Narrative Theories

When it comes to narratives of films, various people have different approaches and theories as to how narrative can be defined. Conventional narrative theory can be explored through the work of Russian Formalists from the 1920's.

Vladimir Propp's Theory of Character Function:

Suggested that characters take on the narrative role and cause the events of the film to take place. From a comprehensive study of folktales, Propp came up with seven different character types:

• The Hero - Usually male, is the agent who restores equilibrium, often by embarking on a quest. To distinguish between the hero and villain, the hero aids the villains victims.
• The Villain - Usually creates narrative disruption.
• The Donor - Gives the hero something (Object, advice, etc.) Which helps resolve the narrative.
• The Helper - Aids the hero
• The Princess - (the victim) threatened by the villain and has to be saved, the climax, by the hero.
• The Dispatcher - Sends the hero on their quest.
• The False Hero - Appears to be good but is revealed to be bad at the end of the narrative.

Note: A character can take on more than one sphere character type, eg. a princess can also be a helper.

Tzvetan Todorov's Theory of Equilibrium: 

Unlike Propp's theory, Todorov believed that narratives were structured in five stages:

1. A state of equilibrium at the outset;
2. A disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. A recognition that there has been a disruption
4. An attempt to repair the disruption
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium

This type of narrative can be found amongst common mainstream films. For example the following films apply to this structure:
      - Jaws
      - Panic Room
      - The Lord of the Rings
However, this theory can also be applied to television. Furthermore it has been suggested that news bulletins are formatted in such a way that equilibrium is restored at the end of the bulletin where controllable normative issues (sports & weather) are focused in the final section of the programme.

Lévi-Strauss & Binary Opposition: 

Strauss identified a narrative system of binary opposites. In the theory, symbols and ideas exist in relation to their opposites - with which they are in conflict. In result, a simplified set of meanings are drawn from the text, where an idea is considered only in relation to the opposites, pandering to a viewer's need to side with a character. Whether they be 'good' or 'evil'.
Examples of binary opposites:
                           Good     +      Bad
                           Male      +      Female
                           Us          +      Them

In this model, the audience tends to decide that the narratives are told from the point of view of the main protagonist. For example many hollywood narratives are told from the point of view of a white, male figure. Therefore the audience can identify what he exists in opposition to. 

For example, in a classic western film - a white, Christian male cowboy battles against the non-white, pagan, savage Indian. This means that there are clear battle lines drawn between what is to be rooted for and what is not. 




Sources:
Book:
Film and Television Textual Analysis: Keith McDonald.

Websites:
Narrative Theory PDF. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B11Esdv8Jur6WVlVR0F2Nloxb3c/edit#