Film Topics: Story Mr. Skaar ALHS Film Studies

Introduction Aristotle defined two types of storytelling: Mimesis (showing) Diegesis (telling) Cinema combines both forms of storytelling making it a very complex medium with a wide range of narrative techniques at its disposal.

Topics of Discussion Narratology The Spectator The Classical Paradigm Realistic Narratives Formalistic Narratives Nonfictional Narratives Genre and Myth

Narratology Narratology is the study of the “forms” that the “message senders” use to communicate with “message receivers.” Problem: Who is the “message sender?” –Realistic films: Implied author is invisible. –Classical films: Author keeps low profile –Formalistic films: Author overtly manipulative to maximize thematic idea

The Spectator Audience (spectator) reacts to story according to conventions: –Era (old West, medieval, ancient, etc.) – Genre (mystery, love story, etc.) –Film’s Star –Film Title –Early stages of the film establish narrative limits (credits, music, early exposition scenes) –Spectator must sort all of this (clues) out to determine where the story is going.

The Classical Paradigm Described by Aristotle in his Poetics: –Exposition –Protagonist/Antagonist –Conflict –Rising Action –Climax –Resolution (falling action) –Closure

Realistic Narratives Supposedly not manipulative, but actually are—subtlety Slice of life, ordinary people, slow developing Other characteristics: –Non-intrusive implied author reports objectively— avoids judgments –No stale conventions, stock situations—rather unique, specific –Frank, shocking, brutal (honest) –Anti-sentimental, rejects happy endings –Avoids melodrama, favors understatement –Scientific, rejects romantic notions of Destiny

Formalistic Narratives Revel in artificiality –Time, characters scrambled –Intruded on by the author –Interrupted by lyrical interludes—pure style

Nonfiction Narratives Documentary –Deal with facts, real people –Reporting the world of events and people –Cinéma Vérité –Not completely objective—subjectivity in selection of facts and details Avant-Garde –Difficult to generalize—variable –Disdain any recognizable subject matter

Genre and Myth Genre –Specific type of film (war, gangster, science fiction, western, musical, etc.) –Follow conventional expectations –Easy to imitate (satirize) Myth –Myths embody the common ideals and aspirations of a civilization—reinterpreted by filmmaker. –Archetype (The Innocent, etc.)

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