Narrative

 

The narrative is the retelling of the story

5 narrative codes:

- Hermeneutic / enigma code:
This code refers to mystery within a text. Clues are dropped, but no clear answers are given. Enigmas within the narrative make the audience want to know more.
-Proairetic / action code:
Code contains elements of action in text.
-Semantic code:
Code refers to parts within the text that suggests or refers to additional meanings. Elements of the semantic code are called semes.
- Symbolic code:
This code is about symbolism within the text.
-Referential code
This code refers to anything in the text which refers to an external body of knowledge such as scientific, historical and cultural facts.

 

These are people who believe all films go a certain way or all have things in common:

Barthes:
-Code
-Action
-Symbolic
-Enigma-Mystery/Question
Levi-Straus:
Binary/Opposite
-Female+male
-Good+Evil
-Urban+Rural
Todoov:
-Obstacles
-Structure
Propp:
Characters TYPES
-Hero
-villain
-donor-helps hero
-dispatcher
-false hero
-the helper
-princes
-her father

Applying Barthes' 5 narrative codes to a film opening:

The film opening I have chosen to apply Barthes' narrative codes to is 'Now you see me':
1. Identify the key actions within the opening - what kinds of actions are included and how is the narrative moved forward?
The key actions in the opening scene of Now you see me are the magic that is involved. You can see that the key actions within this opening clip is the fact all of the magicians are making money in some kind of way, whether its actually from doing magic or stealing it. The narrative moves forward slowly throughout the opening clip as it goes from the magic going well at the beginning of the clip, to where at the end of the clip it seems the magic is done wrong and the character is in serious danger.

 2. Identify the enigma codes within the opening - what kinds of questions are posed and how is the audience meant to read these codes?
There are many questions that are asked in this opening scene mainly towards the women at the end, and if she is okay, did she get eaten by the piranhas or did she survive it some how? There are also other questions which could be asked before the piranha incident to do with the magic, such as is the magic all a scam, for example when the man figures out how he is doing the magic and wants his money back, he then discovers that he is missing his wallet and watch after he caught the magician out.

 3. Identify key characters and think about what they represent in the opening:
In the opening scene you can tell who the main characters are going to be straight away, they are the magicians. What they represent however is a little bit more difficult to know, they give the impression that they are magicians who use there ability to do magic, to scam people and make money.

 4. Identify key themes and analyse how symbols are presented visually/technically:
Straight away in the opening scene you can see a lot of symbols, such as in the first magic trick you can see a diamond being shown on the building. There is also a few themes in the scene, such as there is a theme of misleading people through magic and making money illegally.