Media Theory: Narrative

Media Theory - Narrative

There are many different aspects of narrative but its main definition is considered to be the way that the story within a film or media product is organised. 

Elements of Narrative:

There are a few different elements of narrative in which we must consider whilst comparing this to an sort of media products and these are:

• Time - The time within narrative dictates how much time the text covers. E.g from 2007 to 2012 in a movie with a 5 year flash back gap. An example of a film with a massive time lapse within the text is the film Space Odyssey, this film starts in prehistoric ages and then skips approximately 50, 000 years ahead. 
• Closure - closure is reliable for every aspect of the film having a definite finish. An example of a film with bad closure in the sense that it does not have a definite ending is that of the blockbuster movie Clover field. The film ends when the camera that was the main prop in the film cuts out as we assume the main character is dead. This leaves us with a lot of questions about what is happening within the film. 
• Enigma - An enigma is essentially a problem within a film that the characters and roles within the film would have to solve in order for a substantial amount of closure to be put into play. Without enigmas within film there would most of the time be no story leaving a very tedious and pointless text behind. 

Classical Hollywood Narratives: 

In contrast to that of narratives elements within media texts their are also categories of elements that fall under what we call Classical Hollywood Narratives, these are: 

• Linear - This dictates whether the story that the narrative follows is in chronological order or not, in order of when the events took place and of the dates that they took place in. An example of a film with no linear factor is that of the film PulpFiction. this film jumps about between time periods and gets very complex structure wise nearing the end of the film. Flashback
• Sub plots - This is when a character that is not majorly relevant to the films main plot line but they have their own storyline and /or plot line to follow anyway whilst the main story is still ongoing. 
• Tendency towards closure - This explains when most hollywood films follow the idea of closure, everything has an ending and most endings finish with little to no questions remaining about the questionability of the main plot line. 

Tzvetan Todarov:

This Bulgarian media analyser explains his views on how all narratives play out in popular hollywood films as well as zany of sort of text that this relates to. He expresses his ideas of Equilibrium, Disruption, Resolution and a New Equilibrium.

• Equilibrium - An equilibrium is the beginning section of the film thats main priority is showing the normality of the film, the fact that nothing special is happening and nothing bad is going on is what this equilibrium dictates through media texts. 
• Disruption - The disruption within the film is the occurrence that throws off the stores previous equilibrium and replaces it with an event that shows chaos and confusion. 
• Enigma - An enigma id essential a problem that the main character or someone who is considered an important character in the film is presented with and must fix/resolve in order for the film to end and therefore reach its new equilibrium 
• Resolution - When the enigmas that were first presented previously in the film/clip have now been fixed and taken care of
• New equilibrium - When all the problems that were first within the film have been resolved through the resolution and therefore the film has now arrived at a new equilibrium, this is different from the first equilibrium as there are no left over situations that have arised from the solved enigmas.

Applying Todorovs Theory to Scream:

We can apply Todorovs theory of equilibrium, disruption, enigma, resolution, and new equilibrium to that of the opening scene of the very popular horror film being "scream"

The Equilibrium - The equilibrium would be the very start off the film where we see the careless teenager preparing for a film, having a careless slightly flirtatious chat with an unknown caller and making movie food for her version of relaxation time. 

The Disruption - The exact moment of disruption would be when the unknown caller (in this case the villain in this film) says"I want to know who i am talking to" this is the moment in which she realises that she is being watched by someone unknown and begins to get very scared and shook up. 

Enigmas - There are few questions that we are left asking on how she will resolve certain problems/enigmas that the film then presents are careless teenager with, these are: What is she going to do? how is she going to get rid of this man? How is she going to escape? is she going to die? etc.

Roland Barthes:

Barthes described all text as "Bundles" of meaning that can be unraveled to create a whole range of different meanings.

Texts can be split into two different categories in which we can perceive them, these are: 

• Open - This means that there are numerous "Threads" to pull, this means that the film ends with no clear ending on what happens, leaving you asking different questions about which of the outcomes that are possible is the real one that the story concludes itself to. 
• Closed - This is when the film has a definite conclusion that everyone can see and it has a set ending by comparison and contrasting to that of an open text. 

Texts that can be read in a number of different ways are known as polysemic texts.

An example of a polysemic text is that of the widely controversial but also popular film "Scarface", this is because it can be read in a number of different ways of which are: the glorification of violence, a "rags to riches" like story, and lastly a film that dictates the theme of the 80s being, greed and consumption. 

These "Threads" are known as narrative codes. with the most significant of the codes being, Enigma codes. These are used to attract and hold the audiences attention with the presentation of previous problems. This enigma code is normally presented in the disruption phrase of Todorovs theories. 

Vladimir Propp:

Vladimir Propp is known for his analysis of old folk stories that he later compared to modern day films to see the comparisons in which he can make, for example he concluded that all famous hollywood narrative films contain only 8 different kinds of characters that have any significant relevance to the films outcome. These are: 

1. Hero 
2. Villain
3. Donor(provider)
4. Helper
5. Father Figure
6. Dispatcher
7. Princess
8. False Hero(someone who seems as if they are on the side of the hero un till nearing the end where they change and most of the time switch to the side of the villains.)

An example of a massive hollywood blockbuster of which we can compare this theory to is that of Star Wars:

1. Hero - Luke Skywalker
2. Villain - Darth Vadar
3. Donor - Obi wan Kenobi
4. Helper - Chewbacca, R2D2, C3P0
5. Father Figure - obi wan Kenobi
6. Dispatcher - Princess leia
7. Princess - princess leia
8. False hero - Han solo?