Narrative Theory - Miss Georgiou

Narrative Theory

A narrative is an account of events that are joined in a certain order. They include a beginning, middle and end which is key for viewers to make sense of things and to create their own interpretations while watching a film. Viewers construct and understand meaning using their own experiences of reality and of previous films they have watched. Throughout a narrative there are a series of codes and conventions that are necessary to include. While watching a film the audience examine the conventions of genre, character, form and time to help develop their interpretation of the film they are watching. 

Time is an aspect that the viewers are able to understand as a convention as narratives are not a true reflection of real time. Therefore time is considered as "the time of the thing told and the time of the telling." (Christian Metz Notes Towards A Phenomenology of Narrative). The main reason the audience are able compare texts with others and understand these conventions is because they started reading narratives from a young age. 

Theory 1:

Vladimir Propp, a russian critic, active in the 1920s, was extremely interested in the narrative of folk tales. Folk tales included the same basic struggles and appeared to have stock characters. From this he created a theory about actions and characters as narrative functions and that whatever film you watch you will always be presented with a certain type of characters and actions.

According to Propp characters have a narrative function and they therefore provide the structure for a film. Characters that perform a function are;

• The Hero - a character that seeks something.
• The Villain - who opposes or actively blocks the hero's quest.
• The Doner - who provides an object with magical properties.
• The Dispatcher - who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message.
• The False Hero - who disrupts' the heros' success by making false claims.
• The Helper - who aids the hero.
• The Princess - acts as the reward for the hero and the aim of the villains' plots.
• Her Father - who acts to reward the hero for his effort. 

This theory applies to Fairy Stories and other similar narratives, not to all narratives.
 

Theory 2:

Tzvetan Todorov simplified the idea of narrative theory whilst also allowing the audience to produce a more complex interpretation of films with his theory of Equilibrium and Disequilibrium. Todorovs' theory is simply:

The ficitional environment begins with a state of equilibrium.
• It then suffers some disruption, the disequilibrium
• A new equilibrium is then produced at the end of the narrative.

However, there are five stages the narrative can progress through:

• A state of equilibrium.
• A disruption of the order by and event.
• The recognition that the disorder has taken place.
• An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
• A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium. 

In Todorovs' theory a narrative is seen as circular structure as apposed to a linear one. The narrative is driven by attempts to restore the equilibrium, however the equilibrium obtained at the end of the narrative is not the same as the initial equilibrium. Todorov argues that a narrative involves a transformation, therefore the characters or situations are altered through the progression of the disruption.

 

Theory 3:

Aristotles' theory is that all films are based on common themes. Headings that are sometimes employed by producers and screenwriters include:

• Inciting Incident
• Dramatic Question
• Character Goal
• Antagonist/Protagonist
• Stakes
• Resolution
• Sympathy/Empathy

In our thriller opening we will use Tzvetan Todorovs' theory of equilibrium and disequilibrium. This is because our film opening will start where everything is how it should be. This is because the children we be in their own bedrooms living their normal, everyday lives. The disequilibrium will happen after the equilibrium suffers disruption. This will begin from the moment the audience are presented with the shot of Billy mixing a pill into a glass of water, and then progressing to his sisters room to give her the glass to drink. This will then lead into the nightmare that the children both share. When they wake up both of them will be affected by what they have just dreamt and therefore they will act completely different to their usual selves. Then at the end of the film, which we are not portraying, a new equilibrium would have been produced.

Our thriller opening will also have aspects of Aristotles' theory, following the inciting incident heading. This is because of our plot involving Billy giving his sister a pill which begins the incident of Billy and Evie both having the same nightmare. This aspect of the plot therefore engages the audience through the opening scene enhancing their experience while watching, and therefore leaving them on the edge of their seat as they want to witness the plot progressing.