Show your knowledge of narrative structure and conventions of horror movies

Eleanore Ramsey

“28 Days Later”

Conventions

Plot: animal activists release infectious rage virus, science gone wrong, abandoned, zombie apocalypse , survivors

Location: abandoned hospital/city/church, lab, temporary military base at mansion, London underground, cottage, block of flats

Characters: male survivor protagonist, single survivor, priest, teenage daughter, innocent children and people catch virus, strong independent woman

Props: candles, guns, debris, phones, posters, postcards, letters , medicine, chemicals, fire, blood, corpses

Narrative Structure

We are able to relate 28 Days later to the typical 3 act structure. In the first scene we are immediately introduced to the animal activists trying to free the monkeys, but the scientist warning them off. The monkeys are released and then bite one of the animal activists, which is the start to the infectious rage virus.

For the second act of the narrative structure we see the characters team up and fight off the rage infected zombies , which results in one of the early three characters being killed by the woman as he has been bitten.

And finally for the third act of the narrative structure, the movie comes to the climax and showdowns of the movie. Trying to stay alive. The movie ends on a cliff hanger as the people have managed to escape to a cottage and seek help from a helicopter flying over.

“The Shining”

Conventions Narrative Structure

The movie “The Shining” follows the narrative structure of Tzveton Todorov.

Todorov’s theory follows the being of equilibrium, disequilibrium and finally, a resolution. At the beginning of the film all is well and opposing forces are balanced, this is referred to as the equilibrium. The father in the movie then comes in to contact with evil forces and spirits and the son develops psychic powers and can see horrific things. We then come to the resolution which is the father’s funeral, when everything calms down and the new equilibrium is placed.

As well as Todorov’s theory being tied to The Shining, Claude Levi-Strauss’s theory could also be applied. The binary opposition in this film is good Vs. evil, which is the main theme. The source of the spirits and forces are unclear, the options range from Jack, Wendy or room 217.

Plot: insanity, murder, turns on family, telepathic, aggression, seeing thing, isolation

Location: hotel, maze, top of hill, rural, wilderness, forbidden room, empty corridors, bathroom, snowfall, storm

Characters: happy family, child that sees things other can’t, spirits and imaginary friends, helpless wife, mentally violent protagonist, outsider trying to help

Props: axe, knife, photograph, toy bicycle, baseball bat, lipstick, mirror, snow mobile, radio, type writer

“I Spit On Your Grave”

Conventions

Plot: revenge, helpless woman, turns violent, isolation, rural holiday, violent men

Location: cabin, rural, isolated, gas station, woods, abandoned house, bridge, river, park

Characters: helpless woman gets revenge, violent gang males, sheriff

Props: bear trap, gun, bottle, alcohol, axe, marijuana, video camera, fish hooks, baseball bat, noose, bath tub, acid, plier, shotgun

Narrative Structure

Similar to The Shining, I Spit on Your Grave has a quite complicated plot, however it can be compared to Todorov’s theory with an equilibrium, disequilibrium and resolution. The equilibrium of this movie is where the main character retreats to a ‘charming’ cabin in the woods to write her book. However she is disturbed by the local violent males who torture her and put her through hell, this is the disequilibrium. She then gets revenge on her attackers by torturing them slowly and making them suffer, just like they did to her, this is the resolution.

Levi-Strauss’s theory could also be tied to this movie as it shares the same concept of binary oppositions of good Vs. bad.