Non-linear Narratives

Films have a big advantage in how they can tell stories.

• They are not bound by the rules of normal time!

Editing can reorder screen time, which is different from reel time (the duration of the film), and this reshaping of the narrative can add to the audience’s pleasure of the film. How?

Task 1 – Exploring some Non-Linear Films

Think of a film, which plays tricks with its narrative and or characters. Try to describe what it does with the structure of the story and how that might enhance our pleasure. Some notable examples:

• Dunkirk
• Inception
• Memento
• Shutter Island
• The Sixth Sense
• Pulp Fiction
• The Last Five Years

Here is a short film, which plays with narrative and uses am interesting narrative structure.

Some Video Essays on Narrative:

1) Controlling Narrative Information

2) A Narrative Analysis of a Cult Film (Memento)

Narrative Function

First off, it is important to note that we are not talking about characterisation or representation!

We are talking the role the characters have in the narrative. In other words what is their job in the story? This analysis can give us helpful clues to understand the themes and ideas, especially when we consider the ways in which the characters (ideology) conflict.

Stories typically have most, if not all, of the following characters types:

1. The protagonist (the hero at the heart of the story)
2. The antagonist (the villain who opposes and tries to defeat the hero)
3. The donor (a character who gives the hero advice and sometimes a helpful object)
4. The dispatcher (a character who sends the hero on the journey)
5. The helper (the sidekick for the hero who helps the hero through the trials)
6. The false hero (a traitor, close to the hero who ends up betraying the hero)
7. The girl (the ‘reward’ for the hero)

Characters’ narrative function in Harry Potter.

Task

Consider these character roles for the stories you studied in the last lesson. Please remember that a character in a story may fulfill more than one role.

Using the film you studies yesterday develop your poster with details of the characters’ and their narrative function.

Extension – Character, Conflict and Themes (Dialects)

Introduction to Narrative (The study of stories)

The structure/shape of the stories

• The big events that push the story forward, causing the characters to act / react.
• When and how important story information is revealed.
  • How the audience is positioned in the story & when we learn important narrative information

The characters & their narrative function.

The themes/messages that the director wants to communicate.

• The development of the main character(s) & their epiphany

The role of the narrator in highlighting the themes (if applicable)

The significance of setting to the story

The 3 Act Narrative Structure

Here is a cool video about the narrative structure of films which are about the adventures of a heroic figure in a typical Hollywood adventure film.

Here is an info-graphic from this video from Ted Ed.

Task 1 – Describe a simple narrative

Use it to think about the basic narrative structure of a film/story you know well, a fairy story like: Cinderella, Snow White, Jack & the Bean Stalk… or if you don’t know those, a Pixar movie like: Monsters Inc, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E…

Remember the story mountain? Apply this in reverse to the story that you have chosen and explain the basic structure of that narrative.

Create a timeline of your own with five stages (use screenshots from the film if possible) Identify the five key stages of the narrative:

Act 1

1. Ordinary World

2. Disruption

Act 2

3. The journey or quest.

4. The final struggle or epiphany

Act 3

5. The restoration or return

Task 2 – The Journey and the Theme

Extension Task

Consider the last two slides in the show above. In your story, who changes, how & why? What do they realise and how does this epiphany reveal the theme of the story?

Add this to your poster in either stage 4 or 5.