LO3 Narrative Theory

Story is the plot (sequence of events).

Narrative is how its structured (techniques used to tell the story).

Plot - Kingsman:

A spy organisation recruits an unrefined, nut promising street kid into the agency's ultra- competitive training program. just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802144/plotsummary

Key theories

KT 1: Tim O'Sullivan et al (1998)

All media texts tell us some kind of story. Through care full mediation, media texts offer a way of telling stories about ourselves - these are ideologies.

Wider meanings/ ideologies in chosen film - The idea that family and friendship is important in addition to themes of avengence and good conquering evil.

KT 2: Pam Cook (1985)

The standard Hollywood narrative structure should have:

• "Linearity of cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution"
• A high degree of narrative closure.
• A fictional world that contains verisimilitude especially governed by spatial and temporal coherence.

Enigma in film - The enigma resolution within my chosen film is that the twisted evil character is overthrown and that he is no longer in control or posses any power.

KT3: Tsvetan Todorov (1977)

• Stage 1: A point of stable equilibrium
• Stage 2: This stability is disrupted by some kind of force, which creates a state of disequilibrium.
• Stage 3: Action directed against the disruption
• Stage 4: Restoration of a state of new equilibrium

In my chosen film it is seen to follow this theory as throughout the film all four stages are represented and as result in the penultimate scenes the antagonist is seen to be defeated and a new state of equilibrium is formed.

KT4:  Claude Levi-Strauss (1958)

Binary opposites - eg: good versus evil

Binary opposites in film - The most prevalent binary opposition is that of class. The two main protagonist diametrically oppose each other with regards to class, one is seen to be upper class and regal where as the other is portrayed to be from and working class family.

KT5: Vladimir Propp (1928)

All narratives feature stock characters and that audiences understood stories because of such features.

• Villain/ antagonist
• Hero/ protagonist
• Helper/ supporter (sidekick)
• Princess (the prize for the hero - not necessarily a person)
• One that is rescued/ saved/ helped

Character types in film - Throughout my chosen film the most prevalent character types are that of both an antagonist and protagonist which are in a battle against each other. Furthermore, both of these character types are seen to also have a helper/ supporter throughout the text.

KT6: Roland Barthes (1997)

Narrative codes:

Enigma codes work to keep up setting problems or puzzles for audience.

Action codes work inform the audience in terms of what is happening in the next shot/ scene .

Action Code example:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJQggH7S7wc (1:37)

The knock on the door informs the audience as too the entrance of a new unknown character.