Linear
Liner narratives are the, 'classic' and simple beginning, middle and end stories- this conforms the rule of Todorov's narrative theory. In other words the story follows a chronological order through one story, from beginning to end.
With the expectation of, 'The Dark Knight' a few of Christopher Nolan's films truly have a linear narrative. For example (in simple terms), the equilibrium is Batman controlling crime in the city, the Joker turns up causing trouble which is the disruption stage. New equilibrium is restored when Batman defeats the Joker and returns order to the city.
Non-linear
Non-linear narrative is where the narrative does not follow a regular beginning, middle, end pattern. The storytellers will play with the order of events. For example, some stories start with the ending. (Fight club and Forrest Gump, etc)
Unlike, 'The Dark Knight', 'Batman Begins' tends to follow a non-linear narrative pattern. The action jumps between time periods, from Bruce as a boy, to when he was an young adult, then back to an mature adult, back to a boy, etc. Another example, is one of Nolan's films called, 'Memento' the main trait of which is it;s an usual non-linear narrative structure. The narrative is told in reverse order.
Binary opposites
Claude Levi-Strauss saw that the world as full of binary opposites. For example, fat vs skinny or rich vs poor. This can also be connoted into media texts, in the narrative we often see these binary oppositions played off against each other. The most common binary opposition found in films is, good vs evil.
This is explored by Nolan in in the dark knight. Where the Nolan worked on the principle of the Joker and Batman being binary opposites in the following ways;
- The Joker is an symbolism of chaos and destruction, whereas Batman is order and justice.
- Each dresses and behaves in opposite ways.
Cultural consumption and the ideology of enigma code.
Barthes was interested in concepts such as negotiated reading and the relationship between the institution/production and the demographic. He established that even thought texts give imprinted meanings which we create new meaning for ourselves, that the media has no control over. This is called cultural consumption, the way we view a text is influenced by our cultural, social and political views as well as our viewing of other texts.
The most well known of Barthes theories was the ideology of the, 'enigma code'. In simple terms a mystery to be solved by the audience. Making it a metaphoric hook that keeps the audience interested, and engaged. Therefore they are more likely to watch the film after seeing a trailer or tune in for the next episode. It is classically used in trailers in order to hook an target audience.
Modular Narratives in Contemporary cinema:
Modular narratives articulate a sense of time as divisible and subject to manipulation. Allan Cameron identified four different types of this modular narrative as;
- Anachronic
- Forking paths
- Episodic
- Split Screens
Anachronic modular narratives involve the use of flashbacks and/or flash forwards with no clear dominance between ant of the narrative threads. These narratives also often repeat scenes directly or from someone else's perspective- for example, 'Memento'.
Forking Path:
Forking path narratives juxtapose alternative versions of a story , connoting the different possible outcomes or endings that might result from small changes in a single event or series of events. This narrative, introduces a number of plotlines that usually contradict one another. Examples of this narrative include, 'Groundhog dog' and, 'Run lola run'.
Episodic:
This narrative are structured as an abstract series or narrative anthology. Abstract series is a type of modular narrative what is characterised by the operation of a non-narrative formant system which appears to dictate (or overlay) the organisiation of narrative elements such as sequence of numbers of the alphabet. Anthology narrative consists of a series of shorter tales which are apparently disconnected but share a random similarity, such as all, 'episodes' being survivors of a shipwreck.
Split Screen:
Split screen narratives are different from are different from the other types of modular narratives previously discussed, because their modularity is articulated along spatial rather than temporal lines. These films divide the screen into two or more frames, juxtaposing events within the same visual field, in a sustained fashion. Examples of this narrative include, 'Timecode'.
Narrative Range:
There are two narratives that conform to the different ranges directors/producers can use, they include:
Unrestricted narrative: This narrative has no limits to the information that they is to give. An example of a media text connoting this narrative is the, 'News bulletin'.
Restricted narrative: The is the other narrative where only minimal information is giving regarding the narrative. An media text example of his narrative is the genre, 'Thrillers'
Narrative Depth:
Again similar to narrative range there are two sections for narrative depth.
Subjective character identification: This is where the demographic is given unique access to what a range of characters see and do.
Objective character identification: Is when the target audience is given unique access to a character's point of view such as seeing things from the character's mind, dreams, fantasies of even memories.
Key Terminology:
Narrative- is defined as, 'a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring in time' (Bordwell & Thompson, Film Art, 1980)
Diegesis- The internal world created by the story that the characters themselves experience and encounter.
Story- All events referenced both explicitly in a narrative and inferred (this includes backstories as well as these projected beyond the action).
Plot- The events directly incorporated into the action of the text and the order in which they are shown.
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