Assignment 8 narrative-theory

 Suggested that there are 5 stages of
narrative:

 Equilibrium

 Disequilibrium

 Recognition of disequilibrium

 attempt to repair disequilibrium

 New Equilibrium.

In the film D'jango unchained, slavery was present and was set In a western style.
This was shown through the costuming presented and also props.
Through this equilibrium is portrayed as is was normal to have Black people as
slaves working for White people and were therefore of a lower class within the
hierarchy.

This is also another scene which presents equilibrium as the
men are all aligned with very little clothing and with shackles
attached to them as if they were animals. During these times, it
was normal as they would often go out and do manual work
with very little care from there masters.

 During D'jango the conflict had started when the slaves were led into a forest area
and had the choice to shoot there slave master and break free or save him and live
like they did.
 This opinion was given to them by another White man with recognition from other
men and power.
 Through this the slaves took the chance of shooting there master, becoming run away
slaves and starting a new life
 One man called D’jango however stood out from the slaves and wanted revenge.

 During D'jango the conflict had started when the slaves were led into a forest area
and had the choice to shoot there slave master and break free or save him and live
like they did. This opinion was given to them by another White man with recognition
from other men and power.

• These images above show prime examples during the film of
occurring conflict and the partnership which the two men had.
• This was very rare due to the racial prejudice and through out the
movie it was frowned upon as they didn’t want to interact with the
‘niggers’, other than demanding chores and whipping them
causing physical and mental pain.

 During the battle and revenge which had been placed upon the white masters or people with
empowerment during his slavery days, quest for the beloved taken wife (also a slave) had begun
and he was journey was not going to stop until everyone was satisfied. . D’jango had located
where his wife was and cooked up a scheme to get her back from her slave master called Candy.
However, his plan didn’t go according to plan and another slave had found out about his plan
and informed Candy as it was his wife in which he wanted to buy back. Candy retaliated and
made things difficult alerting both D’jango and his partner in crime that he knows this young lady is
of value to them.
 To repair his life and start afresh D’jango was willing to do anything to get his wife back and that
included having a shoot out (common in western films) and to end the job he blew up the masters
house.

 The new equilibrium was introduced when D’jango had gotten all
what he wanted and had found his wife and was ready to start his
life ahead.
 This meant that all his long struggle and quest to find his wife again
was over and his new life had just begun.

 Levi- Strass believes the world is
described in binary opposites.
 He believed opposition offered
structure to texts including
stories, plays, books, and films.

Film Opposite 1 Opposite 2 Explanation

Slum-dog Jamal-protecting his
love
millionaire Millionaire-protecting
his money

Jamal- loving
Millionaire- Caniving

Jamal is the Jamal- innocent
character who is all This is the former Millionaire- Gang
rounded and is in millionaire who is willing trades.
search of his one to protect his own in order to
true love who was stay rich and in the place
split from him which he is in now.
from a young age.


Paranormal Alex’s family- loving
and caring
activity 4
Katie- out to get what
she wants

Alex’s family-willing
to help
Katie- willing to kill

Alex’s family- an
Alex is a member of the Katie, on the other innocent family
family who had hand, is the evil Katie- A possessed
adopted a young boy possessed woman and woman who has an evil
originally called is out to get a boy in spirit within her.
‘Hunter’-loving and Alex's family due to
caring for others( previous promises to the
willing to help). spiritual world.


Thor Jane- innocent
Loki- guilty

Jane- caring
Loki-selfish

Jane- values loyalty
Loki- values power

Jane is determined to Loki constantly
help Thor to return to values his power and
his home land and is willing to do
anything to become
do what's best for his
king.
people( no matter
how mad it sounds).

Avatar Jake Sully- the saviour
Captain- The destroyer

Jake sully- learnt their
culture and values
Captain- is not
interested
The main character Jake The main captain is
Sully entered the Avatar not interested or has no Jake Sully- values
world viewing there consideration for the honour
culture, norms and Avatar world and Captain- values power
values and with the simple wants to
clashing views of this destroy it for the
captain in the real world, benefit of himself and
Jake had done whatever it the power in his orders.
took to stop the captain
and his team from
destroying there world
and environment.


Orphan Family- caring and
thoughtful
Ester- only wants to
feel wanted by a man

Family- wanted to
call her there own
child
This is a loving family The orphan on the other Ester-wanted to
who thought of children hand is a grown destroy the family
without a family and woman who has an
was willing to take an illness and therefore Family-An innocent
orphan into there home. will always look small family
young. She is very Ester- A traumatised
violent, in fact out to young girl with a
take peoples boyfriend huge impact.
within the family and
if it doesn’t work out
she’s out to kill.

 Barthes theory ;
 The audiences experience of the
narrative involves ANTICIPATION and
EXPECTATION of a resolution to
disruption/conflict; Barthes theory of
codes of encourage the audience to
seek answers and clues to make them
anticipate outcomes.

 These ‘codes’ were identified as:
 Enigma Code
 Action code
 Semantic Code
 Symbolic Code
 Cultural Code

 Narratives set up as puzzles to be solved portraying a sense of mystery to engage the
audience

 The image is taken from the film Doghouse.
 Images such as this would raise questions like how did the bride get in such state?
what caused this? etc.

 Action Codes are codes of behaviour and actions which leads the audience to
expect certain consequences based on other films and their conventions

Thriller/Mystery Slasher/Horror Romance
Action- Villain/Killer Action- Going into a Action- understands
has as a lethal isolated area. and re-unites after
weapon. conflict.

Assumption- the Assumption- This Assumption- The
victim is going to would lead to get couple would get
die. killed. back together.

 Semantic codes shows connotative meanings of characters, objects, locations.
 We learn from experience about these denotations and connotations and

iconographic features work in same way .
 COLOUR=BLUE
 Example
Drama/Romance Thriller/Horror

Blue shows Calmness. Blue show a very sterile unity

 Things we learn from are things like:

Villain:
Superman: Ugly
Muscular Selfish
Handsome Strongest of the
Heroic evil world
Fighting for Everyone hates
the right Comes to
thing. destroy

 Iconographic features have clear connotations and meanings to audience.
 For Example:

The use of car chases at a constant fast Battles/ fights for something (a
pace main goal which they are after)

 Symbolic features often signify oppositions.
An Example of this would be
 Deliver me from Eva=
 Eva has been hurt previously and so was very arrogant when it can to men.
A man was introduced to come into her life at first as a dare but he began
to fall for her, however she was still very harsh.
 The man was a party man however very relaxed and calm with women but
on the other hand, Eva is a very stern and uptight woman protecting herself.

More relaxed
and
experienced.

Eva is more
stern and
protective

 Cultural codes are outside the text and knowledge we commonly share to
bring understanding of the meaning in the text. Often refers to things within
popular culture within historical events.
 An example of this would be Red Dawn 2012
 Red Dawn was made in 1984 however in 2012nthey modernised it adapting
it to the modernised ways in society such as better made guns as weapons.

 Formed two theories, the first about distinctive character
types called the ‘Spheres of action’. As they are based on
historic fairy tales and folklore, this theory might be very
recognisable and rather simplistic.
 7 Spheres of action:
 1.Hero
 2. Villain
 3.Dispather
 4. Donor
 5.Helper
 6.heroine
 7. False Hero

 The hero is constantly on a search or a quest for something or someone. They are
traditionally male but it is not always the case and shows or restores
disequilibrium.
 The hero usually wins the Princess or the thing which is worth the search and
defeats the villain (again usually and this is not always the case).
 The hero is commonly seen as very attractive and muscular etc.(explained on a
previous slide).
› In ‘Enchanted’ there was a twist, as the princess fell in love with another man, and had to save the
man as he was captured hostage so therefore she is the hero.

 The villain was Queen Narissa and
almost enforced disequilibrium as she
pushes the princess in a magical
portal with made the princess enter
the realist world of New York. The
Queen installs power by capturing
Robert Phillip who the Princess was in
love with and holding him captive.

 Although, the Queen
Narissa was the villain
she was somewhat
also the dispatcher as
she distracts the
princess’ potential
lover through
constant battles
preventing him from
thinking of the
Princess.

 The donor is the person who helps the
hero by giving the hero a gift, skill,
weapon or advice to help them on their
quest/journey.
 In this case, again the donor is the witch
as she gives one of her assistants an
apple in order to harm the princess.

 The helper is the assistant (the help) to restore equilibrium/ normality and can
be a sidekick etc.
 In this case, the squirrel pip is the helper as it helps the prince return to his lost
love (or soon to be).

 The heroine character is a more vulnerable character threatened by the villain and
needs rescuing by the hero. They often end up in love.
 In enchanted, Robert Phillip is the heroine as he is the more vulnerable character and
needs to be rescued by the princess as he has been captured by the queen Narissa.

 Diegesis is the world in which the characters live in.

The internal world created by a story that characters
experience and encounter.

The life within TV/film.

Everything is done within
Cinderella's world and it’s a
story which she is
experiencing.

 Unrestricted narration
 Is narrative with no limit to the amount of information it gives out.
 The information given out to the audience is not restricted
 For example: the school news bulletin.

 Restricted narration.
 The narrative only offers minimal information (opposite to unrestricted
narration).
 Hides some information from the audience, usually presented in horror or
thriller films, to create enigma.

 Objective Character Identification
 The audience is given the view through the characters point of view.
For example, seeing things such as the characters dream, memory or thoughts.

 Subjective Character identification
 The viewer is uniquely given access to what a range of characters
can see or do
For example, seeing many characters and things.

 Modular Narrative :
 -Forking path
 -Episodic
 -Anachronic
 -Split screen

Express a sense of time which can be
manipulated( non-linear)
 A prime example of a film would be
memento or the Looper

 Forking-path narrative introduces a number of plotlines that
usually/commonly contradict itself.
 An example of this would be ‘Sliding Doors’.

 Episodic is a series or narrative anthology (collection of multiple
stories).
Abstract series is characterized by the operation of
non-narrative formal system which appears to
dictate to organisation of narrative elements.

Abstract =a sequence of numbers
or the alphabet.
Anthology consists of a series of shorter tales which are
said to be disconnected but share a random similarities.

Anthology = an example-a series of
episodes being survivors of a shipwreck.

An example of this is lost.

 The involvement in flashbacks and/or flash-forwards with no clear
dominance between any of the narrative threads.

 It can repeat itself within a scene or multiple scenes and can be in
another characters point of view or perspective.

 Examples of this would be:
 Again, Memento, 4,3,2,1 and the Looper.

 Some films, divide the screen into two or more frames, juxtaposing
events within the same visual field which is all on one screen for
viewers to see all at once.
 An example of this would be;

127 hours 4,3,2,1

Assignment 8 narrative-theory

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Assignment 8 narrative-theory