Nada Mudawi --Narrative Structures-Unit 26 Media Studies--Task 2

Nada Mudawi- Unit 26 Task 2

This report will discuss the impact of using different narrative structures such as Non-Linear/Linear and Todorov's theory of events that occur in most films and the target audiences preferable appeal. The examples I will use for each are 'Snow white and the huntsman' for Todorov, 'Cinderella' for Linear and 'source code' for Non-linear. 

I will begin by discussing what Todorov's theory is and provide evidence of this by an example of a film. Todorov's narrative theory claims that some screenwrites follow a specific sequence. It starts with a period of calm, an equilibrium, then there is a disruption to the equilibrium, next is the recognition stage when the characters realize the disorder. Lastly, we have repairing the disruption and the new equilibrium follows meaning the ending is everything back to normal.

Snow white and the Huntsman(2012)
The first part of my blog will talk about Todorov's narrative theory of the sequence of events which structure a film, and how this impacts the targeted audience.

I have chosen to talk about the 2012 Oscar winning film by Rupert Sanders 'Snow white and the Huntsman', which i believe conforms to todorov's theory and does so in an interesting and different style. The film consists of many hybrids- action/adventure and drama/fantasy. The plot is one which follows a straight path where there is the equilibrium- the character 'Snow White' who is the daughter of a royal family living happliy in their mothers kingdom all the way to the new equilibrium- which shows this princess grown to lead her own army and take the throne and continue running the kingdom on peaceful terms. I would say that the intended audience is a family and in particular families in crisis, this film effectively embarks on family values. 

To begin, the first part of the equilibrium which is princess Eva living with her reigning mother (Queen) running their kingdom. Eva also has a brother which she's always long loved and has a tight relationship with. This scene insights how

Eva's childhood is ; simple, wealthy and prestigious. Her facial expressions indicate that she is content with her life, where she shares this moment with her mother. Everything is in its normality for the first 10-12 minutes of the film. The audience could use this for personal information as they get to understand the likes of being a royal member and their day to day lifestyles.

The disruption breaks when the king marries what is now to be Eva's wretched stepmother, Raveena, who on their honey moon murders him, in front of Eva. She orders for Eva to be locked away where she is under her control for over ten years. This can also be seen as the disruption by an evil villain and it shakes the odds of normality, the narrative is no longer linear and events cause the characters to recognize it and therefore come up with a reparation.

This nicely leads to the recognition where on one occasion Finn(Raveena's brother) informs Eva of his sisters needs of life force of young maidens to maintain her beauty, she plans to take Eva's beauty away as settlement for her horrific looks. Once Eva hears this she quickly acts and escapes from the castle where she momentarily finds an abandoned horse which she uses to get away from Raveena's dark army. Soon she reaches the dark forest where the horse can no longer continue and she is forced to leave him astray and willingly continues with her escape.

This impacts the audience because the elucidating sequence of events allows them to see a pattern and therefore understand the plot easier unlike in non-linear structures where the audience are frustrated throughout the film. I believe that this is definitely the benefit of Todorrovs theory, as the audience are impacted in a positive way rather than a negative. It is also symbolic that the narrative structure of the film conforms so well to todorrovs theory that we as an audience can safely say that he is not only a theorist but his words are proven through this film.

This would defiantly be the repair, as we see snow white prepare her army for battle, leading them to battle. However, when her Army reaches the Castle, the gates are still locked and the Dark Army is furiously slaughtering them. Snow White shielded by a human-like barrier begins to make her way through the battle but when she looks up at the Castle, she spots Ravenna looking back down at her before she disappears into the Castle. This is a prime example of the repair stage as the hero is fighting the villain in order to do what every hero does and restore peace. Snow White eventually finds Ravenna and engages in a one-on-one duel with her wretched stepmother. This very clearly proves that it is a todorov structure as there is the repair to the disruption. The audience are affected as they are engaged with all the action which gives them a feeling of thrill and builds excitement making them want to watch more and more to find out what the end result will be. I personally think that this stage of Todorovs narrative structure provides me as a viewer a wild thoughts and interpretations of the plot and all the action. 

Snow White taking the throne

By the end of the movie the new equilibrium is painted showing us that the female character has responded to the disruption and restored normality by becoming queen. Also this shows the significance of todorov's theory-without having the new equilibrium the story would be never ending and the reformation would still be distorted in some sense. For instance, the newly chosen queen started off as the daughter of a King and Queen who ruled their land in peace and prosperity, after the middle section of the film it
all ends with her restoring that peace once again by taking charge. This shows that Snow white and the huntsmen is a good example that conforms to Todorov's theory as we have seen the narrative structure of the film, in each step of his theory. This impacts the audience and allows them to enjoy the film as it is structured in a natural way. The audience uses this example as inspiration and it invokes a feeling of relief as the film draws to an end. My personal opinion on this is that Todorov's theory is fascinating and certainly gives meaning to a films journey.

One of the themes is adventure which is mirrored in the theory - the characters have to go through an adventure in order to make there be a disruption and therefore a repair. many adventures consist of this where someone is faced with something and they have to solve it.

for instance if there was no adventure then there would be no repair as the character is not needn't to run away into the dark forest therefore the theory wouldn't be suitable for this film. that proves that the theme of a film is as important as the audience who watch it. also the gratification would also not be the same as the plot would change and viewers are no longer conforming to the film.

Linear narratives consist of a start middle and end, where the characters begin with a scenario which leads onto the bridge of the narrative that then concludes with an end.

Cinderella (2015)

The classic princess fairy tale Cinderella is defiantly one of my favorite over all time, as it takes us throughout the tough journey lived by Cinderella as she learns to adapt to change and use courage to go against the forces of evil- in this case her wretched stepmother and two step sisters. The Narrative is obviously linear as there is no time loops or scenes where the characters are looking back on time.

We begin with the start- effectively the first part of the linear narrative. Cinderella is a young girl living with her mother and father, the screen grab on the left supports our idea on the linear structure as the young girl is clearly content-sharing a memorable moment with her mother. This is the 'norm' of a family life, however the young actor isn't treated as a princess in a fairytale sense but more in a 'princess of the family'. As the film proceeds we will see this being flipped over its head. The audience see this as magical and use it as personal identification where they may remember moments like this , others may also identify with it as they see the family values that are encouraged in this scene.

Here again we see our young Cinderella with both her parents, at this point we're still in the first section of the linear narrative. I know this because the character is still young and although it may not seem obvious now but the story line is carefully thought out for her to grow in age as the story itself grows, the iconography also changes as the story progresses. The audience are impacted by this because they're dazzled by her perfect appearance. Personally, i particularly love linear structures as i am a victim of OCD and love things to be tidy and structured in an orderly way, this is the only way i am satisfied. Similarly, i as a viewer am satisfied with the order of linear narratives, as a result i am left engaged and  i identify with the structure. 

By this point we have moved on from the start of the plot to the middle section or the bridge of the narrative , where after his wife passed away, married another lady who becomes Cinderella's evil stepmother, she also has two daughters of a similar age to Cinderella. The irony of these characters is that they are rude, stuck-up and share fairly horrific looks. And this is the center point of their growing hatred for Cinderella - because she is very beautiful and vibrant in her personality.

Her stepmother and her two daughters, force Cinderella into becoming their maiden where she cooks, cleans and serves for what they ask of her. Their dominance overpowers Cinderella and she is therefore made to be the weaker character in the film. This eventually leads onto the arc of our narrative, invitations are sent out to all the pupils and maidens included who live in the kingdom. However, the evil forces are again defensive against poor Cinderella and she is forced to stay at home whilst they're out enjoying a grand ball.

This is the middle because the character is going through the tough time period in the story which in a way mirrors an everyday scenario of anyone really, for instance you're planning to have a picnic and when you get to the park, it starts raining and you've forgotten the picnic basket(!). Audience members may react to this in various ways for example some may see it as plain cruelty and there is a stream of unfair pity running between the two girls and the mother, towards the vulnerable Cinderella. Others on the other hand may see this as domestic values - that there should be someone who cleans and cooks in every house, this may differ from a males view to a women's view.

This point is narrowing down the narrative as the Fairy god mother arrives to grant Cinderella her wish of going to a grand ball, where she can meet the charming prince and join him in a dance. Her godmother then assists her with a magical appearance, where she turns a pumpkin into a carriage and weirdly converts a goose into a human driver then a couple of mice are whizzed into becoming guards, a spectacular ball gown and to seal the deal the awesome crystal glass slippers. The overall transformation, includes this maid transforming from a low down, scruffy servant to this rather overwhelmingly perfect princess. The audience use this as escapism and perhaps entertainment as they watch the godmother work her magic and the iconic fairy tale theme allows the viewer to connect with it comically. This is important as it allows for the film to run smoothly without the viewer becoming increasingly inquisitive  and consequently  clears your mind off frustration.

Cinderella at the ball dancing with the prince of her dreams. This marks the rear ending of the film, the princess has got what she desired from the beginning. The evil step sisters and their mother 

are horrified at this. This also shows the audience that this is a closed ending film because there is a conclusion to something that needed solving in the end. This impacts the audience because, for instance someone who is  not very wealthy would inspire to be in a ball dancing with a handsome lover. In some extent others may use this as a way of basing there relationships, for instance if somebody was generally nervous about love this film partially offers a viewer the chance to learn about love.

By the end of the film we see the princess escape at midnight before the magic runs out, she loses her glass slipper and the Prince go on a women hunt to find which foot it will fit into, in turn finding the princess. Cinderella is married to a charming prince and together they leave the kingdom, leaving a proud cheering crowd and three very jealous and unhappy individuals. This classic tale Is one where the audience are not frustrated at the plot as it is quite predictable. Which in turn helps massively and this is what makes linear films so engaging to an audience, hey gain satisfaction from rightfully predicting the plot. The film ends as expected and everyone is happy. The 'lived happily ever after' phrase is quite suitable here as by the end the good guys get what they want and the villain is left in agony. To end the audience use this ending for various reasons; for instance it offers the audience a closure to the film, they leave the cinema content and complete.

Source Code (2011)

The next part of my blog will cover what is meant by 'Non-Linear' films, and how this impacts the targeted audience.

Firstly, a non-linear narrative is a non sequential or straightforward story line which jumps back an forth from time to time and does not continue as a normal story line would with a start, middle and end. The film 'Source code' is all concerning time, the bulk of the filming is completed inside the train that in this case symbolizes time and is nearly a time excursion machine. This film is non-linear as it involves countless time loops in that we discern the main character(Jake Gyllenhaal) travel back and forth in time and so doesn't chronologically pursue a sequence. The main or dominant genre here is; Action. However there are hybrid genres such as  romantic-thriller.

Here we see the character is in the first phase of this train journey where he is uncertain of the situation that he is in, he is looking around curiously and clearly uninterested or somewhat does not remember the female actor in front of him. The character shows through his frustration that the situation he is in is not the normal everyday event. This shows that it is a non-linear narrative because if it was linear the character would be acting normal on the train and per suing the journey as normal.

Here the character is again faced with a phase of in-normality where we see him go to the cubical of the train and very creepily look at his reflection in the mirror. In this shot the characters facial expression depicts that he is finding his situation confusing and perhaps could be interpreted as a dream for him from the audience, also the fact that he stares wonderingly as his reflection shows that he may be questioning his existence- again showing a non-linear narrative. And causing the audience to question the plot.

To add, this other shot shows us his reflection in the mirror, and from looking at it i can see that there is obviously something not right with the story line as he is not looking at himself but in fact someone completely different with similar features. I know that this therefore is a non-linear narrative because instead we should have seen his reflection. In my opinion the director has very carefully adapted this scene in order to for show the audience how this film is frustrating from the start. In fact I feel as though this scene is influenced by the theory of reincarnation- as though the character has relived in another body and is now seeing his reflection. We as the audience share the same illusion as the character. 

After finding yourself on a train you never got on, then spookyily looking at a reflection of not yourself, the last thing you'd want to do is die from a bomb explosion on the train. This scene is probably the best of all as it shows the highly dangerous bomb explode on the train and tear the train into two pieces. This scenes leads you on to thinking that it is the last we are going to see of Jake Gyllenhaal. However, that is not the case at all, and simply because of the non-linear narrative that is portrayed throughout this film. On the left is a shot of Jake laying on the ground- amazingly surviving the tragic train explosions which leads the audience into questioning whether this is realistic, clearly the accident has had no impact on him what so ever and later we see this character continue with his role. The audience will by this point find the plot quite confusing and so will try to understand it by watching on, therefore the impact it has on an audience is it allows them to show interest and curiosity to urge them to continue watching. i personally think that the directors intelligence is shown through this scene in particular, we as the audience may begin to realize that this 'mission' of Gyllenhaal is almost a trial and error until success. 

Here the character is inevitably back to the position we first saw him in at the beginning, sitting with the same lady we also saw earlier. From this point the audience is probably aware of the non-linear structure as this character has gone back and forth and been through various things and ended up back here. The character leans forwards and converses with the female actress indicating that he knows who she is unlike earlier where he is completely obnoxious of who she is.

Here, we're back to square one where the character is again in the same place as he was before- sitting in the same chair. And the repeated actions symbolize the disordered sequence of narrative.

This is proven by the characters reaction to the spill of the coffee on his shoe, we see this displayed multiple times. Also the characters costumes stays exactly the same throughout the film, each time there is a time loop. This is beneficial for the audience as they get to watch the same eight minute loop over and over again for an hour and a half and still be entertained.

As the theme is mystery this reflects the plot and this is why it makes this  non-linear successful. the character here is faced with something he needs to solve- the audience is also at the same time trying to solve the puzzle of this film which is disordered by the non-linear narrative structure.

 the theme of mystery is almost reflected onto the audience and they're impacted in this way.

To conclude my blog I would frankly say that i have enjoyed writing about the three narrative structures, Todorov, Linear and Non-linear. The best part of writing about these structures was exploring the different films which use each narrative structure, although I enjoyed watching the films , I can't honestly say that I agree with all the narratives. As of Non-linear I think the delusion installed within plants so much frustration and so the audience are not enjoying the film, they're spending more time figuring it out. Linear structures are my favorite as they are much more straight forward in terms of simplicity and the viewer isn't left asking questions about the plot. Lastly, Todorovs theory is quite ingenious and I have to say quite sophisticated, the theory suggests the iconography in some films-- where it is structured in a particular way in order to emphasis on specific situations.