Introduction to Film Narrative Theory
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Classic Hollywood Narrative
Thompson’s Turning Points
Hero’s Journey
Barthes Narrative Codes
Booker’s 7 (or 9) Basic Plots
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Classic Hollywood Narrative
 At the beginning the WORLD OF THE FILM or the STATUS
QUO is established usually through the introduction of the
characters of the main HERO(INE).
 Their world is disrupted in some way with problems,
enigmas or CONFLICTS for the hero(ine) to overcome.
 The story continues as the hero(ine) attempts to restore
normality and RESOLVE the conflicts.
 Eventually these conflicts are worked out and a new
WORLD OF THE FILM or NEW STATUS QUO is
established.
 Usually it is the RESOLUTION of these conflicts from
which the audience get pleasure otherwise the film would
be judged to be a failure.
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Narrative Structure: 4-Act Model
4 acts of approximately equal length with turning points.
May also be prologue and/or epilogue.
1.
2.
3.
4.
(Prologue)
Setup
Turning Point 1
Complicating Action
Turning Point 2
Development
Turning Point 3
Climax
(Epilogue)
(Kristin Thompson)
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Hero’s Journey Narrative
Narrative Structure:
The Hero’s Journey 1
Call to Adventure
Helper
Threshold crossing
Brother-battle
Dragon-battle
Dismemberment
Crucifixion
Abduction
Night-sea journey
Wonder journey
Whale's belly
Elixir
THRESHOLD OF ADVENTURE
Tests
Return
Resurrection
Rescue
Threshold struggle
Flight
Helpers
1. Sacred Marriage
2. Father Atonement
3. Apotheosis
4. Elixir Theft
Joseph Campbell, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”
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Narrative Structure:
The Hero’s Journey 2
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Elements of Hero’s Journey 1
Ordinary World
Call to Adventure
Crossing the Threshold
Tests, Allies, Enemies
Refusal of Call
Meeting the Mentor
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Elements of Hero’s Journey 2
Approach the Inmost
Cave
The Ordeal
Road Back
Resurrection
Reward
Return with Elixir
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Barthes Narrative Codes
Barthes used five codes to aid him in the analysis of
film sequences; enigmatic, action, semic, referential
and symbolic
1.
2.
Enigmatic code: questions posed and their eventual
resolution (or non-resolution); minor enigmas e.g. who
is this new character?; major enigmas e.g. will the
hero(ine) defeat the monster?
Action code: certain actions are coded so that the
reader immediately understands what is happening
(e.g. in film look in rear-view mirror means character
thinks she is being tailed)
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Barthes Narrative Codes 3
3.
4.
5.
Semic code: visual or sound units of meaning (semes)
and their connotations
Referential code: references to knowledge e.g. other art
works, media, history, geography, politics, architecture,
fashion, social conventions, etc.
Symbolic code: major structuring themes of the text often
expressible in binary opposites and expressed through
characters, actions, setting, style, sound, etc.
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Narrative Codes 4
Colin McArthur suggests two other codes:
6.
7.
Cinematographic codes: codes of cinematography, miseen-scène, editing, sound
Absence code: where something remains unspoken or
unvisualised e.g. due to ideological reasons or
censorship (e.g. implicit rather than explicit violence)
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Booker’s 7 (or 9) Basic Plots
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Overcoming the monster
Rags to Riches
Quest
Voyage and Return
Comedy
Tragedy
Rebirth
+
 Rebellion against ‘The One’
 Mystery
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Booker’s 5-stage structure
Underlying structure moves between
constriction and expansion:
1. Hero constricted
2. Hero on road to fulfilment
3. Hero constricted by strength of dark power and
own limitations
4. Final confrontation
5. Reversal and liberation – grip of darkness broken
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