UNIT 22
Todorov’s narrative theory outlines the basic 5 parts to a story:
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A state of equilibrium
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A disruption to the equilibrium
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Recognition that the disorder has occurred
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Attempt to repair damage
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Return to a new equilibrium
These parts can be shifted and changed however the storyteller/filmmaker would like.
Linear
A linear narrative is a story in which all its events happen in chronological order. This means that a film with a linear narrative would tell its story in the exact order suggested by Todorov’s narrative theory.
Non-Linear
A non-linear narrative is told by jumping around in time and altering the order in which the original narrative occurred. There are various films which tell their story through a non-linear narrative.
Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fictions scenes have been switched around and do not correspond to the order in which the events occurred. For example; the first scene is actually happens way before the second scene in the narrative, but within the film has been placed at the very beginning.
https://apairoftools.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/pulp-fiction-story-analysis-part-i/
The decision to make a film non-linear is often for creative purposes and can provide tension and keep audiences hooked if done correctly. Even though non-linear is disrupting the structure of a narrative, its still must have a certain organization to it for audiences to understand. This structure can be introduced perhaps through ‘Flashbacks’ where the film momentarily transitions to an earlier point in the film but soon returns to its original narrative structure. Flashbacks will also often have a change in color grading or lighting to visually separate it from base narrative.
Realist
Realist film refers to the verisimilitude of its events and characters. Realist films aim to make its narrative believable to audiences and often to relate to its audience and provide perspective of real life situations.
Anti-realist
Anti-realism is when the narrative and its events and characters are quite implausible to reality. It aims to provide viewers with a fantasy, often an escape from the dullness of real life.
Open-Ending
An open ending in film is when the audience is left to produce its own conclusions with the clues it is presented. This is often a technique filmmakers use to engage the audience and have them thinking about the film after the viewing. It keeps the audience asking questions and also allows for a smoother transition into a possible sequel. A great example of an open ending is the one in ‘Prisoners’ directed by Denis Villeneuve.
In ‘Prisoners’ a father searches for his abducted daughter by kidnapping a suspect and torturing him for answers. This leads him to the house where his daughter is held captive, however once he gets there he is shot in the leg and thrown into a pit where all he has is a whistle. The film ends with a faint whistle coming from under the ground, leaving audiences wondering if him and his daughter will ever be found and rescued.
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls066753583/mediaviewer/rm2941453312
One issue with open endings however, is that audiences can often be left unsatisfied especially having waited for the whole duration of the movie for answers and perhaps a clear definitive outcome. An open ending does not mean ending the film without any sort of result. There must be a glaring difference and change from the original equilibrium to the new equilibrium and an open ending is just an end to one story arc and a beginning to another.
Closed Ending
A closed ending is when a film or episode ends with no confusion and almost all questions posed at the beginning answered. There is no ambiguity in a closed ending. Closed endings will most of the time leave audiences satisfied, however if your goal is to produce a following film or episode, an open ending would be a better option in terms of interesting your audience.
