英語電影賞析

1、.Chapter 4Narrative 敘述敘述.Narrativev This chapter attempts to :Define the basic terms used to analyze narratives-Narrative, Story, and Plot.Describe nine basic story types.Describe the commonly used the Classic Three-Act Linear Structure (經(jīng)典三幕式直線結(jié)構(gòu)經(jīng)典三幕式直線結(jié)構(gòu)).Describe the varieties of subplot.Narrativ

2、evNarrative refers to the way that a story is told. vIt is principally concerned with the way that events are organized in time and space the way in which the scriptwriter and director take the raw elements of a story and arrange them in the most attractive and interesting way. .NarrativeNarrative,

3、story, and plot are the basic terms used when analyzing the narrative structure of a film. Although they are sometimes used interchangeably, they also have more precise meanings that can help us to draw some useful distinctions. David Bordwell and Kristin Thomas in Film Art-An Introduction電影藝術(shù)入門defi

4、ne them as follows:.NarrativeNarrative A chain of events in cause-effect relationships(因果關(guān)系) occurring in time and space.Story All the events that we see and hear, plus all those that we infer or assume to have occurred, arranged in their presumed causal relations, chronological order, duration, fre

5、quency, and spatial locations.Plot All the events that are directly presented to us, including their causal relations, chronological order, duration, frequency, and spatial locations. The key distinction is that between story and plot: Story is the viewers imaginary construction of all the events in

6、 the narratives-whether presented to us or not-while plot is the films actual presentation of certain events in the narrative.The Basic StoriesvWriters have argued that there are a limited number of stories that form the basis for ALL fictional narratives. These stories have been named Achilles (阿喀琉

7、斯), Candide (憨第德), Cinderella (灰姑娘), Circe (喀爾刻), Faust (浮士德), Orpheus (俄爾普斯), Romeo and Juliet (羅密歐與朱麗葉), Tristan (特里斯坦), and the Wandering Jew (流浪的猶太人). vThey can occur alone or in combination.Achilles 阿喀琉斯vThe “Achilles” story is the story of the seemingly invulnerable (不會受傷的，無懈可擊的) hero with a f

8、atal flaw. Classical tragedy is usually a variant of the Achilles story. v(Example: Superman超人).Candide 憨第德/天真漢vThe story of the innocent abroad, the naively optimistic hero who triumphs contrary to all expectations. v(Examples: Forrest Gump阿甘正傳, Mr. Bean憨豆先生)NoImageNoImage.Cinderella 灰姑娘vThe story

9、of the “dream comes true”: Goodness and virtue are despised at the beginning but recognized at last. The protagonist of the Cinderella story usually begins in a lowly position but, through his good nature, convinces all doubters (懷疑者) and is rewarded. v(Example: Pretty woman漂亮女人).Circe 喀爾刻vThe “Chas

10、e” story in which an innocent victim is pursed by the villain, until the villain is defeated by the potential victim. Often this story takes the form of the temptress (誘惑男人的女性) ensnaring (誘捕) the love-stuck (被愛情沖昏了頭的) male; it has often been vividly described as “the spider and the fly”. It is the b

11、asis of horror films, thrillers, and film noir. v(Examples: the Alien films異形系列).Faust 浮士德vThe story of an individual who sells his soul to the devil, enjoys a brief period of power and prosperity, but eventually is called upon to repay the debt. The Faust story can also take the form of the dark se

12、cret that can never be completely suppressed, or the personal history that cannot be evaded. v(Example: Wall Street華爾街).Orpheus 俄爾普斯vThe story of the gift that is taken away. The gift could be something personal, a loved one, an ability of some kind, everything valuable in life, or even life itself.

13、 The story can focus on the tragedy of the loss itself or the search that follows the loss. v(Example: Born on the Fourth of July 出生于七月四日).Romeo and Juliet vThe classic “star-crossed lovers (命運不佳的情侶)” story in which a major obstacles stands in the way of true love.v(Examples: Ghost 人鬼情未了).Tristan 特里

14、斯坦vThe love triangle: A man loves a woman, but one of them is already involved with someone (or something else). The “third party” in the relationship is usually a person, but it may be something more abstract (e.g. a cause, a mission, a destiny). v(Example: Tristan & Isolde 王者之心).The Wandering

15、Jew流浪的猶太人vThe “Wandering Jew” is the story of the persecuted or alienated traveler who will never return home. v(Examples: The English Patient英國病人).The Basic StoriesvAchilles (阿喀琉斯), vCandide (憨第德), vCinderella (灰姑娘), vCirce (喀爾刻), vFaust (浮士德), vOrpheus (俄爾普斯), vRomeo and Juliet (羅密歐與朱麗葉), vTristan

16、 (特里斯坦), vthe Wandering Jew (流浪的猶太人). .The Classic Three-Act Linear StructurevThe majority of Hollywood films employ the classic three-act linear structure (or a variation of it). The structure was firstly codified(整理) by Syd Field, but has since been elaborated and reinterpreted by a number of scri

17、ptwriters and theorists. By no means all films will adhere to this structure，and those that do will do so flexibly. Nevertheless, most Hollywood scriptwriters(編劇) are familiar with the structure and acknowledge its importance.The Classic Three-Act Linear StructurevThe three-act structure implies tha

18、t the film can be divided into three acts. Act I would normally be expected to occupy the first quarter of the film; Act II would occupy the next half; and Act III would occupy the final quarter. Each act has a different function. For a typical two-hour Hollywood film (i.e. 120mins), the act divisio

19、n would be as follows:.The Classic Three-Act Linear StructureActTimeFunctionAct I 0-30 mins Set-up Act II30-90 mins Development (Conflict and Confrontation沖突和斗爭) Act III90-120 mins Resolution(結(jié)局) and Denouement（尾聲）.The Classic Three-Act Linear Structure.ACT I The Set-UpvThe function of Act I is to “

20、set-up” the film: to provide information about the main characters, the setting(布景), the tone氣氛), problems, conflicts, the love interest, and the timescale of the film. Central to the set-up is the presentation of the hero/protagonist. Act I will also give enough information to allow the audience to

21、 know the genre to which the film belongs, and thus to know roughly what to expect of it. In Act I we also expect to find a hook, a key line, an incident, and a turning point.ACT I The Set-UpThe Hook The hook is the intriguing episode that grabs the attention and sparks the curiosity of the viewer.

22、It could take the form of a confrontation between strongly contrasting characters; it could present ordinary people doing extraordinary things (or vice versa), or it could pose a question.The Key Line The key line poses the question that the film as a whole will explore, The key line points out the

23、theme of the film.Inciting Incident The Inciting Incident is scene that presents the protagonist with a problem that disturbs the normality and predictability of life. Before the inciting incident, the protagonist has been living life as normal; .ACT I The Set-Up after the inciting incident, the pro

24、tagonist will be driven by a new motivation to pursue a new goal. The protagonist may not take immediate action on account of the inciting incident, but will nevertheless begin a process of reflection that will lead eventually to action.Turning point 1 The role of the turning point is to catapult(猛力

25、推出) the story in a new direction by setting up some kind of crisis for the protagonist to negotiate. The turning point differs from the inciting incident in that it is associated with some decisive actions taken by the protagonist that dramatically raises the stakes(冒更大的風(fēng)險) and increases the danger

26、level.ACT II: DevelopmentvThe function of ACT II as a whole to show the development of the main characters and plot through conflict and confrontation. The protagonist will advance towards the goal suggested by his actions at the end of Act I. However, the end of Act II will typically show the prota

27、gonist encountering a major set back that will only be overcome in Act III. The Point of No Turning The point of no return usually occurs halfway through the film, and is the scene in which the protagonist becomes truly committed to the goal that he has been pursuing. The role of the point of no ret

28、urn is : to force the protagonist to reassess his goal, to consider giving up, to decide to continue, and then to pursue the goal in a still more committed and single-minded way.ACT II: DevelopmentThe Turning Point 2 Tuning Point 2, like Turning Point1, catapults the story in anew direction by setti

29、ng up some kind of crisis for the protagonist to negotiate. The difference between the two is that Turning Point 2 is a major setback in which the protagonist is defeated. Turning Point2 is also called the moment of truth(真相時刻) because the protagonist realizes that the action taken since at Turning

30、Point1 was misguided, weak, unprincipled and ultimately wrong. Yet the protagonist is strengthened in the process, because through recognition of his error he gains a clearer idea of what remains to be done.ACT III: Resolution and Denouement結(jié)局和尾聲結(jié)局和尾聲vThe function of Act III is to provide a strong c

31、limax that resolves the problem first encountered by the protagonist in Act I. The protagonist is shown to have undergone a transformation since Act II: He now has a much higher level of self-knowledge(自我認(rèn)識), and a much clearer idea of what needs to be done, and so is prepared for this final climax.

32、 Remaining questions are answered and loose ends are tied up in this act.ACT III: Resolution and DenouementClimax The climax is the moment at which the protagonist faces his greatest challenge and either defeats his opponents or is defeated. In one sense, however, the protagonist always wins: He can

33、 win outright: or he can be defeated and yet still win because he has learnt something important.Resolution The resolution is the brief period after the climax when the protagonist evaluates what has happened and envisions(想象,預(yù)想) a new future. Loose ends, uncertainties, and subplots are concluded in

34、 this part. Often films will try to create a sense of circularity(環(huán)狀,循環(huán)) and completion by repeating a motif(動機, 主旨) from the beginning.SubplotsvMost Hollywood films have one or more subplots. Subplots are additional stories (secondary plots) that are linked to the main plot and have an influence upon it; Subplots often display the theme more openly than the main plot-allowing for elaboration upon it- and thus t