Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp was a literacy critic and scholar from Russia who was born on the 17th April 1895 and believed that there are 7 main/typical character types in every film and 31 narrative functions that follow a simple plot. In this PowerPoint we will look at the 7 character types and their relation to our short film.

The Seven CharactersThe Hero

This character may not necessarily be the main character. However, the hero fights against the villain and is normally lead by/shares a tight bond with the donor, another of the seven characters.

The Villain The villain is the character that goes against the “stereotypical” hero. This challenges the “good” in a film narrative.

The Magical Helper The (magical) helper helps the hero in the quest. The character does not have to be magical, but usually was in the folk law stories Propp studied to come up with this theory. The Helper may be found in a supporting role. The characteristics of the (magical) helper include intelligence, determination, courage, etc.

The Donor The donor prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object. This is often the fairy godmother.

The Dispatcher An early role in the story is that of the dispatcher who sends the hero on the mission. This may be a family member such as a mother or father. It can also be the ‘princess's’ father, who gives the hero a set of quests to be completed before he gains the hand of the princess. The dispatcher may also be combined with another role, for example the false hero who then trails along behind (perhaps disguised as a helper).

The PrincessThe ‘princess’ is the person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative. Occasionally, the princess can fall for the false hero before finding the real hero, which is shown in films such as Princess Diaries. The princess doesn’t have to actually be a princess, but usually was in the Russian folk law stories that Propp based his theory upon.

The False Hero The false hero is perceived as good character in beginning but emerges as evil later on in the narrative.

The Seven Characters in Relation to Our Short Film

There are only three characters in our short film, meaning that they are likely to occupy more than one of the seven characters that Propp suggested. However, this is still in line with what Propp’s theory suggests, as he indicates that the characters mentioned don’t actually have to be individual characters. In actual fact, it is fairly common that the dispatcher and the helper are the same character within a narrative, for example. Furthermore, he suggested that the characters he suggested don’t have to be fulfilled by roles played by people. A concept could fulfil the role, or a ‘thing’, such as disease or mother nature being the villain.

RichardDougie Rooks

Richard is the helper of our film. He helps Eve to find her way home, so that she can fulfil her need to apologise to her father for the events that led up to her death. For this reason, he is also the dispatcher because he sends Eve off to complete her quest by offering her a lift in his campervan and dropping her off at home. He isn’t, however, a family member of Eve’s, but Propp suggests that he doesn’t have to be in order to fulfil the role – this is just something he found to be a common occurrence in the specific literature he studied. Richard is also the donor of our narrative, because he provides his camper van as a tool for Eve for complete her quest.Due to all these reasons, Richard is vital to our narrative.

EveLucy Clarke

Eve qualifies as the hero of the narrative as she sets out to do a good thing – put her father’s mind at ease, although this is also for her own good.

DavidRichard Scott

Arguably, David is also a dispatcher in our narrative because he sends Richard on his way to find Eve’s grave with the information he provides him with.

DeathThe concept of death is the villain in our short film, because it has taken Eve away from her father which results in her father being hurt and lost, and Eve holding back in her conversation with Richard. This is so she doesn’t give anything away that she shouldn’t, as life and death don’t often mix.

Missing CharacterI don’t feel that any of our three characters fit into the roles of the false hero because nobody emerges as evil when they pretended to be good. David’s character is up and down in terms of emotions when he finds out that Eve has been talking to Richard, but this is a natural reaction to the shocking news he receives. He isn’t ever portrayed as evil. Therefore, our narrative doesn’t fit the characters that Propp suggested are present in every storyline but from feedback from our script we feel that we have still created a successful storyline.