story is plot, however a narrative is the techniques used to tell the story - how it is structured.
2. What narrative theories can you name?
Binary opposition.
Plot of Life of Pi- A young indian boy is thrown into a different world of adventure and fantasy where he has to quickly adapt to life in the confines of a boat with a Bengal tiger, Zebra, hyena and Orangutan. The story follows the young man and his journey back to civilisation and the greatest story of a lifetime.
Key theory 1: Tim O'Sullivan et al. 1998
All media texts tell us some kind of story. Through careful mediation, media texts offer a way of telling stories about ourselves (as a culture) - these are ideologies.
In Life of Pi, the wider meaning of the film is to accept what you are given and make the most of it - in addition to this there is also a sense of friendship and education being the two things you need for a successful life. Pi had Richard Parker and a learnt ability to keep himself safe from danger.
The standard Hollywood narrative structure should have:
"Linearity of cause and effect within an overall trajectory of enigma resolution"
A high degree of narrative closeure. A fiction world that contains verisimillitude especially governed by spatial and temporal coherence .
In Life of Pi the enigma would be Richard Parker and Pi being stuck on the boat together which is a potential life threatening circumstance - this engima has a resolution when RP is returned back to the jungle with the help of Piscine during which time a friendship developed and a deeper understanding between man and beast. At the beginning of the film and toward the climax, PI and RP demonstrated aggressive behaviour towards one another how ever it was the patience and growth of friendship that helped solve the enigma.
Key Theory 3: Tzventan Todorov (1977)
stage 1. A point of stable equilibrium.
stage 2. This stability is disrupted by some kind of force, which creates a state of disequilibrium.
stage 3. Action directed against the disruption
stage 4. Restoration of a new equilibrium.
My film doesn't follow the theory exactly because there is no equilibrium as as the begining of the film Piscine is rather unhappy about moving away from his first love to live in a different country. However there is further Disequilibrum when the boat capsizes and an action against the distruption when he attempts to train Richard Parker.
Key Theory 4: Claude Levi-strauss (1958)
Binary opposition Eg; good versus evil.
Man vs. Beast
Human vs. Nature
East vs. West
Key Theory 5: Vladimir Propp (1928)
All narratives features stock characters and that audiences understood stories because of such features
villian/antagonist
Hero/protagonist
Helper/supporter (sidekick)
Princess (the prize for the hero - not necessarily a person) one that is rescued, saved or helped.
Life of pi consists of a Hero protagonist - Piscine and a Princess - Richard parker . Piscine essentially delivers RP back to the jungle and sets him free. Originally RP was being transported presumably for a circus and this turn of events managed to set him free. a blessing in disguise.
Key Theory 6: Roland Barthes (1977)
Narrative codes:
Enigma codes work to keep setting problems or puzzles for the audience.
Action codes work to inform the audience in terms of what is happening in the next scene/shot.
Enigma codes for life of pi:
clip one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9NBPPIEb0M 0.17 - this is an example of an enigma code as it gives the setting for 'why is he writing it down?' and 'what is he going to do with his notes?'
clip two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRXNEQ62yU0 0.08 - sets a puzzle for the audience of why has he got a pencil and what is he going to do with it?
clip three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD-xIq8BV10 0.51 - the fish falling onto the bpat also works as an enigma code as it leaves the audience questioning where the fish came from and what is going to happen accordingly.
Action codes for Life of Pi:
Clip one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD-xIq8BV10 0.41 - PI reaches for the weapon in order to attack something - this is follwed up in the following scenes
Clip two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD-xIq8BV10 0.51 - The fish dropping onto the boat gives an inclination that more are to come
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