assignment 7
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ASSIGNMENT 7Narrative and film theory
Name: Rahel Fasil
Due Date: 18th October 2011
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Narrative• In a media piece, the narrative is the organisation of
events that are shown to the audience.• There are many different types of narrative. They are;
closed/open narrative, non linear, flashback, foreshadowing, binary oppositions,
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Tvzetan Todorov• A philosopher who writes essays and books on this
theories through studying many folk tales. He’s published 21 books focusing on historical matters.
• Todorov’s theory implies that every narrative must have a structure split into three. Starting with an equilibrium, then a disruption to the equilibrium and finally the equilibrium returns.
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Todorov’s narrative approach• His theory is that films start with an equilibrium with
everything balanced.• Then during the middle there is a disturbance to the
equilibrium which is the disequilibrium.• Finally at the end the equilibrium is restored which is the
new equilibrium.
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Example of a film using Todorov’s narrative
The Shining
Point: start of film has balanced equilibriumExplanation: the character is happy and there is nothing busy going onEffect: calm and steady atmosphere
Point: middle of film has disrupted equilibriumExplanation: faster pace and audience is more drawnEffect: eventful and unsettling atmosphere
Point: at the end equilibrium is restoredExplanation: the film has gone back to happy charactersEffect: calm and stable atmosphere
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Claude Levi-Strauss• French ethnologist and anthropologist.• He dealt with people’s race, origins and their unique
characteristics.• He’s published many books on anthropology and the
community.• He also researched myths of tribal cultures.
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Levi-Strauss’ narrative theory• The narrative is centred on the forces of opposites and
the purpose of conflict.• Consequently, after researching many myths worldwide,
Levi-Strauss concluded that we understand the world, events and people by using and observing binary opposites.
• Binary opposition helps us to contemplate how ideas are formed.
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Example of a film using Levi-Strauss’ narrative
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
• Point: Levi-Strauss’ narrative is being used in this film• Explanation: the girl is alive and dies within seconds• Effect: shows audience that life can be snatched from you at any time which engages
the audience because the death is realistic.
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Vladimir Propp• A Russian Soviet formalist professor• He examined the plot of Russian folktales to recognise
aspects of narrative.• He published a Russian book in 1928 called Morphology
of the Folktale signifying key elements such as morphology.
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Propp’s narrative theory• After all his research he discovered that in stories there
are 8 types of characters always present; the villain, the donor, the princess, the helper, the dishonest hero, the dispatcher, the hero and the father.
• This is very ambiguous as he didn’t confirm that the 8 characters types were different people; i.e. the father could be the dishonest hero as well.
• He claimed there were 8 character types and 31 they ever do.
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Examples of a film using Propp’s narrative
• Point: close up is used of the woman’s face
• Explanation: her mouth and eyes are wide open to emphasise revenge
• Effect: close up enables you to see the facial expressions which allows the audience to immediately distinguish the character’s role in the film
• Point: close up shot is used of the news paper article
• Explanation: makes the woman seem dangerous
• Effect: the audience already has a perception of the character, which is that she could commit crime.
• Point: the woman is holding a knife
• Explanation: this is an example of Propp’s narrative as she seems like the villain of the film
• Effect: the audience already has the perception that she is dangerous and out of control. The atmosphere also becomes intense.