Assignment 8: to Identify and explain Todorovs theory in relation to film.

Todorov suggested there are 5 stages of narrative

The first stage is the equilibrium. The movie I have choose is the hunger games. In the hunger

games it starts off normal as there who is just hunting leading her every day life catching food.

There is no conflict at the beginning everything is pretty much normal.

The second stage would be the disequilibrium

• Some sort of conflict/disruption would begin in relation to the hunger games the conflict begins when the event of the reaping began.

• Catness (the main character) sister got chosen to do enter the hunger games.

In this scene Prim discovers that Catness will be entering the hunger games

The recognition of disequilibrium

Catness decided to go and do it herself which caused conflict, because Catness did not want her little sister to die.

The fight to stay alive in the hunger games, as people were killing other people.

Another one would be when Rue died which caused moral panic (a division in society) in & out of the hunger games.

Rue is in the tree.

Catness is hunting

The attempt to repair the disequilibrium

• Catness tried to fight for her life in order to win the hunger games and the return to her family.

• Catness get Peter medicine for his cuts and bruises in order to make him better for them to win.

• Catness gives peter poisonous berries in order to kill the both of them.

The new equilibrium

• The new equilibrium would be when a resolution is made and all the conflict has ended.

• In relation to the hunger games it would have been when Catness Won with Peter.

• Catness got to go and return home to her family in one piece.

Catness won the hunger games

Levi – StraussThe genre is drama

Film Opposite 1 Opposite 2 • Explanation

Crash • He is an opposite from a good person because he was sexually harassing a women.

• He is good because he doesn’t do anything wrong he just works and does his best to support his family

This is the cop from crash

He is good because he is just a father and owns a shop.

Film Opposite 1 Opposite 2 Explanation

The unborn • The little boy is evil and kills his sisters loved ones.

• The girl is good and wants to get help.

The character is evil as he is looking for revenge.

She is the good person that is tormented and abused

The genre is horror

Film Opposites 1 Opposites 2 explantion

Rush hour

The genre is action

This character is the villain as she causes pain.

Jackie is the hero as he is good guy.

• Jackie is the hero as he saves lives.

• She is the villain as she causes pain and death.

Part B: Barthes Theory

Barthes Theory:

Engima codeAction CodeSemantic code Symbolic codeCultural Code

Enigma code

• Enigma code is the puzzles/ mystery of the movie.

• In the movie there is always ‘5ws’.

Who is responsibleWhy are they thereWhere ?When ?What ? For example saw the movie

The character is tied up in a chair, with a head brace on her she looks terrified.

The audience is intrigued as to why the girl sitting on the chair.

Action code

An action code is codes of behaviour and actions that lead the audience to expect certain consequences (based on other stories/films and their conventions)

For example the movie Juice

A guy has a gun so the consequence would be he's going to shoot someone with it

Semantic Code

The semantic code is the meanings of characters,

objects, locations.We learn from experience about these denotations

& connotations.Iconographic features work in the same way.

Some examples of the semantic code The colour white

Bridal wars.

The colour white = innocence & purity/ vulnerability, peace, & tranquillity.

Twilight breaking dawn.

27 Dresses.

(Romance, drama)

(Romance/drama)(Drama, fantasy, adventure & romance.)

Symbolic codeThe symbolic features consist to signify oppositions and antitheses

For example spider man we have the hero and the villain two complete opposites.

The villain The hero, it is evident there will be a battle between good & evil

Cultural code:Outside of text and knowledge we commonly share to bring understand of the meaning in the text. Often references to things in popular culture and historical events.

We know that men like cars especially the newest and fastest ones.

We also know Hispanics can sometimes have a very bad temper which would lead to the chase.

Propps Theory

Hero

• The hero is on a quest/search.

• Traditionally male (but not always) protagonist role is to restore the disequilibrium usually by defeating the villain for winning love of heroine (princess)

In this case Simba from the lion king is the hero

Villain• The opposite

to the hero (antihesis)

• Cause of disruption

• Often threat to safety of heroine.

Scar from the lion king is the villain in this case

Dispatcher

• Starts hero on its way (usually to restore the disequilibrium)

• Often father of heroine

• He (or she) sends hero off so he can prove his worth (often winning love of heroine) Mufasa is the father of Simba so

in this case he is the dispatcher.

Donor

• Helps hero by giving him ‘magic’ tool/gift to help them on thee journey

• The tool/gift may be advice, a skill or an object such as weapon.

Mufasa gives Simba advice about how to be king.

Helper

• Assists/helps hero in restoring normality/equilibrium.

• Like a sidekick (with for whole or part of journey can meet on way)

In the case the helper is Pumba and Timon.

Heroine

• Usually female but not always

• Often in love or ends up with hero.

• Nala is the heroine because during the movie her life and Samba's are put at risk and she had to save him & herself.

• Also in the end, they reunite together and get married

False hero

• Brother of king Mufasa, uncle to Simba.

• Seems caring to Simba.

• Tempts him but really sets him up to be killed (so he can be king)

Part E

DiegesisThe internal world created by the story that characters themselves experience and encounter.

The characters are all engaged in a conversation between themselves.

Narrative Range

Unrestricted narration:• A narrative which has no limits to the

information that is presented gives as much info as possible, not hiding any pieces of information to audience to audience example a news bulletin.

Restricted narration:• Only offers minimal information

regarding the narrative. Which is usually used in thrillers.

March of the penguins

Scream 4