Narrative theory

1. Narrative theory

2. Comparison of Narrative plot and story
NARRATIVE PLOT:
Narrative plot is simply the way that the film
producer chooses to reveal the film to the
audience, in regards to the order of each event.
For example in Road To Perdition, You could see
how the film producer chose to start the film at
the end scene where the boy in standing at the
beach then went back to the start.
NARRATIVE STORY:
Narrative story is basically the chronological
order of all the events that are shown by the
text. For example

3. Narrative
theorists.
Narrative theorists are people that
have spent some time in regards to the
research of narrative theory.

4. Tzvetan Todorov
TODOROV’S THEORY: PICTURE EXAMPLE:
Todorov spent many years studying literary
structure and influenced the idea that most
films begin with an Equilibrium, meaning the
start of the film is a normal atmosphere for
the film to follow. It will then move onto
Disruption, which is when a key factor in the
film is going to cause a detrimental change in
the films “normal” state. The characters then
realise what has happened as the change has
occurred, and try to resolve the problem (this
is the Resolution). Once they have restored
order the film is then in its state of New
Equilibrium.

5. Vladimir Propp
PROPP’S THEORY:
Vladimir prop spent many years studying the
different folk tales and fairy tales that he could
find, and from his interpretation of the folk
and fairy tales he believed that in most films
the characters in that film would be defined to
a specific role, so that the characters would fall
into some sort of “character type”. For
example, every film would have some sort of
hero, who would specifically lead the narrative
along by completing a quest of some sort (it is
good to note that the hero doesn’t always
have to be male, in many situations the hero
could also be a female).
PICTURE EXAMPLE:

6. Claude Levi-Strauss
LEVI’S THEORY:
Claude Levi-Strauss Came up with the theory
that in most films, there are two opposites
that will cause conflict in the film, ultimately
this is what will drive the story along (for
example good vs evil or understanding vs
ignorant). He called this theory Binary
opposites.
PICTURE EXAMPLE:

7. Roland Barthes
BARTHES'S THEORY:
Roland Barthes had come up with a theory called
“The 5 Codes”, which is used to look in much more
detail at what is going on in the scene. The first code
is the Enigma Code, which is basically a code that
highlights the sort of questions you would think of at
the start of a scene. The next code is the Action Code,
which is where the actual scene moves on (and
possibly where some of questions from the Enigma
Code have been answered). The next code is the
Semantic/Semiotic Code, which links to semiotics in
the way that this code is when you look at the
meaning of certain objects or props within the scene.
The Referential Code is the code that highlights the
knowledge from outside the scene that some may be
able to bring into certain things within the scene. The
last of the codes is the Symbolic Code, which is used
to see how certain effects in the film can create
meaning (much like the Semiotic Code).
PICTURE EXAMPLE: