Here is a brief summary of four key narrative theories, which I’m sure will help me to improve many aspects of my own thriller:

Claude Levi-Strauss- Binary Oppositions

Levi-Strauss introduced the theory of binary oppositions, believing they were a useful way to help understand the production of meaning within narratives. He trusted that these opposite elements helped to construct meaning. To clarify, he felt that for every meaning connoted there were connotations of its opposite meaning within the film narrative.

Common examples of binary oppositions in film narratives include:

good v evil

hero v villain

rich v poor

fear v happiness

male v female

dirt v cleanliness

Binary oppositions are clearly unique to each specific film, but binary oppositions also vary within film genres . E.g. Westerns have binary oppositions such as, sheriff v outlaw and Homesteader v ‘Red Indians’.

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes

Barthes decided that films are made up of narrative codes. He stated specifically that action and enigma codes were used to create suspense in the narrative.

Action Codes are just the actions which lead to other events. The suspense is created by the action in the film as we want to know what will happen next. In ‘Scream’, for example, we see the villain with the knife and want to know if the victim is going to escape.

Enigma codes are those elements of the film that raise questions in the audience’s mind. The suspense is created as the audience asks the reason for such an event. In ‘Memento’, for example, the main character has ‘find him and kill him’ tattooed on himself. We as an audience want to know why he wants to find and kill this person.

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure:

1. The fictional environment begins with a state of equilibrium, (the normal).

2. Then it suffers a disruption, known as the disequilibrium.

3. The end of the narrative sees a new equilibrium produced.

Below are the five stages the narrative follows, however this structure is non linear-more a circular structure:

• a state of equilibrium (the normal)

• a disruption by an event

• recognition of the disorder

• an attempt to repair the disruption

• a new state of equilibrium

The narrative of the film is driven by efforts to restore the equilibrium, (there is always more than one disruption). However, the final narrative equilibrium is much altered from that of the original equilibrium due to the impact of these disruptions. For example, the death of a character or the blossoming of a relationship will affect the final equilibrium. Todorov also states that the disruption is usually outside of the normal social framework – ‘out of the ordinary’, for example a murder or a serial killer living next door.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

Vladimir Propp identified eight common character roles:

1. The villain

2. The hero -or character who seeks something, is motivated by a lack of something such as money. The hero doesn’t have to be conventionally heroic; they can be bold or cowardly, male or female etc.

3. The donor- provides something significant

4. The helper- aids the hero

5. The princess (not just female) - the heroes or heroines reward, and part of the villains plans.

6. Her father- rewards the hero.

7. The dispatcher- sends the hero on their way

8. The false hero

Propp’s theories provide a greater interest when these rules are broken, and this is when an audience particularly notices them. The best example that comes to mind of this rule breaking is in ‘Psycho’. We are lead to believe that Marion Crane is the heroine but she is then killed midway into the film!