WJEC, Media Studies, MS4 - Film Industry, Spectre, James Bond, Narrative

1. NARRATIVE

2. Narrative –
Tzvetan Todorov
Equilibrium - A
sense of
normality, the
calm before the
storm. Disruption - The
point where the
story changes: a
death, an event,
a situation.
Recognition of
Disruption
Attempt to
repair
Restoration of a
New Equilibrium
- Where
normality is
restored.

3. Vladimir Propp’s seven spheres of action:
Hero: Individual(s) who's quest is to restore the equilibrium.
Villain: Individual(s) who's task is to disrupt the equilibrium.
Donor: Individual(s) who gives the hero(s) something, advice,
information or an object.
Helper: Individual(s) who aids the hero(s) with their set task.
Princess (Prince): Individual(s) which need help, protecting and
saving.
Dispatcher: Individual(s) who send the hero(s) on their quest.
False Hero: Individual(s) who set out to undermine the hero's quest
by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the film

4. Binary Opposites

5. Barthes Action and Enigma codes
• How effective was the opening scene at
grabbing the audiences attention through the
use of action and enigma codes?

6. The Opening
We start with a gasp-inducing action sequence in Mexico
City for the Day of the Dead.
Sam Mendes (director) contrives a stylishly extended
continuous tracking shot to bring our hero into the
proceedings and setting up clear binary oppositions
between Bond and Marco.
It isn’t long before a shot out scene develops into an
elaborate chase through the festival goers and ends in an
outrageous set-piece involving a helicopter repeatedly
looping the loop while 007 vigorously punches the pilot
and a fellow passenger.

7. • The Sun's reviewer concurred, saying the film
contains "all the classic elements fans expect",
including a "jaw-dropping opening sequence".
• Variety also singled out this "expensively
ludicrous opening sequence, set in Mexico
City on the Day of the Dead," saying it "ranks
among the great 007 intros".

8. • A clue (Enigma) salvaged from the chaos puts
Bond on the trail of Spectre, taking him at first
to Rome – cue Bond Girl Lucia Sciarra.
• She then provides useful information to the
organisation Marco Sciarra worked for.
• Then he is to infiltrate the horribly occult
headquarters of the ‘organisation’ where we
are introduced to two key characters: Franz
Oberhausen and Hinx

10. • From here we go to Austria and encounter Mr
White – who provides the next puzzle piece –
L’Americain and leads him to his daughter.
• Cue Dr Madeleine Swann (Mr White’s daughter)
who wants nothing to do with the lifestyle choice
of Bond and her father, yet gets kidnapped
anyway – character type..?
• Another chase ensues to enable Bond to save
Madeline from Hinx and find out what she
knows.

11. • Meanwhile Q does some digging and finds out
more clues about the ring.

12. L’Americain
• The hotel’s secret room then
leads us to Blofeld’s bunker.
• However, not without
meeting Hinx on the train for
the final time resulting in
Bond finally having his way
with the not so countertypical
Madeline