英语电影赏析Chapter 3-Narrative

Subplot
Restricted / Unrestricted Narration Momentum
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Introduction

Narrative refers to the way that a story is told. It is principally connected with the way that events are organized in time and space ---- the way in which the scriptwriter and director take the raw elements of a story and arrange them in the most attractive and interesting way. Hollywood has developed its own set of informal principles to guide the creation of film narratives; it has also evolved relatively well-defined structure for their organization. Narratives differ according to the position of the spectator about the story information, with the effect that narratΒιβλιοθήκη Baiduon may be more or less ‘restricted’ or ‘unrestricted’. Effective narratives require that forward movement and interest in future events that we call momentum.
1. Achilles --- the story of the seemingly invulnerable (不 会受伤的) hero with a fatal flaw. Classical tragedy is
usually a variant of such story. (e.g. Superman)
5. Faust --- the story of an individual who sells his soul to the devil, enjoys a brief period of power and prosperity, but eventually is called upon to repay the debt; the story can also take the form of the dark secret that can never be completely suppressed, or the personal history that cannot be evaded (逃避) (e.g. Wall Street)

The key distinction between story and plot is that: Story is the viewer‟s imaginary construction of all the events in the narrative --- whether presented to us or not --- while plot is the film‟s actual presentation of certain events in the narrative.
2. Candide --- the story of the innocent abroad, the naively optimistic hero who triumphs contrary to all expectations. (e.g. Forrest Gump) 3. Cinderella --- the story of the „dream comes true‟ (e.g. Pretty Woman)
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Hollywood
The Classic Hollywood Narrative System (CHNS) The basic principles are as follows: 1. The Hero / Protagonist --- the center of the narrative; the major causal agent in the film; throughout this process, the audience is encouraged to identify with the protagonist and share his point of view. 2. Cause and Effect --- Events in the film are strictly related according to the logic of cause and effect. Coincidences and other „uncaused‟ events are rare. 3. Omniscient Narration (全知叙述) --- The overall effect is of narrative objectivity. The audience will also be given a broader perspective from which they can form a more objective view of the events.
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Exercise

State which of the 9 stories form the basis for the following films: The Silence of the Lambs, Four Wedding and a Funeral, The Lord of the Rings.
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The Basic Stories
8. Tristan --- the love triangle; the „third
party‟ is usually a person, but it may be
something more abstract (e.g. a cause, a mission, a destiny, etc ) (e.g. The Graduate) 9. The Wandering Jew --- the story of the
2. Story --- all the events that we see and hear, plus all those that we infer or assume to have occurred 3. Plot --- All the events that are directly presented to us



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Narrative, Story, and Plot

Narrative, story, and plot are the basic terms used when analyzing the narrative structure of a film.
1. Narrative --- a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space
Appreciating Cinema
Chapter 3 ---- Narrative
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Contents

Narrative, Story, and Plot
The Basic Stories
The Classic Hollywood Narrative System (CHNS) The Classic Three-Act Linear Structure Alternative Narrative Structures
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The Basic Stories
6. Orpheus --- the story of the gift / happiness that is taken away; it can focus on the tragedy itself or the search that follows the loss (e.g. Born on the
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The Classic Hollywood Narrative System (CHNS)
Story
in itself is of little cinematic value until it is worked up into a coherent plot. has developed over the years a set of widely accepted narrative principles and conventions, which have been called the „Classic Hollywood narrative System (CHNS)‟, the „Classical Hollywood Cinema‟, and the „Classical Design‟.
Fourth of July)
7. Romeo and Juliet --- the classic ‘star-
crossed lovers’ (命运不佳的伴侣) story in
which a major obstacle stands in the way of true love (e.g. Ghost)
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The Basic Stories

Some writers argue that there are a limited number of stories that form the basis for all fictional narratives.
Those stories have been named
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The Basic Stories
4. Circe --- the ‘chase’ story in which an innocent victim is pursued by the villain, until the villain is defeated by the potential victim --- the basis of horror films, thrillers, and film noir (e.g. the Alien films)
persecuted or alienated traveler who
will never return home (e.g. The English Patient, Apocalypse Now)
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The Basic Stories

They can occur alone or in combination. These story categories should be interpreted quite loosely. (e.g. the Faust story --- the story of an individual who sells his soul to the devil, but this devil is not a usually a literal devil but a metaphorical one --- i.e. money, success, power, or fame. the „Wandering Jew‟ story --- it is rarely the story of a Jew as such <本身>; much more often it needs to be interpreted more broadly as the story of an individual who is alienated from <远离> his society and can never properly reintegrate. )

Think of an example of a well-known film that combines a number of the basic stories.
Do Chinese films also depend on the 9 basic stories? Consider, for example, 《幸福时光》 《活着》《大红灯笼高高挂》《手机》.