G.C.S.E FILM STUDIES

Narrative and Character Theory

Starter

You have two minutes

What was the story for the last film you watched?

What happened in that story?

Feedback to the class

Lesson Objectives

WALT What is narrative and the difference between

plot and story? Todorov’s narrative theory. Propps character theory

WILF Be able to analyse a scene and identify what is

the plot and also what is the story. Use Todorovs theory to explain a film extract. Use the character theory on a scene breakdown.

Narrative

The forms of narrative

Linear narrative – Begins at the start moves to the middle and then to the end.

Non Linear – May begin in any order, middle then beginning and then end, e.g. Pulp Fiction, 500 Days of Summer or Kill Bill

Circular – begins at the end and then tells story in linear fashion returning to the end.

Episodic – story told in chapters the chapters may follow characters and then not be in order.

Task

In groups on your tables try to name films you have seen that use these types of narrative formats.

Linear Non-Linear Circular Episodic

Feedback

What films did you identify use these narrative formats.

Screening

There are going to be four examples shown.

Identify the narrative formats being used in the clips.

You will have five minutes to analyse and identify the format.

Justify your answer – give reasons why you think it is that format?

Clips

Video 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

tvKzyYy6qvY Video 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMqwSTe5rvo

Video 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCUhFZ

nxoBU&feature=related

Video 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

0vS0E9bBSL0

Macro Features for Narrative Story - the chronological order that

events occur.

Plot – how the audience are shown these events

Todorovs Narrative Theory

Todorov theory is that all stories follow this order:

Equilibrium This is how the story will begin the place and characters

are in their normal routines. Disequilibrium

Something happens to disrupt this order – this could be any event such as war or a villain. This has to be resolved by the hero.

New Equilibrium A new equilibrium is established after the hero resolved

the conflict.

Example

Watch the clip

How is the equilibrium and disequilibrium set up?

From your knowledge how is equilibrium restored?

More detailed.

More detail

Between the disequilibrium and the restoration of equilibrium there can also be:

Recognition – aware of what happens and drama develops.

Attempts to repair – heroes try and there maybe a plot twist or climactic point. They are temporary prevented from restoring the harmony.

Example

Can you apply this theory to Spiderman?

Equilibrium Disruption – Disequilibrium Recognition Attempts to repair New equilibrium

Video example

Clip

How does recognition and attempts to repair happen within these scenes?

Character Theory

Vladmir Propp analysed over one hundered texts/media and he identified seven broad character types.

He believed that you could adapt these types to fit the characters in all text/media.

Character Theroy

Propps Theory The villain (struggles against the hero) The

donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object)

The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest) The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for

during the narrative) The false hero (perceived as good character in beginning

but emerges as evil) The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known

and sends the hero off) The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor,

weds the princess

Thor

Who would the characters be in the film.

Watch the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=JOddp-nlNvQ

Thor

The villain The donor The (magical) helper The princess The false hero The dispatcher The hero or victim/seeker hero

Characters are: Thor, Odin, Jane, Destroyer, Loki, Heimdall,

Erik Selvig

Homework

Watch Films !!!

A new initiative to open up your viewing experience select one film from the list below all are important and significant films to cinema watch them and write a short report on the movie using the terminology we have been developing this weeks focus camera and editing.

Films

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 500 Days of Summer Get Shorty Fargo Heat Donnie Darko

Film Clubs are after school on Fridays