RESEARCH: NARRATIVE THEORY- MISS BEGUM

 

What is a narrative and why is it important?

Narrative is the structure of the moving image which can create a sense of realism and naturalism to the film. Simultaneously, narrative is the plot/storyline that is used in the film so the viewer knows what is happening and can follow the narrative easily. An effective and imaginative narrative can keep the viewer in suspense and thrill throughout the viewing. Therefore, narrative is important because it helps the audience to follow the plot without any confusion as well as it gives meaning to the film because it has to conceal certain conventions and undergo rules to make a functional story.

Creating meanings in texts:

There are four elements that are essential to help create meaning for the audience and help them understand the narrative clearly. These include:

·         Characters- this helps the audience to create a connection with the characters as well as storyline because for certain characters the viewer can feel different emotions which will influence the spectator throughout the viewing. For example in a thriller genre a protagonist will withdraw the most sympathy from the audience because of the good character traits they have.

·         Connotations and Denotations- these help the audience to infer and predict what could take place or the viewer can guess the meaning behind certain objects basing on the connotations that specific denotations have. For example a gun would be the denotation, and it would connote harm and death.

·         Genre- helps the audience to establish and infer the possible themes and narratives could be included in the film because of the associations that audience have for particular genre. For example from a thriller the viewer would expect a theme of death to be frequent.

·         Structure- allows the moving image to have a fluent and clear composition which can be easily read by the viewer. In thrillers the structure usually has a start, middle, and end.

 

KEY THEORISTS:

PROPP THEORY: The Characters

Propp created his theory about characters in 1920’s. This is when he was a cinema critic who specifically focused on folks tales. Propp’s theory was that in many films the characters were repetitive and had similar roles therefore he came up with a description of each one, which are:

• The Hero: a character that seeks for better things and saves the day- in thrillers the hero would be the protagonist who often tries to save their loved ones or the vulnerable characters. An example would be Nicolas Cage character in the film Knowing because he goes off to save humanity from disaster.

• The Villain: the one who tries to opposes and constantly blocks hero’s quest- in thrillers this is the antagonist who always tries to cause harm and get rid of the protagonist. An example would be the Joker in the Dark Knight because he wants to get rid of the protagonist.

• The Donor: the character who provides an object with magical properties- in thrillers these are all the characters that give away weapons such as guns or knifes.

• The Dispatcher: the person who assigns or sends the hero on a quest.- in thrillers this is often the more experienced character. An example of this would be Morgan Freeman in the thriller The Wanted as he sends his assassins off to missions. 

• The False Hero: the character who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims.- in thrillers this would be the character who seems fake and turns out to be bad at the end of the movie. An example of a false hero would be Shawnee Smith in Saw 2. This is because she seems to be an innocent and lucky Jigsaw survivor but then she traps a policeman who gets harmed.

• The Helper: the one who helps the hero and aids him when necessary.- in thrillers this character is often the sidekick who tries to help the protagonist. An example of a helper would be Mark Ruffalo's role in the thriller Shutter Island who stands by the protagonist's side no matter what.

• The Princess: a reward for the hero.- in a thriller this would be the female love interest who often ends up with the protagonist. An example of this character would be Angelina Jolie character in the film The Tourist who gets saved by the protagonist and later falls in love with him.

• The Princesses’ Father: he rewards the hero with his daughter which is the princess.- in thrillers this can be anyone who is close to the female love interest. An example of this character would be Paul Bettany who is the females' boss and he realises that the protagonist loves his employee and lets them be together without causing them trouble.

 

PROPP’S THEORY TODAY: Although Propp’s theory was created long ago we can still apply his rule to today’s cinema. For example in thrillers there is usually a Hero who tends to be the protagonist. There would still be a Villain evident in a role of an antagonist. Sometimes the Hero could use a hand from the Helper. In this thriller opening from the Dark Knight the Popp’s theory can be applied. This is because two kind of characters can be identified. Firstly the clowns that rob the bank are the Villains who will cause harm and will have no mercy towards other characters which is conventional because usually there are antagonists. The Hero would be the character who tries to shoot the Villains in order to restore peace to the institution and provide safety which is also conventional because a protagonist must tackle many obstacles in order to save the day.

 

 

TODOROV’S THEORY: The Narrative

Todorov came up with his theory in 1969 and stated that every narrative involves a structure. He proposes that most films have similar if not the same pattern/ structure that is followed. Todorov has come up with the following three stages that are evident in the moving image. These include:

·         The Equilibrium- which is the stage of stability at the beginning where the audience familiarize with the characters and the setting. The spectators are fully aware of the atmosphere and the different possibilities.

·         The Disequilibrium- which is the stage of the most disruption and harm. The characters are exposed to most action and have to face the difficulties that await them. This is usually where the most tension occurs for the viewer.

·         The New Equilibrium- which is the stage of peace after the disruption is resolved and the day is saved. The narrative closes and everything is concluded. This is when the audience feels the most relieve and happiness because usually everything ends happily.

 

TODOROV’S THEORY TODAY: Todorov’s theory can still be applied to recent films even though the rule was created long ago. For example in thrillers the theory is very often evident so the narrative has clear structure and can be easily understood and followed by the viewer. In this thriller opening form the film Hanna the Todorov’s rule can still be applied. The state of equilibrium is the beginning where the spectator is disposed to the nature and animals that seem to live in the isolated wood. The atmosphere seems calm and relaxing. The disequilibrium begins when the female character shoots the deer which disturbs the calm nature and creates suspense for the viewer because something brutal is happening. The new equilibrium stage is when the deer lies on the floor and gets shot which makes the viewer sad but at the same time we know that the animal didn’t suffer for long and that it is the brutal order in nature.

 

ARISTOTLE THEORY: The Narrative and Themes

 

Aristotle has come up with his theory by developing Todorov’s rule in further detail. He proposed that the moving image should have a start, middle and an end as well as the events should relate to one another in some way so the viewer can follow the storyline. Aristotle also believed that it is necessary to draw emotions from the audience by the use of themes. For example in thriller the theme of death would draw an emotion of misery or sympathy from the viewer towards the dying character.

In addition Aristotle developed his own narrative structure which is:

 

·         The Exposition- the audience are allowed to familiarize with the main character.

·         The Rising Action- the protagonist starts to understand their goals and begins to work on it

·         The Climax- the optimum of the film. The moment when greatest tension/ action is evident. Audience experiences the most emotions.

·         The Falling Action- the point where the action is less apparent but time of decision making occurs; the protagonist decides the outcome of the film.

·         The Denouement- the resolution and state of stability.

 

ARISTOTLE THEORY TODAY: Aristotle’s theory is not recent but can still be applied in today’s cinema. The idea of drawing emotions from the viewer allows the narrative to be much more naturalistic and believable. The theory is evident in the thriller called Law Abiding Citizen. The first 2:46 prove Aristotle’s theory. Firstly we see the theme of childhood from the little girl. This makes the audience sympathies towards the vulnerable nature. Another theme is family which draws an emotion of love and relaxation. Further on the theme of violence is evident when the intruders break into the house which makes the audience feel disgusted and insecure; viewers want the family to survive. Lastly the theme of innocence is evident as the little girl is in shock looking at the brutal actions that the burglar take.

 

BARTHES THEORY: The Semiology within Narrative

Barthes has invented his theory after looking at narrative and how it can be identified and portrayed by different stimulus. From looking at narrative, Barthes has examined how the plot is changed by the following things:

·         Symbolic- Connotations- the things that represent something else or have a deeper meaning.

·         Semic- Denotations- the exact value of something

·         Cultural Understanding- the events that are recognized within different places or cultures/ religions.

BARTHES THEORY TODAY: Barthes theory can be still applied to today’s cinema. This is because most films try to send across different connotations and denotations in order to create a deeper meaning to the scene. Many narratives still have cultural aspects to it in order to help establish the setting and time the movie is set in. In this thriller opening Face Off the audience can withdraw some connotations and denotations. One of the detonation evident is the gun which is symbolic of causing death and harm. Another denotation is the balloons which fly away after the shooting. The connotation of this would be the victim’s soul which flies away to heaven in peace and freedom. The carousel has cultural references because carousels are a very usual attraction in America. They are called merry-go-round which helps to establish the scene but is not as relevant to the narrative. However, the ride has connotations of child’s vulnerability and joy which reinforces the theme of innocence.

Analysis of Theorists from chosen Thriller Opening:

 

The opening sequence from the thriller Halloween proposes Propp’s theory of characters. This is evident by the roles that the actors take. In the scene a Villain is apparent and takes a role of a killer and murders the young and innocent women. Moreover Todorov’s theory can be applied to this opening. This is evident by the clear start, middle and end. The equilibrium is the stage when the audience are exposed to a quiet house and a loving couple who show affection towards each other. The disequilibrium is the state when the intruder enters the house and picks up a knife which shows their evil intensions. The new equilibrium happens when the killer is reveled and the audience are shocked to know who it was. In addition, Aristotle theory is apparent throughout. The structure has exposition where the audience familiarizes with the characters. There is rising action when the intruder violates the couple’s privacy. The climax happens when the brutal murder takes place. The falling action is noticeable as the antagonist leave the property and the denouement takes place when the audience are exposed to the killer’s identity. The theme that stands out the most is death which is conventional of a thriller and draws emotion of sympathy and pity from the viewer. Lastly Barthe’s rule can be applied to this opening. There is a cultural reference to Halloween which is an American tradition that helps to establish the setting for the viewer. The denotation of a knife is symbolic of death and harm, therefore foreshadows possible actions. Another denotation is a clown mask which connotes to hiding the characters identity and proposing that someone has evil intensions hence they don’t want to be recognized.

 Which Theory can be best applied in Thrillers?

In my opinion all theorists can be applied to thrillers. Propp's theory of characters can be used, as the characters he created can still be found in thrillers, however they have do be adjusted in order to work and to follow thriller conventions. Todorov's theory of narrative also works with this genre as thrillers tend to have an equilibrium, disequilibrium and a new equilibrium yet often this conventional narrative is sometimes subverted in order to make an original and interesting movie. Moreover Aristotle theory of themes within narrative applies in thriller genre. This is because thrillers have many themes that can draw audience response and emotions. An example of that would be the theme of death which will cause pity, melancholy or relief. Lastly Barthes theory of semiology can work well in this genre. This is because many denotations in thrillers tend to have certain connotations which creates meaning for the audience. An example would be a knife which connotes harm and death because it is sharp and can kill someone. In addition some thrillers do have cultural references. Angels and Demons have aspects that portray Christianity which is a cultural reference because only some people identify of Christian religion. I think this theory can truly enhance the film as it can cause controversy to display different cultures ands base the narrative around it but at the same time it's interesting to explore that.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, learning about the different theorist was beneficial as it allowed me to develop my understanding on narrative and characters and how these originated. From looking at the different theories I have a wider knowledge how to make a conventional thriller opening. Although most theories are less recent they can still be applied to today’s moving image. I will benefit from this knowledge because I am planning to use Propp’s theory by having a Hero and a Villain which is conventional of the genre. I will also use Aristotle theory because of the intended theme of threat and violence I plan to use in order to evoke audience’s emotion and engage them into the sequence more. In addition I am considering on using Brathe’s theory because I think that the use of different denotations should have various connotations for the viewer who can read into the opening in further detail and find it intriguing and thought provoking.