1
941002024 Amanda
英文二
廖苑如
Short Paper 2
Narrative is an important element in films, especially feature films.
The world
comes to us in the shape of stories so narrative is generate, telling stories.
Stories by
different cultures have many features in common.
the same routines.
They almost develop according to
The function of those stories such as fairy tales, fables or
mythology is to solve the contradiction in experiences, or to justify the inevitable.
Thereinafter, there are four parts of analyzing and explanation how narrative is
construct and its elements.
Structuralism
The structuralism of narrative is made up of a series of conflicts, that is, binary
opposition.
Narrative is seen at beginning a stable point of equilibrium or the state
of plenitude.
Then the equilibrium and plenitude are disrupted by some power or
force which results in the chaos and disequilibrium.
Afterwards, a series of solutions
and reactions are taken against the disrupting force so the movement of the narrative
comes with the tide.
At the end of the narrative, it creates a kind of new equilibrium
and plenitude. However, in some films, the equilibrium may be achieved through
the recognition that we cannot change the force or disruption.
In Casablanca, before
France is conquered by Germany, Rick and Elsa lead a beautiful life.
be seen as one of the disrupting force to sunder the plenitude.
Germany can
What’s more,
misunderstanding and married identity are also the disrupting forces for Rick and Elsa.
In Shane, apparently gangsters is the disrupting force; in addition, the town is another
kind of disrupting force for the country.
gangsters, he leaves the country.
At the end, although Shane defeats
Instead of achieving his hope to live a life of
stability, he unavoidably fights with villains.
We know the disrupting force in his
2
life cannot be solved in the end.
Binary Opposition
Binary opposition is a two-term conflict.
Opposition conflict in narrative is
not just a feature of narrative but is interwoven with the full range of meanings
generated by the film as a whole.
Especially in mass films, binary opposition is one
of the indispensable elements because it generates a series of conflicts and solutions
to conform and strive for the audience’s identification.
A pattern of opposition, once
set up, produces both structure and discourse-the movement of the plot and the
specific means of its representation in sound and image.
There are many opposition
conflicts, from the main subject to trivial details, and even the inner conflicts of
characters is a kind of binary opposition.
In Casablanca, the male lead, Rick, is
facing a love triangle, being caught in the difficulty that whether to pursue his true
love or not.
It is tough to make this decision so the situation produces intensive
conflict in Rick’s mind.
On the other hand, Elsa struggles with the inner conflict to
submit to her marriage or pursue her love.
Self true love and selfless love for
country form a general conflict in Casablanca.
Germany is also a binary opposition.
Shane wants to lead a stable life.
The conflict between France and
In Shane, instead of living a vagrant life,
He is tired of such life he used to live so this time
he stays at Joe’s home, doing job for him.
Even so, he still encounters those
gangsters who oppress inhabitants and threaten their safety as well as livelihood.
Shane and gangsters have already formed a binary conflict.
When Shane hesitates to
strive back or submit to their humiliation, it’s also another opposition in his inner
mind.
Between Marion and Shane, there is a kind of tricky relationship.
At the
first sight of seeing Marion, Shane has good feeling toward her, and for one reason is
her domestic image Shane is pursuing.
them but they are unable to express.
They both feel the tricky change between
On the other hand, some inhabitants advocate
3
yielding; however Joe stands for fighting.
Above examples are all binary conflicts;
thus, it proves how important binary conflict is in films.
Codes and conventions
Code equals convention which is a kind of manner we are all familiar and
agreeing with.
‘Manner’ are conventional – a system of constraints on and
expectations of behavior that is aimed at organizing social interaction to particular
For example, ellipsis is one of the codes – the omission of nonessential parts
ends.
of the story in order to avoid matching screen time with real time.
also important elements of which the film is made up.
of films.
Conventions are
Conventions are presentation
In Shane, cowboys are often seen wild and being good at using guns;
besides, women are housewives and domestic.
In Casablanca, women are turned
into a spectacle and possessed by men. Elsa is molded as a woman supports male
and possessed by them.
Her image is often gentle and soft, besides, protected by
men. What’s more, when the camera shoots Rick who is talking, next shoots Elsa
who is talking as well, we understand they talk to each other.
there are many conventions and codes set in films.
As above examples,
We accept these conventions.
They can promote the movements as well.
Genre
Genre is a system of codes, conventions, and visual styles which enable an
audience to determine rapidly and with some complexity the kind of narrative they are
viewing. The function of genre is to make films comprehensible and more or less
familiar.
The audience could pick out rapidly what to watch and realize the general
style; avoiding selecting the wrong movie they have no interest in. Genre sets
different styles for films and helps them to orientate such as romance, feature film or
thriller and so on.
It divides various districts fro films.
It’s function also to help the
4
director and producer to find the specific direction.
Even the musical
accompaniment to the titles can indicate to an audience whether the film fits into
broad generic categories like comedy or Western.
Besides, producers of film realize
that genre films have to confirm the existing expectations of their genre, and to alter
them slightly.
Genre is the products of three groups, industry, audience and text.
Industry always wants to produce the popular types of genre to be the money-making
films.
The audience holds their expectation toward different genre films.
content of text constructs the genre of films.
genre is produced.
directors.
The
Under there three kinds of effects, then
Nevertheless, genre is also a confinement and challenge to
How to confer to the audience and also represent by the unpredictable
way is really a challenge for them.
advertising it.
Apparently, Shane is a Western.
style and general subject.
they don’t like.
Besides, it provides the advertiser ideas about
The audience can quickly know its
According to genre, the audience avoids picking out films