Narratiev & audience theory

Learning Objective:To understand and apply Audience & narrative theory to the filmsLearning outcome:All of you will be able to Explain audience and narrative theory with some brief examples of how it applies to the films(Grade D/E)Most of you will be able to explain how it does and does not apply and develop an argument (Grade B/C)Some of you will consider the Director's intentions against the two theories (Grade A/B)

Vladimir Propp (1895 – 1970)8 Character Roles The Hero – a character that seeks something Tsotsi The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest

Tsotsi/Butcher The Donor – who provides an object with magical properties The

Mother The Dispatcher – who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message

Tsotsi’s Father The False Hero – who disrupts the hero’s success by making false

claims The Police

The Helper – who aids the hero Boston The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the

villain’s plots Miriam The Father – who acts to reward the hero for his effort The Baby’s Father

• All of you will be able to Explain audience and narrative theory with some brief examples of how it applies to Tsotsi (Grade D/E)

• Most of you will be able to explain how it does and does not apply and develop an argument (Grade B/C)

• Some of you will consider the Director's intentions against the two theories (Grade A/B)

Tzvetan Todorov simplified the idea of narrative theory whilst also allowing a more complex interpretation of film texts with his theory of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium.

• The fictional environment begins with a state of equilibrium (everything is as it should be)

It then suffers some disruption (disequilibrium)• New equilibrium is produced at the end of the

narrative




There are five stages the narrative can progress through:

A state of equilibrium (all is as it should be) A disruption of that order by an event A recognition that the disorder has occurred An attempt to repair the damage of the

disruption A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium

All of you will be able to Explain audience and narrative theory with some brief examples of how it applies to Tsotsi (Grade D/E)

Most of you will be able to explain how it does and does not apply and develop an argument (Grade B/C)

Some of you will consider the Director's intentions against the two theories (Grade A/B)

Here narrative is not seen as a linear structure but a circular one. The narrative is driven by attempts to restore the equilibrium.However, the equilibrium attained at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium.

Todorov argues that narrative involves a transformation. The characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of the disruption.The disruption itself usually takes place outside the normal social framework, outside the ‘normal’ social events.




TASK:1. Apply Todorov’s theory to Tsotsi, does it conform? 2. Why do you think narrative’s follow these common

patterns?3. Can Propp & Todorov’s theory be applied to The City of

God and to what effect?




Injection & Rejection (Hypodermic needle Theory) AUDIENCE EFFECTS

THEORY

The idea is injected into the audience and it is immediately accepted and acted upon. It is often disregarded now as audiences are considered more sophisticated now, this can be because audiences are bombarded with more ideas now – or that audiences were merely underestimated .




Passive Audience:Accept passively the ideas that they are sold to them through the media

text – in this case Tsotsi & City of God. They are the victims of the hypodermic needle theory. They are most

likely to respond to a text by imitating the idea of judging themselves in comparison.

The passive audience does not have to murder because they saw it on tv – they may behave in a certain way because of what they have seen (not letting children play outside – not going out at night in fear of being attacked)

The passive audience accepts the stereotype and apply it without consideration.

TASK: Using the theory of the Passive Audience – what notions would a passive audience take from Tsotsi and City of God.

How would they behave of they were to visit the areas?




Active Audience:• They measure and mediate what they receive from a

text – they question the message!• They know that a representation isn’t necessarily a

reality but a creation to either support the narrative or attract an audience

• Feelings are still provoked but acceptance is challenged.

TASK:What messages would an active audience question in

the films Tsotsi and City of God?




Audience Positioning• The irony of Tsotsi is that the audience follow a thug who

steals a baby form its mother and attacks his friends yet the audience like him and feel sympathy for him which goes against the audience’s ideology .

• TASK:• How has Hood positioned the audience in this way – what

narrative devices have been used?• What is the audience positioning in City of God?• What narrative devices does Meirelles use to create this

positioning?




How is the culture represented in the film Tsotsi?

You should consider:• Challenges that world cinema poses for the

audience and how this is overcome• Director’s intentions & Narrative theory• Audience Positioning• Use of micro elements and how they affect

the macro elements• All of you will be able to Explain audience and narrative theory with

some brief examples of how it applies to Tsotsi (Grade D/E)• Most of you will be able to explain how it does and does not apply and

develop an argument (Grade B/C)• Some of you will consider the Director's intentions against the two

theories (Grade A/B)

Passive audience in Tsotsi (understand the characters)

Why is Tsotsi involved in crime, the purpose of the flashback, why does he give himself up?

Active audience in Tsotsi (Accept what’s happening)

Poor living conditions, crime, volience, death, rich and poor divide, Aids

Passive audience in COGWhy does Little Ze enjoy killing

others, how are the characters influenced in crime?

Active audience Police, crime, poverty, power, death,

conflict

Narratiev & audience theory

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