Narrative

Narrative
Narrative is the order in which a film is told. It is different from a story as a story tells you what happened, while narrative is the explicit detail or the order in which things happen. This could lead to a film being either really good, or realty bad.

Narrative Enigmas
A narrative enigma is a question that undermines the film, and may or may not be answered at the end. These are used in order to entice the audience into watching the film, and creating a feeling of interest and suspicion
http://www.superglossary.com/Glossary/Technology/Television_(TV)/Narrative_Enigma.html


Technical Code
Takes in anything that goes into the narrative process, such as sound, camera angles, design and editing. This could be to make the audience feel a certain way, for example, a red text would portray a different effect on the audience then a pink text. Also, a low camera angle will make the character seem powerful to the audience in contrast to a high camera angle which makes the character look vulnerable and weak. A good example in 'Rear window'.

Verbal Code
The way language is used in written and spoken to convey the story. This could be through the charcaters, but also through voice overs. A good example of this is 'the Shawshank Redemption'

Symbolic code
Clues with in the narrative, for example, someone driving an old car could be seen as being poor, as he can not afford a more expensive, modern car. A film that is a good example of this is Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carroll' who is always wearing a suit, which represents his vast amounts of money.

Torodoorvs Structure
Usually have a beginning, middle and end. Tordorov's came up with a theory that each narrative was split up into 3 parts:
 1. Equilibrium (When everyone is happy at the start).
2.Disequilibrium (when something disturbs the equilibrium, and could make the characters angry).
3. New equilibrium (when the hero restores equilibrium at the end of the film).
This the stereotypical structure for a film, however, the narrative can change from this structure with the use of flashbacks, and flash forwards.

Character
These are the typical types of character you can expect to see in a film: 
Protagonist - the stories hero
Antagonist - the stories villain.
Heroin - Love interest for the protagonist
Father - commanding figure who rewards the protagonist for storing equilibrium
Helper - Someone who helps the hero, usually a sidekick
Doner - give the protagonist something to help them in there quest (mission/aim)
Mentor - teacher and guide of the hero

Narrative Conflict
Levi Strauss was a 20th century theorist who believed that every narrative is moved forward by conflict and that conflict was derived from two opposing forces, like rich and poor, love and hate.




NARRATIVE - HOW THE STORY IS TOLD



PorppNarative Devices
Vladimir Pro suggests a structure similar to Tordorovs, but in more detail and is more complex.

Preparation - intro to the story
complication - keys or clues to the direction of the story
Transference - the donor events
struggle - dealing with difficult circumstances
return - return home, but issues still remain
recognition - loose ends are solved

Propps theory with regard to character:

the villain
the donor - prepares the hero or gives then a special object
the magical helper - helps the hero throughout the film
the princess - what the hero desires, sought for during the narrative
the princesses father - rewards the hero
the dispatcher - Charcter who sends the hero off.
the hero (victim/seeker) - reacts to the donor, marries the princess completes the quest.
the false hero - anit hero