Assignment 14: Narrative Structure Analysis In A Film

Judy IbelgauptieneKatia MartinsLeticia Silva

Noor Naoum

Conventional Film Narrative Structure

1. Side Effects (Psychological Drama)• A young woman's world unravels

when a drug prescribed by her psychiatrist has unexpected side effects.

• Emily Taylor's husband Martin is released after serving a four-year prison sentence for insider trading.

• Emily drives her car into a concrete wall in an apparent suicide attempt.

• Jonathan Banks her assigned psychiatrist, fears for her safety but agrees to her release from the hospital as long as she attends sessions with him on a regular basis.

2. Has the institution created a text with a conventional (stereotypical) narrative structure?

Yes, there is a clear narrative which can be broken down into:Beginning (Equilibrium) – Happy relationship/lifeMiddle ( Disequilibrium) – Main character becomes crazy and kills husband and life goes down hill for Psychiatrist End ( New Equilibrium) – Main character gets help and Psychiatrist gets his life back.

There is a linear structure because the film goes chronologically.

Scenes Explanation of implicit/explicit

Car crash scene It is implicit because we don’t understand the reason and what is actually happening. There is no clear understanding of why she is going to kill herself.

Sleep walking scene

Its explicit because it links to the title of the story. Its implicit because we don’t understand the purpose behind killing her husband whilst sleepwalking.

Taking the pill it is explicit because we knew what led her to having these side effects, and that it all started off from taking the tablets.

Psychiatrist It is explicit because in this scene we new that she was fearful of something happening or from a person she is communicating with.

3. Explain how the film is narrative implicit or explicit?

4. How the film uses conventional narrative structure (Beginning)

Beginning (Equilibrium) ‘The Set Up’ In the beginning of the film we are introduced to the main character Emily and her husband Martin. We learn that Emily is crazy and sees a psychiatrist. We see her crash her car into a wall, this sets up the story as we want to know what is wrong with Emily.

At a party scene Emily and Martin at counselling

Crashing car /Emily’s attempt suicide scene

Emily and Martin together

One of the first scenes is of them at a party and their relationship and life seem to be in a good place so the film starts off quite positively which is conventional of most films. As they want to build up the film to create tension.

One of the first scenes is of them at counselling showing there is a problem in their lives and their trying to fix it. As its main genre being a drama its to do with their relationship.

This is part of a conventional narrative structure as there is usually a small dramatic scene in the beginning to pull you in to the film as it’s a psychological drama film.

The couple seem happy which is conventional of this narrative structure as everything usually starts of happy and positive. And you see that the counselling is helping even after the suicide attempt.

4. How the film uses conventional narrative structure (middle)

Emily is taking drugs Emily is sleep walking

Emily murders her husband while sleep walking

Emily tries to commit suicide again

Emily has been prescribed drugs to help her mental condition which seemed to help at first but turn out to make it worse. This is conventional of this narrative structure as the problem gets worse towards the middle of the film to intrigue the audience.

One of the side effects of the drug she is using is sleep walking however this causes her to murder her husband in her sleep. This is conventional as it is building up the film to the main problem/focus of the film.

This is the climax of the film, which is conventional as this usually happens during the middle of the movie as it causes the audience to feel shocked and excited.

This is conventional as it builds on the climax of the film causing more tension as you want to know why she has killed him and why is she now trying to kill herself. What is the aim of all of this.

In the middle (Disequilibrium) of the film the main character Emily kills her husband Martin, this creates tension, as the audience wants to find out why she killed him and if she’s actually crazy.

4. How the film uses conventional narrative structure? (End)

Ending (New Equilibrium) ‘The Resolution’In the end the psychiatrist Jonathon gets his life back and wins his case, and Emily stays in the hospital.

Court Case Villain goes to prison

Jonathon’s life goes back to normal

Emily gets sent to the hospital

This is conventional structure as for the resolution they try to go to court to prove the innocents of the psychiatrist Jonathan to try end the film with a resolution and to prove his innocents.

It uses a conventional narrative structure as the bad guy/villain gets sent to prison meaning justice was found and the film ending on a good note.

This is a conventional ending as he gets his resolution that he gets his job, family and life back and Emily goes away. His life is once again complete.

Emily is sent back to the hospital as not psychologically stable. This is conventional as this was the aim, for her to go to hospital and to get better. So this is the new resolution.

5.Explain the reason for conventional or unconventional narrative structure

• The film Side Effects has a conventional structure because its easier to follow the storyline as its linear meaning you wont get confused.

• As it gives you a sense of awareness, being able to establish the characters and how the film will progress.

• Also its to see the journey of the character and their emotional state, meaning we can see them change as a person.

• Another reason for it being a conventional narrative structure is that the audience can relate giving them comfort.

6.What impact does the narrative structure have on the audience?

• The film Side Effect’s narrative structure can impact the audience as they may feel they can relate to the film giving them comfort.

• They will also feel more engaged in the film as unlike an unconventional film it wont be confusing as it goes in a linear narrative (beginning, middle and end) making it easier to understand.

7.What audience expectations have they established or challenged by using this

narrative structure?• In the genre of psychological drama the audience would

generally have the following expectations about narrative structure:

• To be in the perspective of the first person (focusing on the psychological problems)

• To not be in a chronological order • To be set over a lifetime (including flashbacks and flash-

forwards)

• Therefore, the narrative structure is established because its linear it goes beginning, middle, end.