Narrative Structure in Film

 Jade Cloud

Professor Saphire

COM 126.01 

9 October 2020

                                                                Narrative Structure in Film

             Perhaps the remarkable thing about film is that it does not have to conform to one specific formula to deliver a desired narrative. Like Meryl Streep's character, Susan, says in Spike Jonze's film Adaptation, "there are too many ideas and things and people, too many directions to go..." Although this sentiment was uttered in a different context, it can be applied to a multitude of things, especially to the development of characters and their stories within the cinematic sphere. While human beings must experience life in chronological order, with a distinct beginning, middle, and end, narrative structure in film is not bound to the natural course of life.

            Innovative filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Spike Jonze understand that audiences today do not need to be spoon fed stories in easy and predictable bite sized pieces. This notion is evident in Christopher Nolan's film Memento as he breaks away from convention by structuring nearly half of the events within his story in reverse chronology, with chronological scenes intertwined throughout the narrative.  In the very opening scene of Memento, as the polaroid picture gradually reverts to a blank bit of film, the story's unusualness is established, forcing viewers to release any expectations which were set prior to hitting play. From this moment onwards, or I suppose backwards, events unfurl in a manner that at first glance, seem to have no rhyme or reason.

            The story feels arbitrary at times not only because it alternates between reverse chronological and chronological order, but also, and specifically, because it presents the effects of actions before revealing the cause, not unlike the view that many Italian neorealists had in regard to plot back in the 1940s. In his documentary Post-War Cinema, Mark Cousins says, "pre-war stories were chains of cause-and-effect but in Italian neorealism, the chain was sometimes broken." Aligning himself with the views many neorealists shared, Nolan effectively manipulates the order of his film even further by presenting his viewers with a scene of Leonard, the protagonist, shooting a supporting character without revealing the reasons behind the action until a much later time.

            Likewise, Spike Jonze tries his hand at incorporating unconventional elements to further develop and enrich the story in his film Adaptation. Interspersed throughout the main narrative, there is a separate plot line following Susan, a supporting character, which gradually reveals her relevance to Charlie, the protagonist of the main storyline. These moments are sprinkled throughout the first half of the film in the form of flashbacks, but if it were not for the use of non-diegetic elements like voice-over narration and especially titles, it would require much concentration in order to understand what is happening. By incorporating titles to notify the audience when and where they are in the story, the audience can then enjoy a cleverly presented narrative without struggling to keep up with what is unfurling before them.

            While Memento prominently utilizes reverse chronology to reveal the main plot line, the major events of Adaptation unravel in chronological sequence, taking a more traditional approach to narrative structure. For example, the events of the main plot line centered around the film's protagonist, Charlie, are arranged in a linear order. Right as the first scene opens, his story is established almost immediately and as a consequence, so are the viewers' expectations, unlike Nolan, who has no regard for such things in his film. In Adaptation, we are introduced to Charlie, a self-loathing, depressed screenwriter struggling to adapt a book about flowers into a film. Since the film mostly follows a cause-and-effect structure, audiences can expect that he will eventually figure out which direction to take his screenplay. Although the story takes a sharp left turn into suspenseful thriller territory, it is not difficult to adapt to such an abrupt change as it is when attempting to follow the trajectory of Memento.  

            Non-diegetic elements also have a way of building and strengthening the relationship between audience members and the developing story. Not only can they serve as a guide for complicated plots, but they can also grant us access into the internal dialogue of the characters we are observing. Both Memento and Adaptation take advantage of first-person narration, but the purpose for incorporating this element differs between the two films. Memento presents a very unique situation as the protagonist, Leonard, who we rely on to carry us through the story, suffers from anterograde amnesia. Already, we have a limited supply of knowledge as to what is occurring because that is the nature of film, but with Leonard's condition, we understand even less. We can gather that Leonard is a grieving man in pursuit of revenge, but by revealing this character's thought process through first-person narration, some of the many holes within the narrative are filled. For instance, the story of Sammy Jankis would not be expanded upon without Leonard relaying it to us, and this anecdote is a critical aspect for developing the narrative as it helps viewers understand how the condition works, and is then used to create a more surprising plot twist at the climax of the film. In contrast, Adaptation does not need to rely so heavily on first-person narration to guide the audience along. Instead, Charlie's inner dialogue helps the viewer to understand his character on a deeper level, supporting why he does the things he does or acts the way he acts in certain situations. For example, Charlie's inability to complete his screenplay is apparent through his actions and the dialogue, but supplementing those diegetic elements with first-person narration allows us to hear his anxiety and indecisiveness directly, which better explains his lack of progress.

            The great documentarist, Mark Cousins, introduces a profound view regarding the changing nature of narrative and the content of film. In his documentary Post-War Cinema, he says that "movies in the 1940s had to get this raw because life had become this raw." Although this statement is in regard to the gritty turn film had taken due to the war and the people's expanded threshold for what they could stomach, it also applies to the constant reinvention narrative structure must undergo. Cinema and storytelling must always keep up with the changing times or risk fading away. But with the innovation of great filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Spike Jonze, we have reason to believe that film will continue to thrive for years to come, as there are still so many stories to experience and so many characters waiting to be met.