In our study of narrative we were divided into pairs to illustrate the narrative of a Pixar film of our choosing. My partner and I chose Brave. We decided that the plot-driven aspects were equally as important as the character-driven aspects so we drew a story mountain for a plot and beneath it a relationship arc (between Merida and her mother) for character development.
The most important structural moments in the plot are : when Merida is forced to choose a husband (starting point of the disequilibrium), strengthening her resolve to make a change to her life; when she meets the witch and makes her final decision on whether or not to obey her parents’ wishes; when she accidentally turns most of her family into bears, learning humility and regret for her actions; and finally when she breaks the spell at the last moment, showing her family she is strong enough without a husband and gaining a new understanding between her and her mother (new equilibrium / denouement).
When giving the characters their respective character type labels we noticed that Brave doesn’t fit the common patterns of a movie as it is the protagonist’s own mistakes that causes the most tension in the movie, instead of an antagonist that opposes the protagonist at every possible moment. The closest Brave has to an antagonist is Mor’du (the bear) but the fight with him is only a sub-plot.
We also identified the conflicts and themes in Brave : Age & Youth; Responsibilities & Dreams; Fear & Bravery; Wisdom & Naivety; Betrayal & Redemption.
