tattoo parlour

SceneWhen writing the licence plate

Stretch N/A

Flashback

Flash-forwardN/A

Real time (thinking) =

Flashback =

Back to real time =

No flash-forwards.Real time (thinking) flashback back to real time

In lesson• Set up PowerPoint together (copy/paste questions)• Watch clip at least 3 times• Discuss questions together, write bullet points as answers• Get screen grabs and begin to answer with bullet points, charts,

diagrams, etc• If not finished, break up work (leader to make sure everyone in

group understands what they are doing)• Everyone to have copy (USB or e-mail)

DUE: TUESDAY JAN 22(Complete over weekend and then Monday put Powerpoint together)