Research: Narrative Theory Ms Hawkins

Narrative Theory

Narrative is an account orf connected events. The audience needs a narrative to a film to make sense of the plot. In all films we see a beginning, middle and an end. We understand and construct meaning using our experience of reality and of previous texts.

Propp

Vladimir Propp was a Russian critic. Propp was essentially interested in the narrative of folk tales. He noticed folk tales were similar in many areas. They were about the same basic struggles and they appeared to have stock characters. He identified a pattern about all the folk tale characters and actions as narrative functions.

This is the basis Propp and most films of today follow:

The Hero – a character that seeks something

The Villain – who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest

The Donor – 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 hero’s success by making false claims

The Helper – who aids the hero

The Princess – acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the villain’s plots

Her Father – who acts to reward the hero for his efforts

A thriller film that follows this guideline is Disturbia.

There are five steps this theory follows

·         Complication

This is where there is a state of disorder. The villain harms a member of the family. One of the members of the family desires something. The hero is sent to get what is desired. The hero plans action against the villain

 

 

·         Transference

The hero leaves home. The hero is tested or attacked/ he meets the test and is given a magical gift or helper. The hero reacts to the donor. The hero arrives at the place he can fulfil his quest

 

·         Struggle

There is a huge fight scene between the hero and the villain. The hero is hurt but he is still able to fight. The villain is either overcome or killed. The state of disorder is settled

 

·         Return

The hero returns only to be chased out of town. The hero escapes or is rescued. The hero arrives home and is not recognised. A false hero claims rewards. A task is set for the hero whom he completes with some difficulty

 

·         Recognition

In the end the hero is finally recognised. The false hero or villain is unmasked. The false hero is punished and the hero attains the reward which is either the princess of the kingdom but usually it is the princess.

Problems found with Propp’s theory

•      Propp’s theory of narrative seems to be based in a male orientated environment (due to his theory actually reflecting early folk tales) and as such critics often dismiss the theory with regard to film. However, it may still be applied because the function (rather than the gender) of characters is the basis of the theory. E.g. the hero could be a woman; the reward could be a man. Therefore ending stereotypical narratives

•       Many critics suggest that Propp’s strict order of characters and events is restrictive. We should rather apply the functions and events randomly as we meet new narratives. E.g. the hero may kill the villain earlier than Propp expects. Changing the traditional format will change the whole way the text is received and therefore not making the narrative of the story predictible.

•      Some critics claim there are many more character types than Propp suggests. E.g. the stooge in a sci-fi film, who is usually nameless and usually killed early on to suggest the power of the alien force, is a typical modern character type.

 

Todorov

Tzvetan Todorov simplified the idea of narrative theory whilst also allowing a more complex interpretation of film texts with his theory of a balanced and unbalanced narrative

His theory is a lot simpler.

In the beginning there is a state of harmony and balance but all of a sudden there is a disruption of that order by an event that happens making it unbalanced. People begin to realise that the disorder has occurred. Then the try and fix the problem which either results in it being fixed and the balance is restored or a new balance is created.

Thriller Films that follow Todorovs theory are the James bond films. this clip is of Quantum of Solace the car chase scene

 

My Narrative

My narrative is a story of 5 people. Everything was normal in balance until someone new came along. He was mentally ill and those 5 people bullied him. Physically and mentally scarred him. He couldn’t take any more. He swore to get revenge on those 5 people and started to plot his own back. Little did those 5 people know he was plotting to kill them. 1 by 1 they were dying until there was 1 left. On the run from the mentally ill person the 1 person has no one to run to and nowhere to hide. This narrative I feel follows Todorovs theory as everything starts off normal and in balanced but then the balance is disrupted due of the bullying. They realise they are in trouble when he started to kill. And after he has killed all of them, a new sense of balance is restored in the mentally ill man's mind