NARRATIVE THEORYGeorgia Leaper

WHAT IS NARRATIVE THEORY?

Branigan has said that “narrative is a way of organising… data into a cause and effect chain of events with a beginning, middle and end…”

Kruger, Rayner and Wall have gone as far as to say “narrative is an important source of reassurance in a hostile universe”. This may be true, as many people like to imagine a “happily ever after”, which is why these people enjoy films.

Narrative is the beginning, middle and end of a story.

SOME NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES

Enigma - a puzzle, a narrative technique designed to intrigue the viewer ad encourage them to watch futher.

Retardation – holding back key info from the audience so they are unsure what is happening and likely to watch more to find out.

Ellipsis – a basic narrative technique used in classical continuity editing which sees time compressed in order for the narrative to progress more quickly (e.g. we do not see the character sleeping for 8 hours as they would in real life).

Twist – an unexpected turn of events designed to shock the audience.

VLADIMIR PROPP

This theorist believed all storylines

consisted of 7 main characters:

TODOROV’S THEORY

Todorov believed narratives were structured around a basic formula:

EQUILIBRIUM – DISEQUILIBRIUM – NEW EQUILIBRIUM

Equilibrium = balance

There can be numerous disruptions within the plot and often there is some kind of climax before the final state of calm is achieved.

CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD NARRATIVE

Typical Hollywood narrative structure

Story is driven by the protagonist

Strong sense of closure

All enigmas that are raised are resolved at the end

This is the traditional structure although not all films do this (e.g. The Italian Job).

LEVI STRAUSS

Argued that all narratives could be reduced down

to binary opposites

This is what causes the conflict to create the

change of the equilibrum

BINARY OPPOSITIONS

Homesteaders – Native Americans

Christian – PaganDomestic – Savage

Weak – StrongGarden – Wilderness

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