Narrative Film Industry

Ive put together a general plan for a

Narrative questionlucky you!
Possible questions
A1.Explorethe narrativestructureof your
three main texts.[30]
A2.How importantarecharactersto the
narrative of your three main texts?[30]
A2.How conventionalis the
narrativestructureof your chosen texts? [30]

RecapNarrative
http://mediauxbridgea2.blogspot.co.u
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Saturday Night Sunday morning narrative

Chronological, linear narrativeunlike
Fruitvale although social realist too (maybe due
to Fruitvales hybrid of Drama/ American better chance of success?)
The progress of the plot is the same as it
would be experienced no flashbacks or
substantial jumping ahead.A linear
narrativesocial realist cinema adhere to
conventional narrative structures to make the
story more realistic.

Todorovs theory
The film could be analysed usingTodorovs
theoryof narrative organisation:
Equilibrium Mundane life
Disequilibrium Brenda gets pregnant
Equilibrium gets with Doreen throws a stone/Mundane
life
InNARRATIVEterms the story is always told in a linear
way, with events unfolding around the central
characters rather than with plots and sub plots and
several narrative strands as in soaps Etc. This links to
Social realism realistic (how we see life) allows us to
focus on the main issue. Remember SR has close ties to
documentary genre, so this structure helps to
document Arthurs life and the same for Oscar.

Use of voiceover
Use of voiceover Arthur says Dont let the bastards
grind you downIm up for a good time all the rest is
propaganda said in a strong northern accent.
The use of voice over gives clues to his character and the
narrative of the film. We can tell from the beginning that
Arthur is an Angry young man (New wave directors)/
rebel (Teddy boys/ mods and rockers). We can here his
inner voice which links to genre of Social realist as it gives
a voice to the working class and also northerners (not like
the films of the time e.g. Ben Hur due to the
Hollywood studio system. Even British films of the
time represented the green and pleasant idealised
vision of Britain.)
angry, anarchic confrontation with thealienation of
manual labour?

Action codes (Barthes)

Action codes (Barthes) Brenda
getting pregnant some audiences could
identify - as the pill and abortion was
illegal. Reflected social concerns.
Highlighted by the merry go round scene
at the fun fair Arthur jumps out the cart
leaving the women holding the baby!

Binary opposition
Binary opposition Jack and Arthur or
Doreen and Brenda (Binary opposition Levi
Strauss) allows the audience to see each
character more clearly and defined also helps
to drive the story through conflict. E.g. Jacks
appearance is conservative in the opening
scene Vs. Arthur's scruffy unkempt. Also the
mode of transportation Motorbike sidecar Vs.
Push bike. We can also link to the motorbike
to Jack being ground down (nearer to the
floor).

Narrative
You never know who your audience is before you start.
Was it the right film at the right time? Nobody knows.
This quote essentially sums up the brunt challenge that faced
British New Wave filmmakers. Was the topic of the film suited
to viewing on the big screen? Was the story that these
filmmakers were telling valid? The filmmakers certainly had
courage and determination.
For mainstream classic cinema, its usually natural causes
(floods earthquakes) or societal causes (wars, economic
depression etc.) may cause as the determinant or
preconditions for the actions (Move the narrative forward).
However in these films in Britain, the catalyst of the story is
almost always the individual, and their consequences and/or
rewards of their actions, rather than social groups or
collectives.

Why do you think these sorts of films

were popular in the early 1960s?
It was the first time that the ordinary people live in ordinary two
up, two down[1] houses, speaking in local accents had an
opportunity to see their lives reflected on the big screen.
We were emerging from a period of rationing, there was still very
much a climate of austerity. They werent bland advertisements
for British way of lifethey were rough edged, and unpolished.
revelation when it was first shown. Not only because of its
realistic elements, but for its portrayal of sex, extra- marital
affairs, strong language, and, most contentious of all, abortion.
The cultural context is very particular. The development of
popular culture (pop culture), teenagers, youth riots. Politics was
in the air, and certainly in filmmaking. Even students, who often
dont have much of a political say, were very politicised.

SNSM
1: How do Arthur and his mate
initially react to the window
smasher?
2: Why do they change their
minds?
3: Why do think the man
smashes the window?
4: What does this scene say
about 1960s Britain?

 http://mediauxbridgea2.blogspot.co.u
k/p/saturday-night-and-sundaymorning.html

Narrative
Overall, the New Wave cinema movement rejected the
idea of the traditional story in the sense of Classic
Hollywood, which were mainly narrative based with
structures from earlier books and theatre. The new wave
filmmakers did not hold your hand through the film. They
wanted to break up the narrative with a jolting
experience to make it youthful and stimulating. To
make viewers think, not only about what exactly it
is that they are watching, but their own lives, and
their own emotions. The object was not just to entertain,
but mainly to communicate.
Uses & gratifications? Audience theories? Narrative
theories?

Starter
What were people angry about

What was changing?

 What other binary oppositions?

active participation v cultural

passivity
Rebel v conformist

Rebel v conformist
Work examples?
The final scene of the film shows Arthur to be caught
between rebellion and being ground down
(conform) as he looks down on a new housing estate
with girlfriend Doreen where she hopes they will
live once they are married. In a final piece of
rebellion, and much to Doreens angst, Arthur
throws a stone at a billboard saying it wont be
the last one Ill throw which is open to several
readings. On one hand Arthur still wishes to be
independent but yet the symbolism of Arthur throwing
the stone suggests that he is still bitter towards
consumerism and aspects of modernity proving
that there is still recklessness in spite of him being
ground down.

active participation v cultural passivity (due to

mass culture)

Arthur is clearly at odds with the newfound

mass culture which is demonstrated through
Arthurs relationship with his father
passive thanks to the television set and is
clearly immersed with the television . Arthur is
bitter towards his fathers passiveness and
declares his parents to be both dead from
the neck up and they are like a lot of
sheep in regards to the consumerism which is
heightened with Arthur wanting to be a free
spirit and not ground down by tradition .
effects debate passive v active!

Tradition vs Modernity
Arthurs hatred towards Mrs Bull
can be seen as disturbing. He calls
her a bitch and a whore
suggesting extreme antagonism
towards the older generation.
This is another example of Arthurs
rebellious nature and clearly shows
that he is disrespectful and has no
time for the older generation as
they represent tradition.

AYM ideology
Males who are at odds with the
dominant middle-class ideology
of traditional and traditional
values are deemed to be rebels
(Spicer, 2003:145). The angry
young man archetype arose from
those that were against the
establishment.
From a Marxist POV Marxism

Introducing
Marxist
Media Theory
A2 Media
Studies
Media Issues,
Debates and
Theories-

Objectives:
Define and explain selected ideas from
within Marxist theory.

Demonstrate how these ideas can be

used to help analyse media texts.

Background:
Marx was an economic theorist who
wrote during the 19th Century.
His ideas deal with social and economic
power relationships and have been
influential in economics, politics and
sociology and can be very useful for
media students.

Key Ideas:
Power was held by a minority (the elite or bourgeoisie) who had access to
capital and could use their money and power to generate more wealth.
The majority of the population (the mass or proletariat) had only their
labour (strength and time) to help them make a living.
Industrialisation had meant that the elite were the only ones who had
access to the means of production.
Without the ability to produce for themselves, the mass were dependent
on the elite for survival.
To maximise profits, the elite needed to get as much labour from the
mass for as little cost as possible.
The elite needed the mass to accept their position as powerless workers.

So, in effect

Elite

POWE
R

Mas
s

I.S.A.s
Although Marx did not live to see the rise
of the mass media in the 20th Century,
Marxists came to see the media as part
of the ideological power structure (the
ideological state apparatus or ISA) and
claimed the media was party to the
construction and maintenance of ideas and
values that supported the capitalist
system.

False Consciousness
The ISA can work in a number of ways to
create false consciousness - the belief in
ideas and values as truths when in fact
they are constructed ideologies which
support the power base.

Exam Hint:
Theory is only useful if it is used to
analyse media texts. Never simply
describe theory - always relate the
ideas of a theory to examples from
texts to show how the theory helps to
explain the meanings created by
media texts.