film narrative

1. Scream film narrative
Narrative is the account of events that are connected together to make a story. The
narrative is the telling of the story and represents a sequence of events, the story then
revolves around the main event that happens. Todorov's narrative theory suggests that all
narratives follow a three part structure. This begins with the equilibrium, where everything
is normal and as should be, then comes along the disruption that disturbs the equilibrium,
and finally a resolution is reached, when the equilibrium is restored. In Scream the story
follows Todorovs narrative theory. The opening scene of the film clearly shows the
conventions of a horror film as it is set in an abandoned and dull house. The main character
is a young, blonde girl which reinforces her vulnerable situation. When the phone rings it
creates an uncomfortable atmosphere as the person on the other end of the phone is not
the normal type of person, however main character Casey begins to flirt with the guy on the
phone. This is ironic as it is a horror film. Iconography is used as the knives in Casey’s kitchen
are repeatedly shown, which can foreshadow that something sinister may happen with
those knives in the film. The phone call is the state of the equilibrium as the young girl Casey
is at home just cooking popcorn preparing for a night in. However, when the protagonist on
the end of the phone starts carrying out more direct and sinister events, such as attacking
Casey’s boyfriend in the garden, this shows the disruption of the plot. Casey’s cosy night in
with her boyfriend is then destroyed and disrupted as events soon turn for the worse. The
use of Casey turning the patio light on shows her eagerness to find out who the mystery
man is on the phone and as she is locking all the doors it shows her fear and her method to
protect herself. Then Casey hits realisation as the killer is shown. The guy on the end of the
phone appears to wear a mask which continues the mystery of who the killer is. This
disguise keeps the audience feeling on edge and makes Casey feel unsettled as she realises
the severity of the situation she is in. Moreover, there is a chase scene set outside Casey’s
house, in attempt to find the killer. This is an example of attempting to restore order, as
they are trying to resolve the horrific events by catching the killer. The characters attempt to
repair the damage by catching the killer to stop him killing more people. Finally at the end of
the film, the killers are revealed and a new equilibrium is restored. The killers are revealed
as Billy and Stu and they admit to killing other people in the past. After the killers are found,
the plot makes an attempt to go back to how it was before. Overall Scream has used
Todorov’s approach to narrate the filmas it moves from equilibrium to disturbance and
then back to a new equilibrium.
Furthermore Propp suggested that every narrative has eight different character types. These
are the villain, dispatcher, helper, princess/ prize, father, donor, hero and the false hero. In
Scream many of these characters are used and follow Propps theory. The main character
that is shown in Scream is the villain that drives the plot. According to Propp the villain
opposes and acts against the hero. This is the protagonist within in the film and is the evil
figure that murders people whilst wearing a mask. In Scream Stu and Billy are the false
heroes. This is because at the end of the film they are revealed as the killers that has been

2. hiding his identity behind the mask whereas beforehand they were trustworthy characters.
However he has been acting normal towards his girlfriend and everyone else, emphasizing
his sinister and cruel characteristics. According to Propp’s theory the false hero disrupts the
hero’s success by making false claims. The victimis a blonde innocent young girl. This
enforces her vulnerability as she is young and open to the situation. She is wearing a lose
fitting white jumper and is at home, which is the correct environment and style clothing for
a young girl. However she is being targeted by an evil killer. Propp’s hero character is
displayed by the policeman that investigates with the gun in a dark house. This is because of
the bravery of the policeman and his success in finding out whom the killer is. To Propp the
hero is the person that is seeking something. In scream this is the policeman looking for the
killer. Likewise Sydney is the hero as she helps to work out who the killer is. Sydneys mum is
the dispatcher as when she dies it sends Sydney on a mission to find out who the killer is.
Moreover Dewey is the helper as he aids Sydney in her mission to defeat the killer.
Levi Strauss looked at narrative structure and themes in texts in terms of Binary oppositions.
In Scream Stu and Billy seemall sweet and innocent however at the end they are revealed
as the killers. A main way of understanding the narrative of a film is to look at the way it
reinforces conflict. Levi Strauss thought conflict was caused by the constant creation of
opposition. In a filmthese can be visual for example Casey in Scream moving from the light
room to the dark room could represent her innocence at one stage then her vulnerability in
another as she is the main target for the killer. Moreover, as events prolong her body
becomes ridge and stiff as she is aware of the uncomfortable situation she is in. At the start
of Scream Casey is on the phone having a casual phone call, she is walking around the
house, leaning on the cabinets as if everything is fine. Towards the ends of the phone call
Casey becomes aware of her surroundings and feels quite trapped, she takes slow steps
around the house and is cautious of the guy on the phone. Or in a film they can be
conceptual for example the binary opposition of control/panic. At the start of the opening
scene of Scream Casey has control of the phone call and is playing around with the male on
the end of the phone. She is acting quite flirtatious and enjoys the control she has over the
male’s emotions. However, the caller’s voice soon turns serious and sinister and Casey
realises it is not just a normal controlled phone call. Casey begins to panic and loses her
ability of control. She starts rushing around the house in mad panic after seeing what the
guy on the phone has done to her boyfriend. Likewise Levi Strauss thought that conceptual
oppositions could be to do with the soundtrack in films. For instance, in the Scream opening
scene the background music is quite quiet and chilled making the audience feel relaxed as
Casey remains relaxed. However the music and soundtrack soon pick up and build up louder
which creates tension and the audience can quickly realise events are turning for the worse.
As the killer reveals his first attack on Casey’s boyfriend the backing sound is upbeat, fast
and repetitive which makes the audience feel on edge and they can understand the severity
of the abnormal situation. Scream is a perfect example of the corruption of society, as there

3. are major threats to social order and a valued system is destroyed. In Scream a main theme
is insanity, this is shown through character Billy as he is revealed as the killer at the end of
the film. However throughout the filmhe remains sane which leaves everyone confused and
unaware of his true identity. Finally as main character Casey appears to be sexually
inexperienced it represents the binary opposites of innocence vs. evil. This is because Casey
is only a young teenager and has less experience than other characters; however the evil
protagonist uses her as the first target.
In conclusion all theories are useful as it helps to find meaning within films. By comparing
the theories with films it is easy to realise how they are used to create a successful
narrative. The most useful theory is Todorovs narrative theory because it creates a
successful filmas there is a moral and constant action happening. The state of equilibrium
can create verisimilitude for the audience as it is just normal balanced life, however when
the disruption occurs it makes the film more entertaining and engages the audience more.
In contrast the least useful theory is Propp’s theory of eight characters. This is because it is
irrelevant and not every film contains all eight of the characters Propp states. Similarly, not
always the stated characters behave the way Propp believed and stated. Therefore, the
characters can be observed differently by different people in films. Doing this task has
helped me to come up with ideas for when I make my own horror film. This is because
Todorovs narrative theory has helped me to come up with an idea of a major event
happening which will cause a disruption to the plot, this will drive the narrative and control
the whole film. Likewise Levi Strauss use of binary opposites shows a clear change of mood
and atmosphere. Therefore I will use this in my horror film as it emphasizes the situation
turning negative and sinister from a normal casual event. For example, the lighting going
from light to dark and an innocent character is vulnerable due to evil.