Narrative Analysis of Pan’s Labyrinth

In pairs, we created a slide-show that analysed the narrative of Pan’s Layrinth. This included the character functions, conflicts in the narrative, themes and structure. These points create the narrative and understanding them shows the non-linear structure of the film.

understanding this film helps to convey the ideas and messages in the film, examples of this are:

-Understanding that the structure of Pan’s Labyrinth is non-linear, allows the viewer to let the story line flow as wanted by directer Guillermo Del torro. The film begins in the future and then starts from the beginning of Ofelia’s story. The structure of the narrative is split int two. one being the fairytale story line, where Ofelia is mainly seen. The other being the historical fascist spain, where the main characters are Mercedes, Carmen and Vidal. These story lines come together with Ofelia.

–Character functions, understanding that the characters have a set formula and function in the film, alows us to make links with other films. For example we can tell that our main character, the protagonist, Ofelia is destined to complete the challenges set by the Faun but it intrigues us becasue we want to know how she does in the chllenges and what challenges she faces during the process.

-Understanding the conflicts of Pan’s Labyrinth allows the viewer to see that the main villain is Vidal, the tyrannical fascist captain. All of the conflicts within the film are provoked by Vidal. These includea mixture of physical and inner conflicts these include: power, naivety, wisdom and power. These are all conflists that Vidal provokes within the narrative.

-The themes of Pan’s Labyrinth are very similar to its conflicts, these being good VS bad Vs the innocent. The big message in the film is that due to the war and conflicts there is no place for a girl who has imagination and innocence to grow up or live. in the film Ofelia is shown to be torn between the two, being good or being bad.

-There are many smaller themes inbedded in the narrative such as disobedience. This is found throughout the film with Ofelia, it is seen when she goes against the fairies judgement of the Pale Man scene as well as when the Faun asks her to do the final challenge, to kill her younger brother. The underlying themes thicken the narrative. This defiance that Ofelia shows shows charecter development, the defiance symbolises that she no longer is the scared child and that she now feels confident  about her place.

 

Narrative Analysis of a Pixar Movie

In class we looked at the conventional narratve arc, in which we discussed each stage of the narrative. There are 5 key stages to a conventional narative:

• The film normally starts with an ordinary word.
• The world is disrupted.
• The journey/quest is presented to the protagonist.
• The struggle or epiphany.
• The restoration/return.

This is the linear narrative arc my classmates and I made for “The Lion King”  (1994) . In the film we see the coronation of Simba and Mufasa becoming a father, this is the beginning equilibrium. We then see the disruption, the death of Mufasa and Simba running away. We get the revelation of Simba challenging Scar to reclaim the throne and to save Pride Rock, which leeds to the new equilibrium. We then determined the internal journey for Simba, this was because we identified that it was a self-revelation and we as the audience got to see him grow up and have the epiphany.

We then discussed the conventional characters of the film and the roles they play to support the narrative and the conflicts within the narrative. There were many conflicts within the narrative of The Lion King, these included:

• Protagonist VS antagonist
• Future VS past
• Equality VS injustice
• Searching VS finding
• Loss VS discovery
• Love VS appearences
• Responsibility VS rebellion