DPHU1005 Chap.5 Narrative and Narration
Narrative and Narration
A narrative is a chain of events in cause-and-effect relationship occurring in time and space. The Week 4 lecture and the Bordwell and Thompson chapter on narrative form, set for the Week 5 tutorial, separate the story, every event the viewer infers in chronological order, from the plot, the events the film actually presents in the order and duration it chooses.
Credits and score belong to the plot but not to the story world, which is why the distinction between diegetic and nondiegetic material matters.
The Week 4 screening, Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), is a clear case of classical Hollywood narrative: a goal-driven protagonist, obstacles, a deadline and strong closure, arranged in two halves that move from a town on land to three men at sea.
The chapter also introduces narration, the moment-by-moment flow of story information, described by its range and depth, and shows how unrestricted narration produces suspense. The second reading, from Robert Kolker's study of American directors, links narrative technique to the authorship questions of Week 3. These topics feed Quiz 2, which covers Weeks 3 to 5.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Narrative as cause and effect in time and space
- 02
Story versus plot; reordering, flashback and compression
- 03
Diegetic and nondiegetic elements
- 04
Story time, plot time and screen time
- 05
Classical Hollywood structure: goal, obstacles, deadline, closure
- 06
Jaws in two parts: the town on land and the hunt at sea
- 07
Narration: range of knowledge and depth of subjectivity
- 08
Suspense from unrestricted narration; surprise from restriction
Worked example · free
Explaining suspense through narration
- +1Identify the motif as nondiegetic music: the swimmers cannot hear it.
- +1Explain range: the film tells us something the characters do not know.
- +1Link knowledge to emotion: knowing more than the characters produces anticipation and dread.
- +1Conclude on technique: the film can create danger with sound alone, keeping the shark unseen.
Key terms
- Narrative
- A chain of events linked by cause and effect and occurring in time and space.
- Story
- All the events of a narrative, presented and inferred, arranged in their chronological order.
- Diegesis
- The world of the story, including everything the characters could see, hear or know about.
- Narration
- The process by which a film gives the viewer story information, moment by moment.
- Restricted narration
- Narration that limits our knowledge to what one character knows, often producing mystery or surprise.
- Closure
- An ending that resolves the main lines of cause and effect, typical of classical Hollywood films.
Narrative and Narration FAQ
What is the difference between story and plot?
The story is every event we infer, in chronological order, including things never shown. The plot is what the film actually puts on screen, in its chosen order and duration, plus material such as credits and music that sits outside the story world. Analysis often starts by asking why the plot differs from the story.
Why is Jaws a good example of classical narrative?
Its police chief has a clear goal, faces obstacles from officials who will not close the beaches, works against a holiday deadline and reaches a decisive ending. The structure narrows from a whole town to three men on a boat, intensifying the conflict as it goes.
What do range and depth of narration mean?
Range asks how much we know compared with the characters: restricted to one person, or unrestricted. Depth asks how far the film takes us inside a character's perceptions, through point-of-view shots, sound or voice-over. Together they explain whether a scene produces suspense, mystery or surprise.
Which quiz covers narrative?
Quiz 2, held in the Week 6 tutorial, covers the content of Weeks 3 to 5, so narrative and narration appear alongside auteurism and editing. Expect to recognise terms such as diegetic, plot and restricted narration from short descriptions.
What is a flashback, and how should I analyse one?
A flashback presents an earlier story event later in the plot, interrupting chronological order. In analysis, say what information it releases and why at that moment: whether it explains a motive, creates sympathy, resolves a mystery or reframes what we have already seen. The timing of the release is usually the point.
Assessment move
Draw a story-versus-plot diagram for one set film, listing events in chronological order on one line and in screen order on another. Then annotate three scenes from Jaws with range and depth. Read Bordwell and Thompson's summary page carefully, because its terms recur in quizzes, and use Kolker only to support claims about specific scenes.
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