Deconstruction of Narrative concepts and theory

Deconstruction of Narrative concepts and theory

Within film there are many different and contrasting theories and ideas about what and how a films narrative should effect their audience and the form in which they do so.

Vladimir Propp's Theory of Narrative

Vladimir Propp's theory states that characters in the films narrative take on different roles through 'spheres of action' that are split up into different sections.

• Hero: Usually a male who restores the narrative equilibrium
• Villain: Typically creates narrative disruption and disequilibrium
• Donor: Aids the hero through giving them something whether it be tangible or intangible to help resolve the narrative
• Helper: Helps the hero with the action of restoring equilibrium
• Princess: Also known or perceived as the victim is the character most threatened by the villain as is saved at the pinnacle moment in the narrative. 
• Dispatcher: Is the person who instructs the hero on their task of restoring the equilibrium in the narrative.
• False Hero: appears to be good but is revealed to have been throughout the narrative at the end.

In terms of our trailer, and story board narrative, we will only be conforming to the Victim and Villain. This is because our protagonist is not a hero because he does not go into the business, he goes in with the best intentions of becoming wealthy and living an affluent lifestyle.

Moreover, he can then be seen as the victim of the corruption in the business world and due to him feeling threatened and trapped by the situation that he is in, feels its imperative he conforms to the type of lifestyle people in the business world live.

Therefore, it could concluded that the villain in the trailer are the big institutions of business who through their oppression and corruption cause the chaos in society and within individuals minds like our protagonists.

Tzvetan Todorov's Theory of Narrative

Todorov suggest that conventional narrative are strutted in five stages

1. A state of equilibrium at the out set
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. A recognition that there has been disruption
4. An attempt to repair the disruption 
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium

Our trailer subverts this theory but conforms at the start as we have an explicit equilibrium. Todorov’s theory is then subverted by our trailer from a sudden change in mood to disequilibrium that in the story has the title of 'but fly to close to the sun and you'll get burned'. The reasoning for this is that in a teaser trailer you have to engage the audience and did so through leaving enigmas in the trailers form.

Modular Narratives in Contemporary Cinema by Allan Cameron

Modular Narratives "articulate a sense of time as divisible and subject to manipulation"

Cameron has identified four different types of modular narrative:

• Anachronic 
• Forking Paths
• Episodic
• Split Screens

Anachronic modular narratives involve the use of flashbacks and/or flash forwards, with no clear dominance between any of the narrative threads. These narratives also often repeat scenes directly or vie a different perspective. Examples include: Pulp Fiction and Memento.

In our story board we have included a flash-forward, to create disequilibrium, through an extreme close up of protagonist looking in a mirror with cocaine visible on his nose to show how the corruption in business is destroying his life. 

Barthes' Codes

A text is like tangled ball of threads which needs unravelling so we can separate out the colours. Texts may be open or closed.
With out narrative, in the story board we have the character presented as successful through the mid shot of him with money flying around him implying he may be successful but can help in joining in the corruption 

Where as in other scene the institution is scene as corrupt and the cause of chaos in society. 
This is demonstrated through the blurred long shot of London city at night that through cross cuts becomes un-blurred to illustrate the falsity in the business and its not until you see it clearly that you see what really happens.