What does Narrative mean in film?
Narrative – How the plot and story unfolds through a fictional or fictionalized way. It is also made through a structure that is either Linear or Non-Linear.
Linear – Scenes are arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line of a story.
Non-Linear – Scenes aren’t arranged in a linear structure but are shown out of order, such as through flashbacks and etc.
Key Theorists
Todorov – Equilibrium
Todorov’s narrative structure theory states that all narratives contain equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, resolution, and new equilibrium. Equilibrium is the beginning stage in the theory, it is the ‘steady state’ where things are all as they should be.
Levi-Strauss – Binary Oppositions
This theory entails that the majority of narratives in media forms contain opposing main characters, these binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative as it introduces contrast.
Propp – Spheres of Action (Character Types)
Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story, he claimed characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story. He identified seven archetypes: the villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false hero.
Vogler/Campbell – Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey Theory is a theory that aims to prove the existence of repetition of hero travel patters used in many heroic stories. It’s been analysed as an example of the sympathetic plot, a universal narrative structure in which a goal-directed protagonist confronts obstacles, overcomes them, and eventually reaps rewards.
Barthes – Narrative Codes
According to Barthes, all narratives share structural features that each narrative weaves together in different ways. The five narrative codes are; hermeneutic/enigma code, proairetic/action code, semantic code, symbolic code and cultural/referential code.
Equilibrium (Todorov) – The stage of a narrative in which everything is at peace and characters haven’t faced any kind of disruption.
Binary Opposites (Levi-Strauss) – Narratives contain opposing main characters (e.g. good/evil, comedic/serious etc)
Character Types (Propp) – seven main characters exist in a narrative, those being:
Hero’s Journey (Vogler/Campbell) – narratives involve a structure consisting of several stages (such as call to adventure, transformation, return)
Narrative Codes (Barthes) – “all narratives share structural features that each narrative weaves together in different ways” :
Hermeneutic Codes – When a writer deliberately withholds information from the audience to leave a plot point unexplained
Proairetic codes – plot points which are caused by previous events and lead to other actions.
Semantic Codes – Rather than simply working on a denotational level, signs carried connotations beyond their basic definition and gave the reader a little more insight to the characters, setting and plot.
Symbolic Codes – thematic or structural devices.
Cultural Codes – Many stories allude to concepts and ideas that exist outside the text. In order for these signifiers to be decoded fully by the audience, that information needs to be part of our framework of knowledge.
key theorists:
Torodov – Equilibrium
Todorov posited that all narratives contain equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, resolution, and new equilibrium.
Levi-Strauss – Binary oppositions
Levi Strauss, a French anthropologist in the 1900s, proposed a theory of ‘binary opposites’ which entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.
Propp – Spheres of action (Character types)
Propp argued that stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story. He claimed characters could be classified into certain roles that progress a story
Vogler/Campbell – Hero’s journey
In brief, the Hero is living in the so-called “ordinary world” when he receives a call to adventure. Usually, the Hero is unsure of following this call — this phase is known as the “refusal of the call” — but is then helped by a mentor figure, who gives him counsel and convinces him to follow the call.
Barthes – Narrative codes
Those five narrative codes are; hermeneutic code, proairetic code, cultural code, connotative code, and symbolic code. This study applies qualitative research design to analyse the source of data.
Narrative – The structural framework of a movie, aka how the movie goes from the beginning to middle to end following a plot and story which unfold.
Levi Straus Binary Opposition– A theory that states the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters.
Todorov’s equilibrium– a balanced state in which opposing forces are not in confrontation.
Propp spheres of Action– stories are character driven and that plots develop from the decisions and actions of characters and how they function in a story.
Vogler/Campbell hero’s journey-the hero is living in a so called ordinary world when he receives a call to a adventure.
Barthes Narrative Codes– His narrative codes include proairetic, hermeneutic, sermanti, symbolic and cultural codes.
Todorov: that in a narrative, the character will go through five stages being Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition Repair the Damage and Equilibrium Again.
Levi-Strauss: that in a narrative. The two protagonists will be the opposite to each other to thicken the plot.
Propp: that there are 7 types of character in a story being the villain, donor, helper, princess, dispatcher, hero and false hero.
Vogler/Campbell: that the narrative follows a 12 step structure being a call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting a mentor, crossing the threshold, tests, approach to the inmost cave, the ordeal, the reward, the road back, the resurrection, the return and the freedom to live.
Barthes: that there are 5 narrative codes in a story being the enigma code, action code, semantic code, symbolic code and the cultural code.
propps spheres of action show 7 different character types for a film to have being hero, villian, the false hero, the princess, the helper, the donor the wise man, the father
Narrative film is a type of film that tells a story from beginning to end using a particular structure. According to narrative theory, these stories follow a format that begins by introducing characters, disrupting their lives, and showing how they overcome adversity to resolve the plot.
Key Theorists
Todorov – all narratives contain equilibrium, disequilibrium, recognition, resolution, and new equilibrium. “Logical and artistic necessity” mandates these formal similarities. Narrative, Todorov suggests, is a language that humans are conditioned to speak.
Levi-strauss binary oppositions – Levi Strauss, a French anthropologist in the 1900s, proposed a theory of ‘binary opposites’ which entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.
Propp spheres of action – Vladimir Propp (1928) claimed characters could be defined by their “spheres of action” and the role they played in the progression of the story. After studying 100 fairy tales in tremendous detail, he identified seven archetypes: the villain, the donor, the helper, the princess, the dispatcher, the hero, and the false hero.
Vogler/ Campbell Hero’s Journey – the Hero is living in the so-called “ordinary world” when he receives a call to adventure. Usually, the Hero is unsure of following this call — this phase is known as the “refusal of the call” — but is then helped by a mentor figure, who gives him counsel and convinces him to follow the call.
Barthes Narrative Codes – Relying on the textual analysis, it shows that the selected story is tangled by all the five codes i.e. the proairetic, hermeneutic, semantic, symbolic and cultural codes. The story starts with an enigma, is full of suspense where several elements stand for connotative meaning.
Levi-strauss binary oppositions is the idea that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters.