Unit 10: Narrative Principles Flashcards
Vertigo
Narrative Form
The organizing framework of a film
Plot
In a narrative film, all the events that are directly presented to us, including their causal
relations, chronological order, duration, frequency, and spatial locations.
Story
In a narrative film, all the events that we see and hear, plus all those that we infer or assume to
have occurred, arranged in their presumed causal relations, chronological order, duration,
frequency, and spatial locations
Fabula (Story)
A chronological and complete account of all events in a narrative.
Syuzhet (Plot)
An abbreviated, reorganized version of events that plays out on the screen for the audience.
Order
In a narrative film, the aspect of temporal manipulation that involves the sequence in which the
chronological events of the story are arranged in the plot.
Frequency
In a narrative film, the aspect of temporal manipulation that involves the number of times any
story event is shown in the plot.
Duration
in a narrative film, the aspect of temporal manipulation that involves the time span presented
in the plot and assumed to operate in the story
Running Time, Screen Time or Viewing Time
the time it takes to watch a film when its projected at the appropriate speed.
Linear Chronology
Plot events and actions that proceed one after another as a forward movement in time
Deadline Structure
A narrative structure that accelerates the action and plot toward a central event or action that
must be accomplished by a certain time.
Retrospective plot
A plot that tells of past events from the perspective of the present or future.
Flashbacks
An alteration of story order in which the plot moves back to show events that have taken place
earlier than ones already shown.
Flashforward
An alteration of story order in which the plot presentation moves forward to future events,
then returns to the present.
Narration
The process through which the plot conveys or withholds story information. The
narration can be more or less restricted to character knowledge and more or less deep in
presenting characters’ mental perceptions and thoughts
Two basic types of film narration
restricted unrestricted (omniscient)
Restricted narration
Limits the audience’s view of events to that of the main character (s) in the film
Omniscient narration
We know more, we see and hear more, than any of the characters can
First Person Narration
Some films use a narrator, a character or other person whose voice and perspective describe
the action of the film from the point of view outside the story.
A standard device to mark the presence and perspective of that narrator is the voiceover
commentary.
Multiple Narrations
Found in films that use several different narrative perspectives for a single story or for different
stories in a movie that loosely fits these perspectives together.
Unreliable Narration (manipulative narration)
A type of narration that raises questions about the truth of the story being told.
Episodic Narrative
In general, an episodic narrative is a story that relates a single episode or event which in turn
relates to a series of events that may not be closely connected. Episodic narrative could also tell
a story of someone’s search for an important goal but it goes unresolved
Narrative frame
A context or person positioned outside the principal narrative of a film, such as bracketing
scenes in which a character in the story’s present begins to relate events of the past and later
concludes her or his tale.
Classical Hollywood Narrative
Clarity
Unity
Goal Oriented Characters
Closure
Clarity
Viewers should not be confused about space, time or events.
Unity
Cause and effect connections are direct and complete
Goal Oriented Characters
they are active and invite identification
Closure
loose ends are tied up, often through romantic union
Protagonist
A film’s main character, one whose conflicts and motives drive the story forward.
Antagonist
A character who in some way opposes the protagonist, leading to protracted conflict
Denouement
The unraveling action after the climax of a narrative that leads to resolution
Closure
A characteristic of conventional narrative form, where the conclusion of the film wraps up all
loose ends in a form of resolution, though not necessarily a happy one.
Narrative Structure:
The standard pattern that shapes narrative film is the Three-act Structure.
Act One
introduces characters, goals and conflicts, and end with a first turning point, which
causes a shift to Act Two.
Act Two
Protagonist meets obstacles
Act Three
Presents the denouement, a series of events that resolves the conflicts that have
arisen—not always happily.
In the four-part structure
- Exposition leads to turning point
- Complicating action leads to major turning point at halfway mark.
- Development: struggle toward goal leads to climax
- Epilogue
Variations on Narrative Conventions
Lack of clarity Lack of Unity Open-endedness Unconventional characterizations Intrusions
Lack of clarity
multiple, conflicting lines of action
Lack of Unity
Broken chain of cause and effect
Open-endedness
Questions are left unanswered or conflicts unresolved
Unconventional Characterizations
Audience is distanced from characters rather than invited to identify
Characters contemplate or talk about action rather than taking action
Characters goals are unclear
Narrators may be unreliable
Intrusions
direct address to the audience
other devices call attention to the narrative as a process
opening “in media res”
in the middle of things
