FILM THEORIES RESEARCH FOR THE GENRE

BY: VERA OSEI

TVZETAN TODOROV( NARRATIVE FILM THEORIST: NARRATIVE STRUCTURE)

Tvzetan Todorov is a Franco- Bulgarian philosopher. He lived in France since 1963 with his wife and two children.

He loved writing books and essays about thought history, culture theory and literacy theory.

He has published a total number of 21 books including the poetics of prose in 1971.

Equilibrium: it is a narrative that starts with a state of harmony, example a group of people enjoying their live.

Disequilibrium: it is a world of stability which involves disruption, example when an evil event happens to character in a movie.

New Equilibrium: it is when the evil in a movie is removed and it restores harmony.

Film explaining tvzetan’s theory THE SHINING

This describes equilibrium as it has the character enjoying himself because he thinks that everything is perfect.

It contrast with disequilibrium because it has some disturbing images in the middle the movie

This links with new equilibrium as it shows a peaceful atmosphere between the characters

Claude Levi-Strauss

Binary Opposition: This is a sophisticated but important idea that will help you understand how ideas and meanings are being shaped, created or reinforced in a text. It is 'a theory of meaning' and an idea that can be applied to all texts; it is especially useful when analysing poetry where meaning has been 'compressed' into a very few words.

Texas chainsaw

This scene is clearly used to illustrate fear and danger. Close up shot of his face explains what is happening in the scene without the audience not even seeing the next stage

This particular scene shows the audience a basic understanding of the movie which links to the binary opposition

VLADIMIR PROPP

Characters and their purpose in propp’s theory. The villain (struggles against the hero) The donor (prepares the hero or gives the hero some magical object) The (magical) helper (helps the hero in the quest) The princess (person the hero marries, often sought for during the narrative) Her father The dispatcher (character who makes the lack known and sends the hero off) The hero or victim/seeker hero, reacts to the donor, weds the princess

Misery

This scene shows the character been played by this woman as a care taker of the sick or a doctor.

This scene shows a character of a man losing his family and ends up in an accident as he tries to escape the true world.

HOW THE THEORIES LINK TO OUR GENRE

• The genre links to the theories as the themes used in all the theories are included in the decision making, suspense, disgust and fear been created by the group.

THE END