A Whole Other World From My Knowledge of Film :)

       For A majority of my blogs, I have focused on the technical aspects of films ranging from muse-en-scene, cinematography, and editing. However, there is much more to films then the technical aspects. For example, who would pay to see a move that has no story, I most certainly would not. Today, I would like to take this time and talk a little bit of something that is a completely other world to me...Narratives. 

According to Film Experience by Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White, a narrative is “the emotional, physical,  or intellectual perspective through which characters, events and actions” (228).  In film there are many different types of narrative. A narrative can be broken into sub categories: plot and story. A plot is “orders the events and actions of the story according to particular temporal and spatial patterns, selecting some actions, individuals, and events and omitting others” (234). This is very often compared to a story, which is “the subject matter or raw materials of a narration, with the actions and events” (234). In other words, I feel that in terms of music, a story is like the original composition and the plot is how one can chose to arrange it. 

One of the driving factors of a narrative is the characters. The character in a story is usually able to be broken down into three models: values, actions, and behaviors. I would like to use the character Rick from Casablanca to explain this. Rick is known for being selfless man in terms of his value of whom he is such as a “gin-joint” owner who is tough and can throw a good party. The actions of Rick is he is torn by Ilsa coming into his establishment and in the end wants the best for her, so he lets her fly away with Ilsa to America. The last is behavior, which is he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Going further, the change that this character undergoes shows that he is developed. For example Sam is consistent the entire film, Rick changed from whom he was in the beginning of the film. However, Rick is developed because he goes from this tight, not concerned about anyone man to a compassionate man. He is though able to keep some of the same traits though.

I would like to briefly talk about the structure of plots. One of the things that film goes are so accustomed to is  how the story progresses. One of the more traditional forms is the linear chronology, which is when events take place one after another. For example, the Godfather is able the events after the daughter’s wedding. Another type of structure is the deadline structure, where something has to occur at a very specific time. I like to think of the movie, even though it is very laughable, 12 Rounds because each of the steps much occur in order for a man to same his wife’s life. Casablanca is a good example of plot order because flashbacks and flash forwards take place with Rick and Ilsa. Lastly, I would like to mention the classic Hollywood narrative, which is the one that we are most familiar with it’s one or more character that lead the story that go to achieve something (263).  I will end there with my very brief attempt of narratives.