What is narrative?

Narrative Introduction

Discuss the narrative of the opening of

‘The Business’

Narrative, at its most simplistic, can be

defined as ‘the way in which a story is

told’.

There are differing narrative structures...

Film Narrative

There are certain guidelines for film-

makers and expectations for audiences

regarding the narrative of a film,

predominantly that the story

progresses logically (chronologically)

through events as they happen.

Most Hollywood films follow this linear

narrative format, as it is the easiest to

follow.

Film Narrative

However, some films will break these

rules and play around with narrative

aspects (often culminating in a non-

linear narrative).

Levi-Strauss and Binary Oppositions

Claude Levi-Strauss focused on how meaning is created within a film’s narrative.

He argued that Binary Oppositions create meaning and further the narrative by these oppositions clashing with one another. These oppositions take many different forms and are very genre dependent.

Levi-Strauss and Binary

Oppositions Examples include:

Man vs. Woman

Human vs. Alien

Young vs. Old

Hero vs. Villain

West vs. East

Science vs. Nature

Vladimir Propp: seven

spheres of action:

Propp’s study of Russian folk tales has been applied to film to suggest that while narratives may appear very different, there is a shared character structural features.

Hero: Individual(s) who's quest is to restore the equilibrium.

Villain: Individual(s) who's task is to disrupt the equilibrium.

Donor: Individual(s) who gives the hero(s) something, advice, information or an object.

Helper: Individual(s) who aids the hero(s) with their set task.

Princess (Prince): Individual(s) which need help, protecting and saving.

Dispatcher: Individual(s) who send the hero(s) on their quest.

False Hero: Individual(s) who set out to undermine the hero's quest by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the film.

Tzvetan TodorovAs a rule the conventional narrative has five stages, though this can be

rudimentary broken down to three stages:

1. Beginning (State of equilibrium)

3. Middle (State of Disequilibrium))

5. End (State of

New equilibrium)

Equilibrium = a state of balance, normality

in which the characters find themselves at

the beginning.

2. Disruption

4. Resolution

Tzvetan Todorov conventional

narrative structureStage 1A state of equilibrium is defined.

Stage 2Disruption to the equilibrium by some action or crisis.

Stage3The Character(s) recognition that there has been a disruption, setting goals to resolve problem.

Stage4 The Character(s) attempt to repair the disruption, obstacles need to be overcome to restore order.

Stage5Reinstatement to the equilibrium. Situation is resolved, a conclusion is announced.

Barthes & Narrative CodesBarthes’ interest in narrative derived from the

concept of the use of visual codes.

Enigma codes are images/sequences that

control how much we know in the story,

engaging and holding audience interest. They

present puzzles which demand to be solved.

Action codes are those images/sequences that

work as a form of visual shorthand making

complex ideas immediately apparent and

carrying the story forward.

Other Useful Terms

Restricted/Unrestricted Narration-

how much information do you release to

the audience?

Ellipsis-

the compression of time within a film

Causality-

the ‘because’ of the story

Back to ‘The Business’

Once again, be prepared to discuss the

opening of ‘The Business’ using some of

the theory used.