URBAN STORIES

Revision lesson 3 Formal Comparison

What are the formal elements?

M I S E E D I T I N G N S A R E M A C E E V I T A R R A N E C H A R A C T E R

D N U O S

Narrative Theory
What is narrative?
The structure given to a story or plot Achieved through the editing of different shots together

Why do you need to know narrative theory?

The structure chosen directly affects the nature of story telling Can impact on the messages and values of the director especially in terms of narrative endings Can affect our involvement with and enjoyment of a film Is constructed through the use of formal elements

FOR EACH OF YOUR CASE STUDY FILMS YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONFIDENTLY IDENTIFY HOW THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE, NARRATIVE TYPE, NARRATIVE CODES & NARRATIVE ENDING EFFECTS THE MESSAGES AND VALUES IN THE FILM.

 Analysed folk stories in Russian film. Some stock characters have a narrative function & provide structure for the text.
The Hero a character that seeks something The Villain The Donor who provides an object with magical properties The Dispatcher who sends the hero on his quest The False Hero who disrupts the heros success The Helper - aids the hero The Princess acts as the reward for the hero Her Father

PROPP

Specific actions that perform a narrative function are:

Preparation / Complication / Transference / Struggle / Return / Recognition

HOW DO THE FILMS YOU HAVE STUDIED SUPPORT OR CHALLENGE THE STOCK CHARACTERS IDENTIFIED BY PROPP? CAN WE SEE ANY OF THEM IN FILMS?

TODOROV
All narratives follow a three part structure.
1. 2. Equilibrium - everything is balanced, progress and then something comes along and creates Disruption to the equilibrium, events occur in response to the disruption to finally reach a Resolution, when equilibrium is restored.

3.

The narrative is usually a chronological / LINEAR sequence of themes, motives and plot lines

The plot explains why the storys events occur.

HOW DO THE URBAN STORIES WE HAVE STUDIED SUPPORT OR CHALLENGE THIS STRUCTURE?

NARRATIVE TYPES
A RESTRICTED NARRATIVE
We experience the story through the senses and thoughts of just one character. Almost always the main character The narrative cannot tell the audience things that the focal character does not know

AN OMNIPRESENT NARRATIVE
a panoramic view of the world of the story looking into many characters and their experience within the plot not just one characters point of view, tells the feelings of every character. Looks into the broader background of a story, from a number of contexts. Used for stories in which the context and the views of many characters are important

Barthes - NARRATIVE CODES

ENIGMA Codes
This is also known as The hermeneutic code any element in a story that is not explained
exists as an enigma for the reader, raising questions that demand explication.

Most stories hold back details in order to increase the effect of the final revelation of truths. Audiences tend not to be satisfied by a narrative unless all "loose ends" are tied; A complex narrative can frustrate the early revelation of truths, offering the reader "snares" (deliberate evasions of the truth), the audience have to keep watching until the enigma is solved.

Barthes - NARRATIVE CODES

ACTION codes
Also known as The proairetic code An Action code refers to any action that implies a further narrative action (one action causes another in response)

Eg: a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. We wait to see if he kills his opponent or is wounded himself. Suspense is thus created by action rather than by a reader's or a viewer's wish to have mysteries explained.

ALLOF THE FILMS WE HAVE STUDIED RELY HEAVILY ON ACTION CODES TO DEVELOP THE NARRATIVE CITIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ACTION AND THEREFORE THE ACTION THAT OCCURS IN THEM LEADS TO OTHER ACTIONS THAT OUR PROTATAGONISTS ARE CAUGHT UP IN AS CONSEQUENCES... WHAT ARE THE MAIN ACTION CODES THAT OCCUR IN EACH FILM & HOW DO THEY DEVELOP THE NARRATIVE?

NARRATIVE ENDINGS
Open endings Open Endings are a great way to infuriate an audience! As a story-telling technique, they are unsatisfying for most audiences: the pay-off of the films conflict never arrives (especially if it is driven by enigma codes) Writers using this device often do so because there's no real possibility of a solution to the problem and conflict the film explores. By leaving any major conflict unresolved, the writer can force the audience to confront the themes in a film. Closed endings Most commonly found narrative ending in films. Films generally exist as one unique story They contain a beginning, middle and an ending. A story is unravelled before an audience, and then ultimately brought to a conclusion.

WHAT IMPACT DOES THE NARRATIVE ENDING HAVE ON EACH OF THE FILMS YOU HAVE STUDIED? HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE MESSAGE OF THE FILM AND HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THE PROTAGONIST(S)?

Directors visual style

Why is awareness of the directors visual style important?
It tells us something about the directors approach to film making Can reflect the way in which they construct the messages and values of wider themes in their film

How do I address this in the exam?

Identify and offer reasons for how choice of certain camerawork, sound, editing and mise-enscene:
Construct a specific narrative Construct a specific characterisation of the city & main characters Communicate certain messages and values about power, poverty and conflict.

As Tears Go By, Wong Kar Wai

OVERVIEW
First full length feature film Tale of two low key gangsters Mean Streets of Hong Kong in Late 1980s

NARRATIVE
Mostly linear narrative structure but time elapsed not clear due to extensive use of ellipses Combines gangster / romance genre Characters are anti-heroes who face tragedy in some form as a consequence of environment (John Woo influence)

FORMAL STYLE (Begins to establish a signature style to his storytelling)

Slow / accelerated motion Jump cuts & use of ellipses Use of musical cues to denote characters and emotions / mixes 80s Western pop culture with Cantonese songs Step printing (filming at lower frame rate and then speeding footage up) Mise-en-scene evokes energy of city East meets West / 80s Pop Culture / seedy & violent life of the Triads Subdued / minimal lighting

RECURRENT THEMES (Establishes early themes in his work)

Pain of loss and remembrance Exchange of goods & services as basis of relationships Relationships as transient they come and go with passing of time part of our history

La Haine - Matthieu Kassovitz

Overview Neo-realism politically committed 1st feature length film Narrative Fragmented narrative structure over 24 hours but follows linear pattern Open ended and narrative driven by action codes Formal style Sound use of hip-hop & rap juxtaposed with French songs to reinforce urban youth sub-culture Sound dialogue lexicon / expressions TECI silenced through subtitles less political impact on foreign viewers as a result Mise-en-scene banlieus, costume reflects urban youth sub-culture, graffiti tags, high rise estates, concrete, masculine & male dominated Editing disruption of time through elipses, juxtaposition of long takes with quick pace Camera spatial constraints through framing and choice of shot typesjuxtaposition between wide angled long shots and tight framed mid shots, close ups and 2 or 3 shots / use of the zido to bring background & foreground together back to the eiffel tower as it zooms in reinforces their disassociation from Paris as a beautiful City Recurrent themes Xenophobia ; unemployment; social fracture of the have & have nots Suburban youth culture of the ghettos facing ruling ideology of French culture.

Gegen die Wand, Fatih Akin

Overview
1st feature length film / 7th production Hamburg based production company Corazon Internationa 1st Generation German Turk , driven by themes rather than stylistic experimentation

Narrative
Linear narrative structure but time elapsed unclear due to use of ellipses Open ended Driven through action codes

Formal style
Sound cultural mix of Turkish and Western soundtrack to show music can offer forms of multicultural bonding Mise-en-scene Cities of Istanbul & Hamburg We never really see Hamburg landmarks, it could be any European city estates, high rises, bars & nightclubs, hospitals, buses, cars etc...grey and dingy, a place of escape for Cahit and Sibel. Istanbul as one of cultural tradition, gender divides, kebab shops but with a darker subversive side similar to Hamburg. Mersin as utopia and a place of cultural roots. Editing characterised by lots of jump cuts & quick pace, juxtaposed with long takes and long shots with wide frames when Cahit arrives in Turkey Camera spatial constraints through framing and choice of shot types

Recurrent themes
Idea of multi-culturalism and the importance of finding a balance between cultures.

Lilya-4ever - Lukas Moodysson

Overview 4th film Importance of realism & use of actors Interest in Christianity Narrative Linear narrative, unspecified time scale through use of ellipses Closed narrative ending Narrative driven by action codes Can apply some of Propps stock characters an ironic take on the fairytale Formal style Camera handheld documentary style, lots of long and extreme long shots to show environment juxtaposed with close ups to show Lilyas feelings about her environment. Mise-en-scene reinforces the realism though use of high rise estates, evident material poverty, derelict buildings to show former imperialism of Soviet Union, grey and overcast sky, birds, roads and cars, basketball, drugs, cash important props Sound reinforces the realism & drama of the film and mostly non-diagetic / Russian pop music in the clubs and use of German metal to give feel of being hit by a bulldozer Recurring themes Realism, issues around Christianity, idea that life on earth for some people can be hell and death is a preferred option

Similarities in formal Style

Narrative
All films rely primarily on action codes life in the city as active and characters face consequences of actions that occur in their environment ATGB & L4E closed ending / LH open & closed / HO open ending L4E begins with flash forward but other 3 films all linear in structure but feel fragmented as time elapsed is unclear and extended use of ellipses reinforces this

Camera
Hand held cameras in all 4 films, give sense of realism Very tight frames used on close ups and medium shots to give sense of entrapment Wide angle shots and extreme long shots to show relentlessness of the City and prevalence of high rise estates and houses of the cityscape Lots of tracking and movement contrasted with still long takes, sense of the fast pace of city life but how it can be boring or characters want to stop LH and ATGB experimental with camera style & shot types LH microlite to get ariel view of banlieu / zido of Eiffel Tower ATGB varied choice in film stock used / extended tracking shots in snooker hall / juxtapositon of high & low angles

Similarities in Formal Style

Editing
Play with passing of time through ellipses only in LH is length of time passed clear through use of sub-titles suggests we can loose track of time in the city / there is a lot to do in a short space of time Juxtaposes pace very fast quick cuts with very long takes and moments of stillness life in the city as fast paced and continuous but the cycle of activity can be boring Lots of jump cuts city life as uncertain and spontaneous

Sound
Use of sound to reinforce the realism & drama in the films Diagetic and non-diagetic sound reinforce the context of time and place and ideas of conflict Sound tracks also reinforce youth / sub & popular culture in the films Reliance on sub-titles for foreign audience silences the dialogue & some of the context as we rely on sub-titles for meaning.

Similarities in Formal Style

Mise-en-scene
Location
Concept of an alternative location to the city as a place of ideal escape LH = the banlieu and the City of Paris / ATGB = Kowloon & Lantau Island / HO = Hamburg / Istanbul & Mersin / L4E = Estonia & Sweden (or America) only Cahit in HO is able to escape.

Settings
Run down city apartments / high rise blocks / derelict buildings / Cities & related suburbs / police stations or offices of those in positions of authority

Costume
Reflects realism of lives of the characters ATGB = reflects status in Triad Hierachy / LH reflects their participation in French youth sub-culture / HO reflects Cahits anarchy & depression / L4E = reflects her material poverty

Similarities in Formal Style

Mise en scene continued:
Props
recurring props of significance guns, cars, police cars, money, cigarettes, alcohol and drugs also specific material possessions that offer insight into the characters. Trees, bars, walls, grafitti and roads as props that characterise the city

Lighting
Mostly used to reinforce realism of the films dull, grey, gritty life in the City LH in b&w / ATGB use of lighting filters - yellow, blue, red- to reinforce emotion

Composition
Use of rule of thirds, very tight frames to offer feeling of entrapment for the characters or the feeling of city as a place full of strangers Wide angles and shots of the sky to hint at a restricted freedom the mass of the city but the expanse of the sky above to offer some hope.

Exam questions
What is the importance of mise-en-scene and / or sound in creating meaning and generating a response in the films you have studied? How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques?

Explore how stylistic choices contribute to the representation of the urban experience in the films you have studied for this topic