Narrative theory studies the devices and conventions governing the organisation of a story (fictional or factual) into a sequence. Narrative especially that of film and TV, has an immense ability to manipulate our awareness of time and place e.g. flashbacks, replays of action and slow motion.
There are 2 main modes of narrative which need to be structured.
1. The narrative of events e.g. - A hero shoots an enemy agent, dives into a lake, triggers a remote control device which will destroy the enemy submarine.
2. The narrative of drama e.g. - The heroine has a tense argument with the hero and decides that she is going to leave. Nothing has happened in terms of events but a lot has happened dramatically.
Restricted narrative can be used to surprise an audience e.g. when a character does not know what's waiting around the corner and neither does the audience. A degree of unrestricted narrative can be used to build suspense, as the audience are anticipating the events to come, of which the character has no knowledge.
[Francois Truffaut, Hitchcock (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967) pg 52]
Using Narrative to make meaning in film
Stories are very important in helping us to make sense of our lives and the world around us. Bordwell and Thompson point out different ways in which we are surrounded by the story form. An example would be as a child we listen to fairy tales and myths. Reading material as we progress becomes short stories, novels, history and biographies.
Most of the films we see at the cinema are narrative films, films that tell a story. Even films which are factual often employ story methods to get this point across. We are so steeped in the narrative tradition that we approach a film with certain expectations, whether we know anything about the story or not. For example: we expect the opening to give us information about whom, what and where. We expect there to be characters that interact with each other. We expect to see a series of incident, which are connected with each other. We expect problems and conflicts. Finally we expect the ending to resolve the action or cast new light on what has happened.
As the viewer watches a film, they pick up cues, recall information, anticipate what will follow, and generally participate in the creation of the film's form. The film shapes the particular expectations by summoning up curiosity, suspense, and surprise. The viewer also develops hunches about the outcome of the action; these may control our expectations right up to the end. The ending has the task of satisfying or cheating expectations prompted by the film as a whole.
[Bordwell D. and Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction, 1993]
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