2. Propp’s theory is based on the fact that most
films have 7 different main character roles,
which are:
• The hero – the person that saves people
• The villain – an evil person
• The donor – someone that gives something
• The dispatcher – someone that sends
something
• The false hero – someone who is not who they
seem
• The helper – someone who helps
• The princess – a female needing to be saved
To come up with this theory, he studied fairy
3. The film that I am testing out Propp’s theory with is Beauty and the
Beast
• The hero – The Beast
• The villain - Gaston
• The donor – The wardrobe
• The dispatcher - Gaston
• The false hero - Gaston
• The helper – Mrs Potts
• The princess - Belle
4. Tvetan Todorov’s theory was the idea that every
movie has the same basic structure:
1. Equilibrium – everything is as it should be
2. Disruption – something goes wrong, the
equilibrium is disrupted
3. Recognition – the problem is acknowledged
4. Resolution – there is an attempt to resolve the
problem
5. New equilibrium – there is a new ‘normal’ or the
previous equilibrium is fixed
5. Example used – Sleeping Beauty (1959)
1. Equilibrium – princess Aurora is born, everyone
is happy for the king and queen
2. Disruption – maleficent casts a spell on the
princess and makes her prick her finger, causing
her to fall into a deep slumber. She can only be
woken by a kiss by her true love
3. Recognition – prince Phillip goes to find Aurora
4. Resolution – the prince kisses her and she wakes
up
5. New equilibrium – she lives happily ever after
with the prince
