once upon a time… · roland barthes (french semiologist) five different codes • action e.g. a...

Once upon a time…

• “Once” - A world set in the past

• “upon a time” - in a time that is not now.

Narrative has been central to human experience since prehistoric times The sailor or travelling journeymen – stories from faraway lands The Farmer – stories of local tradition. Stories were a blend of both.

What does this phrase really mean to us? “Once” invites us into the narrative world which is set in the past “upon a time” Situates us in a world we know is different to our own, in a time that is not now.

Narratology is a branch of Structuralism that studies the nature of ‘story’ rather

than individual tales in isolation

The way the story is told

What is Narrative? The way the story is told

The way the meaning are constructed so the audience understands

Different medias construct meanings in different ways, using different conventions that are appropriate

Where do we see /hear stories?

• Through talk, ‘gossip’ and chat.

• Novels or short stories • News is papers or on

TV and radio • TV Programmes • Films • Advertisements • The internet

We find them in

• Plot • Structure • Setting • Character • Imagery • Themes • Language

a. crime conceived

b. crime planned

c. crime committed

d. crime discovered

e. detective investigates

f. detective reveals a, b, c

story (FABULA)

All events including backstory.

plot (SYUZHET)

Events that you see when you watch the movie

Plot (SYUZHET)– the edited, ordered, packaged and presented narrative. The events directly incorporated into the action of the text and the order in which they are presented. A plot consists of the events that you see when you watch the movie.Story (FABULA)– chronological events. All events referenced explicitly in a narrative and inferred (backstory or those projected beyond the action). A story consists of the events that you remember after the movie is over.

Rocky

Plot: The champ, Apollo Creed, needs a new opponent when his scheduled opponent pulls out due to injury. In a decision of promotional genius, Creed gives a title shot to down-on-his-luck journeyman Rocky Balboa on the country’s 200th anniversary. Rocky goes on to shock the world by going the distance with Creed in a competitive fight. Story: Rocky, the underdog, overcomes great odds to find love and self-worth in going the distance with the champ.

Plot: Vidya Bagchi, a pregnant woman is searching for her missing husband in Kolkata during the festival of Durga Puja, assisted by Satyoki "Rana" Sinha (Parambrata Chatterjee) and Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Story: A woman fighting to avenge the death of her husband.

“Narrative is a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship occurring space and time” Bordwell & Thompson Causality – why things happen. Cause and effect mentioned Cause and effect not mentioned Space – where things happen Story space Plot space Time – when things happen

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Five-stage narrative structure• Exposition – setting scene and introducing characters

▫ Little Red Riding Hood has to take food to grandmother who is ill • Development – situation develops, more characters

introduced ▫ She sets out through woods where wolf is lurking

• Complication – something happens to complicate lives of characters ▫ She meets wolf, he delays her and rushes ahead and ties up grandmother

• Climax – decisive moment reached; matters come to head; suspense high ▫ She arrives, comments on size of grandmother’s ears, etc., Wolf eats her up

• Resolution – matters are resolved and satisfactory end is reached ▫ Wolf falls asleep, passing forester investigates noise, rescues grandmother

from cupboard and Red Riding Hood by cutting Wolf’s stomach open

Control of time

• Story time • Plot time • Screen time • Real time • Analepsis - Flashback • Prolepsis – Flash

forward • Chronological

Story time - The story time is the length of the entire story. Order, duration and frequency of all the events pertinent to the narrative whatever they are shown to us or not. Plot time - shows us selected story events but refers to others. It usually covers a shorter span. Screen time - screen time is the length of the film. Real time - For example, if a movie told in real time is two hours long, then the plot of that movie covers two hours of fictional time. Analepsis - Flashback Prolepsis – Flash forward Chronological

Narrative mode Diegetic (telling) Mimetic (showing)

Narrative mode Mimetic (showing) – the direct presentation of speech and action Diegetic (telling)- the verbal representation of events

Redaction

Focalization - the perspective through which a narrative is presented

External - focus on visible, external aspects of events and characters.

Internal - focus on the thoughts and feelings of characters and analyses and interprets their actions.

Zero focalization – narrator (omniscient narrator) sees and knows everything that happens within the world of the story, including what the characters are thinking and feeling.

Focalization - the perspective through which a narrative is presented External - The narrator focuses on visible, external aspects of events and characters in the narrative. Internal - The narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of characters and analyses and interprets their actions. Zero focalization – narrator (omniscient narrator) sees and knows everything that happens within the world of the story, including what the characters are thinking and feeling

Authorial Persona

Overt narrator • direct or indirect

reference to self • “Dear reader,. . . .” • Intrusive Covert Narrator • Non intrusive Heterodiegetic - not a character in the narrative Homodiegetic - a Character in the narrative

Authorial Persona Overt narrator direct or indirect reference to self direct or indirect address to a narratee: “Dear reader,. . . .” amplification of the story with reader-friendly details delivers philosophical or moral comments Intrusive Dramatised

Covert Narrator Non intrusive Non dramatised

Heterodiegetic - not a character in the narrative Homodiegetic - a Character in the narrative

Open NarrativesEg. Television and radio soap operas

More relevant to films and cinema

Closed Narratives

Open Narratives Eg. Television and radio soap operas No sense of ending – could go on for ever Characters shift in and out of narrative More than one story line Time is more chronological and more with the ‘world time’ Characters develop according to audience demands

eg Coronation Street reaching its fifteeth year Narrative function – eg this weeks villain may become next weeks hero... Christmas day programmes are shown on Christmas day – also references to events happening in the ‘real world’ eg the election Audiences are assumed to have different kinds of memory, and knowledge of a long running soap. Magazines, television, the press often speculate about actors’ contracts and thus the fate of characters.

Closed narrative

The audience watch with the likely ending in mind small number of central characters Identifiable traits Greater depth arranged in a ‘hierarchy’ of importance Compressed time Times and events are special to the story Closed Narratives More relevant to films and cinema ‘Tight’ reading involved; audience aware it’s watching a complete story and therefore reading with the likely end in mind

Roland Barthes (French semiologist)

five different codes

• Action e.g. a shoot-out.

• Enigma – puzzle or riddle to be solved.

• Symbolic – connotation

• Semantic – denotation • Cultural – e.g. “the

mafia culture.”

Barthes’ Codes Action – a narrative device by which a resolution is produced through action, e.g. a shoot-out. Enigma – a narrative device that teases the audience by presenting a puzzle or riddle to be solved. Symbolic – connotation Semantic – denotation Cultural – a narrative device which the audience can recognise as being part of a culture e.g. a “the mafia culture.”

Vladimir Propp (The Morphology of the Folktale, 1928)

• Russian formalist • 31 Functions • 8 Character types • Spheres of Action

stories are character driven and plots develop around characters

31 Narrative Functions

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0. Initial Situation: There’s a family or a hero living somewhere.

Harry Potter, a seemingly ordinary boy, lives with his hostile relatives, the Dursleys, in Surrey

1. Absentation: A member of the family is dead, kidnapped or lost. Something’s missing from the hero’s life.

Voldemort kills Harry's parents

2.Interdiction: Someone tells the hero “Whatever you do, don’t…” (open the door, go into the woods, etc.)

For his cousin Dudley’s birthday, the Dursleys and Harry go to the zoo, but before they leave, Mr. Dursley tells Harry not to do any funny stuff while they’re there

3. Violation of Interdiction: The hero does exactly what has been forbidden, or fails to do something he’s been told to do.

In the Reptile House, Harry talks to one of the snakes, and Dudley pushes him out of the way. Angry, he performs magic without meaning to, releasing the snake and trapping Dudley

Propp’s Functions

The Initial Situation: There’s a family or a hero living somewhere. 1. Absentation: A member of the family is dead, kidnapped or lost. Something’s missing from the hero’s life. 2. Interdiction: Someone tells the hero “Whatever you do, don’t…” (open the door, go into the woods, etc.) 3. Violation of Interdiction: The hero does exactly what has been forbidden, or fails to do something he’s been told to do. 4. Reconnaissance: The villain, perhaps tipped off by Function III, seeks information about the hero. (Or the hero may seek information about the villain.) 5. Delivery: The villain gets information about the hero. Or the hero gets information about the villain, perhaps brought by an informant. 6. Trickery: The villain uses information to deceive or trap the hero, or to steal something. 7. Complicity: The hero is tricked, or unwittingly helps the enemy. 8. Villainy or Lack: The villain does harm to the hero or someone close to him or her; or something vital to the hero and hero’s world is missing. 9. Mediation, the Connective Incident: A dispatcher makes misfortune or lack known to the hero; the hero is approached with a request for help, sent on a mission by the dispatcher, or released from captivity. 10. Beginning Counter-Action: Usually a verbal declaration of the hero’s intent. 11. Departure: The hero leaves home to undertake the adventure. 12. First function of the Donor: The hero meets a “donor” who first tests or questions him, perhaps even attacks him. 13. Hero’s Reaction: The hero passes the test, or else fails temporarily. It might take three tries, but he or she passes the test eventually. 14. Receipt of a Magical Agent: The hero receives weapons, equipment, magical powers, or transportation from the Donor, or wins the support of an ally or helper. 15. Guidance: The hero is transported or guided to a new land where lies the object of his search. 16. Struggle: The hero and villain do battle, match wits, play cards, etc. or the hero struggles to replace what is lacking. 17. Branding: The hero is visibly wounded in the battle, or is branded or marked somehow after the battle, or receives a token like a ring or scarf, which will later prove his victory. 18. Victory: The villain is defeated. 19. Liquidation: The harm done by the villain is healed or whatever was lacking is restored. 20. Return: The hero heads for home, or for the court of a king. 21. Pursuit: The hero is pursued by the villains relative or associate. 22. Rescue: The hero is rescued or rescues someone. 23. Unrecognized Arrival: The hero is not recognized on arrival at the destination. 24. Unfounded Claims: A new villain claims credit for defeating the first villain or claims the right to marry the princess/inherit the kingdom. 25. Difficult Task: The princess (or her father) sets a difficult task for the hero, or the hero must compete with the false claimant to do the task. A series of three tasks is not uncommon. 26. Solution: The hero manages to perform the difficult task(s), often with the aid of a magical helper or agent. 27. Recognition: The hero is recognized because he or she was able to perform the task(s) or because someone sees the brand or token proving that he or she defeated the villain. 28. Exposure: The villain fails to perform the task or otherwise is revealed to be an imposter. 29. Transfiguration: The hero acquires a new appearance. He or she is magically transformed or receives new garments symbolizing a new status. 30. Punishment: The (second) villain is punished by the princess or her father. 31. Wedding: The hero marries the princess or takes possession of all or half of the kingdom.

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4. Reconnaissance: The villain, perhaps tipped off by Function III, seeks information about the hero. (Or the hero may seek information about the villain.)

Harry wonders why he is famous in the Wizarding World and Hagrid tells him why.

5. Delivery: The villain gets information about the hero. Or the hero gets information about the villain, perhaps brought by an informant.

Voldermont’s attack on Harry rebounded, leaving only a lightning-bolt scar on Harry's forehead and rendering Voldemort powerless

6. Trickery: The villain uses information to deceive or trap the hero or to steal something.

In Diagon Alley, he meets several witches and wizards who all know his name, including Professor Quirrell.

7. Complicity: The hero is tricked or unwittingly helps the enemy.

Harry concludes that his Potions teacher, Severus Snape, is trying to obtain the stone

Propp’s Functions

The Initial Situation: There’s a family or a hero living somewhere. 1. Absentation: A member of the family is dead, kidnapped or lost. Something’s missing from the hero’s life. 2. Interdiction: Someone tells the hero “Whatever you do, don’t…” (open the door, go into the woods, etc.) 3. Violation of Interdiction: The hero does exactly what has been forbidden, or fails to do something he’s been told to do. 4. Reconnaissance: The villain, perhaps tipped off by Function III, seeks information about the hero. (Or the hero may seek information about the villain.) 5. Delivery: The villain gets information about the hero. Or the hero gets information about the villain, perhaps brought by an informant. 6. Trickery: The villain uses information to deceive or trap the hero, or to steal something. 7. Complicity: The hero is tricked, or unwittingly helps the enemy. 8. Villainy or Lack: The villain does harm to the hero or someone close to him or her; or something vital to the hero and hero’s world is missing. 9. Mediation, the Connective Incident: A dispatcher makes misfortune or lack known to the hero; the hero is approached with a request for help, sent on a mission by the dispatcher, or released from captivity. 10. Beginning Counter-Action: Usually a verbal declaration of the hero’s intent. 11. Departure: The hero leaves home to undertake the adventure. 12. First function of the Donor: The hero meets a “donor” who first tests or questions him, perhaps even attacks him. 13. Hero’s Reaction: The hero passes the test, or else fails temporarily. It might take three tries, but he or she passes the test eventually. 14. Receipt of a Magical Agent: The hero receives weapons, equipment, magical powers, or transportation from the Donor, or wins the support of an ally or helper. 15. Guidance: The hero is transported or guided to a new land where lies the object of his search. 16. Struggle: The hero and villain do battle, match wits, play cards, etc. or the hero struggles to replace what is lacking. 17. Branding: The hero is visibly wounded in the battle, or is branded or marked somehow after the battle, or receives a token like a ring or scarf, which will later prove his victory. 18. Victory: The villain is defeated. 19. Liquidation: The harm done by the villain is healed or whatever was lacking is restored. 20. Return: The hero heads for home, or for the court of a king. 21. Pursuit: The hero is pursued by the villains relative or associate. 22. Rescue: The hero is rescued or rescues someone. 23. Unrecognized Arrival: The hero is not recognized on arrival at the destination. 24. Unfounded Claims: A new villain claims credit for defeating the first villain or claims the right to marry the princess/inherit the kingdom. 25. Difficult Task: The princess (or her father) sets a difficult task for the hero, or the hero must compete with the false claimant to do the task. A series of three tasks is not uncommon. 26. Solution: The hero manages to perform the difficult task(s), often with the aid of a magical helper or agent. 27. Recognition: The hero is recognized because he or she was able to perform the task(s) or because someone sees the brand or token proving that he or she defeated the villain. 28. Exposure: The villain fails to perform the task or otherwise is revealed to be an imposter. 29. Transfiguration: The hero acquires a new appearance. He or she is magically transformed or receives new garments symbolizing a new status. 30. Punishment: The (second) villain is punished by the princess or her father. 31. Wedding: The hero marries the princess or takes possession of all or half of the kingdom.

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8. Villainy or Lack: The villain does harm to the hero or someone close to him or her; or something vital to the hero and hero’s world is missing.

Voldemort killed Harry's parents

9. Mediation, the Connective Incident: A dispatcher makes misfortune or lack known to the hero; the hero is approached with a request for help, sent on a mission by the dispatcher, or released from captivity.

On his eleventh birthday, Harry learns from a mysterious stranger, Rubeus Hagrid, that he is actually a wizard

10. Beginning Counter-Action: Usually a verbal declaration of the hero’s intent.

On his eleventh birthday, Harry learns from a mysterious stranger, Rubeus Hagrid, that he is actually a wizard

11. Departure: The hero leaves home to undertake the adventure.

Hagrid reveals to Harry that he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

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12. First function of the Donor: The hero meets a “donor” who first tests or questions him, perhaps even attacks him.

The twin wand to the person who gave him his lightning bolt scar, and Hagrid purchases an owl as a birthday present for Harry

13. Hero’s Reaction: The hero passes the test, or else fails temporarily. It might take three tries, but he or she passes the test eventually.

As Slytherin is noted for being the house of darker wizards and witches, Harry successfully begs the magical Sorting Hat not to put him in Slytherin

14. Receipt of a Magical Agent: The hero receives weapons, equipment, magical powers, or transportation from the Donor, or wins the support of an ally or helper.

Harry buys a wand from Mr. Olivander

15. Guidance: The hero is transported or guided to a new land where lies the object of his search.

After buying his school supplies from the hidden wizarding street, Diagon Alley, Harry boards the train to Hogwarts via the concealed Platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station

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16. Struggle: The hero and villain battle, match wits, play cards, etc. or the hero struggles to replace what is lacking.

One night, he, Ron, and Hermione find a giant three-headed dog on the Forbidden Corridor on the Third Floor at the school. Ron and Harry successfully take down an escaped mountain troll

17. Branding: The hero is visibly wounded in the battle, or is branded or marked somehow after the battle, or receives a token like a ring or scarf, which will later prove his victory.

Harry is nearly knocked off his broom (also Struggle) by a powerful curse during one of the Quidditch matches (which he wins by catching the snitch

Harry gets branded with a lightening shaped scar as a child.

18. Victory: The villain is defeated.Quirrell then tries to take the stone but Harry grabs his face, causing Quirrell to turn into dust and die

19. Liquidation: The harm done by the villain is healed or whatever was lacking is restored.

Harry wakes up in the school's hospital wing, with Professor Dumbledore at his side. Dumbledore explains that the stone has been destroyed and that both Hermione and Ron are fine

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20. Return: The hero heads for home, or for the court of a king.

Before Harry and the rest of the students leave for the summer, Harry realises that while every other student is going home, Hogwarts is truly his home

21. Pursuit: The hero is pursued by the villains relative or associate.

Harry is pursued by Quirrell.

22. Rescue: The hero is rescued or rescues someone.

Rescuing Hermione from the mountain troll after Harry is nearly knocked off his broom

23. Unrecognized Arrival: The hero is not recognized on arrival at the destination.

In the final room, Harry finds out that it was not Snape who wanted the stone, but the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Quirrell

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24. Unfounded Claims: A new villain claims credit for defeating the first villain or claims the right to marry the princess/inherit the kingdom.

25. Difficult Task: The princess (or her father) sets a difficult task for the hero, or the hero must compete with the false claimant to do the task. A series of three tasks is not uncommon.

26. Solution: The hero manages to perform the difficult task(s), often with the aid of a magical helper or agent.

Quirrell then tries to take the stone but Harry grabs his face, causing Quirrell to turn into dust and die

27. Recognition: The hero is recognized because he or she was able to perform the task(s) or because someone sees the brand or token proving that he or she defeated the villain.

At the end of year feast, Dumbledore gives last minute house points to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville for their bravery and smarts

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28. Exposure: The villain fails to perform the task or otherwise is revealed to be an imposter.

While trying to get Harry to answer what he has seen in the mirror, Quirrell removes his turban and reveals Voldemort to be living on the back of his head

29. Transfiguration: The hero acquires a new appearance. He or she is magically transformed or receives new garments symbolizing a new status.

Harry is transformed when he gets his wand.

30. Punishment: The (second) villain is punished by the princess or her father.

Quirrell then tries to take the stone but Harry grabs his face, causing Quirrell to turn into dust and die

31. Wedding: The hero marries the princess or takes possession of all or half of the kingdom.

Gryffindor wins the house cup

Propp’s Theory - 8 Character Roles/ Types

1. The hero (who has a quest)2. The villain (struggles against the hero,

tries to stop him completing his mission.)3. The donor (prepares the hero or gives

the hero some magical object)4. The helper (helps the hero in the quest)5. The princess (the heroes reward)6. Her father (gives the hero his reward for

completing the quest)7. The dispatcher (character who makes

the lack known and sends the hero off)8. The False Hero (takes credit for the

hero’s actions)

Tzvetan Todorov (1939)• Bulgarian theorist • Narratives … – follow a linear pattern – events follow a chronological order – characters pass through a series of stages – solve a problem

Sanjay Singhania (Amir Khan) is in love with Kalpana (Asin)

Sanjay Singhania’s (Amir Khan) life is ruined by a man called Ghajini who killed his love and also damaged his brain.

He suffers from short-term memory loss and lives his life by writing notes, clicking pictures and sketching tattoos on his body just to take revenge from the man Ghajini.

Sanjay finally kills Ghajini, in the same way Ghajini had killed Kalpana.

Sanjay volunteers at an orphanage named after Kalpana and is finally at peace with himself forever.

Claude Levi-Strauss (28 November 1908 – 30 October 2009)

Anthropologist

• Binary oppositions - there is the constant creation of conflict/opposition that propels the narrative forwards

• Opposition can be visual (light/darkness, movement/stillness) or conceptual (love/hate, control/panic good/evil.)

• Narratives can only end on a resolution of conflict.

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Examples of binary opposites• Good vs evil • Black vs white • Boy vs girl • Peace vs war • Civilised vs savage • Democracy vs

dictatorship • Conqueror vs conquered • First world vs third world • Domestic vs foreign/

alien • Articulate vs inarticulate • Young vs old • Man vs nature

• Protagonist vs antagonist

• Action vs inaction • Motivator vs observer • Empowered vs victim • Man vs woman • Good-looking vs ugly • Strong vs weak • Decisive vs indecisive • East vs west • Humanity vs

technology • Ignorance vs wisdom

Film Genres

Film GenresFilm genres are identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that have similar techniques or conventions such as:

▪ content ▪ subject matter ▪ structures ▪ themes ▪ mood ▪ period ▪ plot ▪ settings

▪ recurring icons ▪ stock characters ▪ narrative events ▪ situations ▪ motifs ▪ styles ▪ props ▪ stars

Film GenresPrimary film genres include the following:

▪ Action ▪ Adventure ▪ Crime ▪Horror ▪Science Fiction ▪War

▪Westerns ▪Dramas ▪Epics ▪Romance ▪Comedy ▪Musicals

Sub-genresAre identifiable sub-classes within the larger film genre, with their own distinctive subject matter, style, formulas, and iconography.

ACTION• high energy, • big-budget • physical stunts and chases, • rescues, battles, fights,

escapes, • races against time • crises featuring non-stop

motion, • break-neck rhythm and

pacing.

Action Sub-genres

▪ spy ▪ espionage ▪ political thrillers ▪ martial arts films ▪ races against time

ADVENTURE• exciting stories,

• new experiences

• exotic locales,

• very similar to or often paired with the Action film genre.

Adventure Sub-genres

▪ swashbucklers ▪historical ▪expedition films ▪ treasure hunts ▪ disaster films ▪ strange mysteries

Adventure Sub-genres

▪ swashbucklers ▪historical ▪ expedition films ▪ treasure hunts ▪ disaster films ▪ strange mysteries

CRIME• sinister actions of

criminals, mobsters, bank robbers, underworld figures, and ruthless hoodlums

• operate outside the law, • steal and murder their

way through life.

Crime Sub-genres

▪ gangster films ▪ detective films ▪ film noir ▪ mysteries ▪ serial killer films ▪ suspense films ▪ thrillers ▪ courtroom dramas ▪Heist movies

Crime Sub-genres▪ gangster films ▪ detective films ▪ film noir ▪ mysteries ▪ serial killer films ▪ suspense films ▪ thrillers ▪ courtroom dramas ▪Heist movies

Crime Sub-genres

▪ gangster films ▪ detective films ▪ film noir ▪ mysteries ▪ serial killer films ▪ suspense films ▪ thrillers ▪ courtroom dramas ▪Heist movies

HORROR

• designed to frighten and to invoke our hidden worst fears,

• captivates and entertains us at the same time

• a cathartic experience. • often have a terrifying,

shocking finale,

Horror Sub-genres

▪ slasher ▪supernatural ▪ teen terror ▪satanic ▪ monsters

Horror Sub-genres

▪ slasher ▪ supernatural ▪ teen terror ▪satanic ▪ monsters

SCIENCE FICTION

• quasi-scientific, • visionary and imaginative • heroes, aliens,

extraordinary monsters • distant planets, quests,

fantastic places, • new technology, • Sci-fi films often feature

multiple genres.

Sci-Fi Sub-genres

▪ futuristic films ▪ visionary ▪ horrific

▪ graphic novels ▪ medical miseries ▪ devil machines ▪ mad science ▪ space invaders

WAR MOVIES• War films acknowledge

the horror and heartbreak of war,

• the actual combat fighting (against nations or humankind) provide the primary plot

• or background action for the of the film.

• on land, sea, or in the air

War Sub-genres

▪ war dramas ▪ military operations ▪ anti-war films ▪ POW stories ▪ military training

WESTERNS

• Westerns are the major defining genre of the American film industry

• a eulogy to the early days of the expansive American frontier.

• They are one of the oldest, most enduring genres with very recognizable plots, elements, and characters.

Western Sub-genres

▪ epic Western ▪ the 'singing cowboy' ▪ the "spaghetti" Western ▪ contemporary Western ▪ revisionist Western ▪ comedy Western ▪ "post-apocalyptic"

DRAMA

• Dramas are • serious, • plot-driven films,

• portraying realistic • characters, • settings, • life situations,

• stories involving intense character development and interaction.

Drama Sub-genres

▪ melodramas ▪biographical films ▪ sports films ▪ road movies ▪ “guy” films

Drama Sub-genres

▪ melodramas ▪biographical films ▪sports films ▪ road movies ▪ “guy” films

Drama Sub-genres

▪ melodramas ▪ romance ▪ biographical films ▪sports films ▪ road movies ▪ “guy” films

EPICS• Historical or imagined event, • mythic, legendary, or heroic

figure, • extravagant setting and

lavish costumes, • grandeur and spectacle • dramatic scope, • high production values, • sweeping musical score.

Epic Sub-genres

▪ historical dramas ▪ costume dramas ▪period pictures ▪ religious films

Epic Sub-genres

▪ historical dramas ▪ costume dramas ▪period pictures ▪religious films

ROMANCE

• Love stories • Focus on passion and

emotion • Affectionate

involvement of main characters.

• Their journey through obstacles

• Realization of love

Romance Sub-genres

▪ Romantic tragedy ▪Romantic comedy

Romance Sub-genres

▪Romantic tragedy ▪Romantic comedies

COMEDY

• light-hearted plots

• deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter

• Exaggerated • situation, • language, • action, • relationships • characters.

Comedy Sub-genres

▪ slapstick ▪ screwball ▪ spoofs ▪black comedy ▪ satirical comedy

MUSICALS

• Cinematic forms that emphasize full-scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way,

• films that are centered on combinations of music, dance, song or choreography.

Musicals Sub-genres

▪ Broadway musicals ▪ musical comedy ▪ concert films ▪ performance films ▪ music biographies

However…• Not all theories can be applied to all

media texts! • Use the right tool to analyze the right

narrative

Once upon a time…

• Write down quickly what story you expect to happen after the line below.

• ‘It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.’

once upon a time… · roland barthes (french semiologist) five different codes • action e.g. a...

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