AS Media Studies

1. FILM NARRATIVES
BY LEWIS PIKE

2. FILM NARRATIVES
WHAT IS THE TASK AND
ABOUT THE FILM?
In this task I will be analysing Toderov’s, Propp’s, Levi- Strauss and Barthes
Theory and will be linking it to ‘Before I go to sleep’. At the end, I will identify
which theory I think is the most relevant and what ideas I have got from this task
for my own thriller film.
Before I go to Sleep (2014, Directed by Rowan Joffe) is about a attack that
happened to Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman) who suffered from anterograde
amnesia and forgets her memory the following day. With the help of Dr Nasch a
psychiatrist, Christine is reminded about a hidden camera in her house everyday,
which she is told to record anything she remembers which slowly helps to jog her
memory. The meetings with Dr Nasch have been kept secret from her husband
Ben (Colin Firth). But as she slowly starts piecing together parts of her life, like
having a son and her friend claire. She soon discovers that her husband Ben. Is
not who he says he is and is a man she once had a affair with when married to
her real husband Ben. As Christine puts all the pieces of her memory back,
Christine discovers it was Ben his real name Mike who has been pretending to be
her husband was the man that attacked her in a hotel room and that was how her
naked body was found in a works yard nearly dead.

3. FILM NARRATIVEWHAT IS NARRATIVE?
Definition: Narrative is the art of storytelling and this is something
that happens every day in are lives. This is something we value
greatly and the audience spend a lot of time in front of the
television and cinemas. Narrative is a big part of television, as it
tells a story, if there is no narrative, there would be no action and
would be very boring.

4. FILM NARRATIVESTODEROV’S THEORY
Tzvetan Todorov narrative theory suggested that narratives follow a structure.
1) Equilibrium: Where everything is all normal and calm.
2) Disruption: The equilibrium is disturbed by a event
3) Recognition of Disruption: Recognises that something has happened
4) Attempts to repair disruption: Tries to restore the disruption, to go back to normal.
5) Return to equilibrium: Everything has gone back to normal, or something has changed in their life.
In the film Before i go to sleep Tzevetans”s theory can be seen through the film. At the beginning
everything does appear to be normal. Christine waking up. Ben, Christines fake husband in bed a sleep. A
normal home environment. Then we see the disruption of christine running in to ask who he is. We then
learn that something has happened to Christine and her body was found in a works yard, naked and
covered in blood. Through out majority of the film, we see attempts of Christine and Dr Nasch trying to
discover what happened to her and why Christine is suffering amnesia. At the end of the film Christine
with the help of her friend Claire and Dr Nasch. The truth is then discovered and we see her with her son
and her ex-husband and Christine remembering her old life again.

5. FILM NARRATIVESPROPP’S THEORY
Vladimir Propp’s theory discovered that all characters fall into seven character types. He concluded after analysing Russian folk tails, that all stories had
repeated events.
1) The Villain: aims to stop the hero from seeking their goal
2) The Donor: Is the person that gets the hero prepared or gives some object that will help.
3) The Helper: The hero is helped by a helper that will support the hero’s mission
4) The Princess: She could be the object of the hero or she could be the reward.
5) The Dispatcher: Sends the hero on their mission/ quest.
6) The Hero: tends to be the main character in the film, they try to stop something bad from happening and are on a quest/ mission
7) The False Hero: is the person trying to take the credit of the hero’s actions, when it wasn’t actually them.
In the film, Before I go to sleep, we can identify the seven characters but some of the characters are playing two character types. This is to deceive the
audience and adds to the suspense of a thriller film.
1) The villain is Ben who is pretending to be Christine's husband.
2) The donor is Dr Nasch as he gave Christine a camera to help her remember her life again. He told her to record herself each day and phoned her
everyday to tell her where the camera was as she was suffering amnesia.
3) The helper is Claire, Christine’s friend. She helps Christine jigsaws together parts of her life and is the one that discovers that Ben/ Mike isn’t her real
husband.
4) The princess is actually a male character which is her son. It is her son that makes her doubt her life. As Christine was being told by Ben, her fake
husband, that her son had died and when Christine is in hospital at the end ,that was definitely her reward which also brought her memory back.
5) Dr Nasch, he is the psychiatrist who puts the doubts into her head, to try to remember and to discover who attacked her.
6) Hero, Christine, she is on a mission to discover the truth about her life.
7) False Hero is Ben. The audience is led to believe that he is the one who has been looking after her, and is the faithful husband even though each day,
she doesn’t remember who he is.
As we can see there is the seven character types, but the main character is played by a female lead, the characters are also playing multiple roles in the
film.

6. FILM NARRATIVESLEVI- STRAUSS THEORY
Strauss said “that binary opposites are used frequently in films”. Which is true, we very often do see good
and evil, sane and insane, human and supernatural etc.
In the film Before I Go To Sleep we see many binary opposites, Man vs woman, strong vs weak, Christine
being the weak character. They are not all obvious and at the beginning, there are many twists in the film
that the binary opposites do switch. i.e at the beginning we see Christine (Nicole Kidman) suffering
amnesia and appears to be very insane and unstable . Where we see a man, Mike (Colin Firth) who
Christine had a affair with, who is now lying to her about being her husband, Ben . It appeared at the
beginning he was the sane one and very stable, a normal man and a school teacher at the local school. But
as her memory returns with the help of Dr Nasch (Mark Strong) and the help of her recordings of herself
each day on camera. Her life becomes clear and what really happened to her on that fatal day. It’s not until
towards the end of the film we see that Mike actually is the insane, unstable and evil one and when
Christine’s ex-husband Ben and her son come to her hospital bed. She remembers things from her past
and her family realise that she has been a victim. we then see Christine as the stable and sane person.
Through out the film we are thrown off course and we are led to believe that Dr Nasch is the evil man, who
had once attacked her in the hotel room and her fake husband Mike being the good guy. Because of Dr
Nasch being a psychiatrist and Christine being his patient we do see opposite binary of empowered vs
victim. We can also see this with Christine and Mike, the way he has completely taken control of her life.

7. FILM NARRATIVESCONCLUSION
Propp’s, Toderov’s and Levi- Strauss theories can all been seen and have all been applied
to the film, Before I go to Sleep. But the theory that I feel that has been applied the best is
Toderov’s as we can clearly see all of the events that have taken place in order which
Toderov said.
Propp’s theory wasn’t as clear as there was no princess but the truth was discovered that
her son was still alive. All though Christine is on a quest to remember her life. Christine is
definitely the main character which Propp said that the main character is usually the hero.
Im not sure that Christine can be classed as a hero, she is more of a victim.
Levi- Strauss theories were very evident through the film but isn't always so evident which
character is the binary opposite. As in the film for strong v weak. Christine is definitely the
weak character at the beginning and Ben/Mike was definitely the stronger character. But
we could also say Dr Nasch was the strong character, as he was the person trying to
uncover the truth and help Christine. Also with Levi-Strauss theory the opposite binary
sometimes reversed. In the beginning she was seen as insane but by the end of the film, it
was clear he was the insane one. so i don't feel it is as easy to say which character is one
particular binary opposite.

8. FILM NARRATIVES
WHAT IDEAS HAVE I GOT FROM
THIS TASK FOR MY FILM?
From doing this task, I have got ideas from Propp’s theory of which I could use for when making my thriller film. I don’t
think using Toderov’s theory in a thriller film would be best because the film is going to start of very tense of the victim
running through the woods, so the film would skip the equilibrium stage of Toderov’s theory. Using Props theory I have
established ideas of what the characters could be in my thriller crime murder case film.
The Hero: The DCI that discovers the killer, and gets justice for the victim.
The Donor: The Forensic and Police Officers that gives evidence to support the DCI on his case.
The Helper: Someone that knows the victim, that gives the DCI, an object that could solve the murder case.
The Princess: We won;t see the princess as the princess is sometimes the reward. As I'm making a opening sequence to
a thriller film the reward is usually at the end scenes of a film. With a opening scene of a murder, the reward would have
to be justice for the murdered victim.
The Dispatcher: The boss of the DCI gives him a new case of a murder case, and sends him to inspect the scene.
The Villain: The Killer
False Hero: The DI that is taking credit of the DCI actions of the murder case.