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Films may differ from other kinds of narrative - literary fiction or television drama, for instance - in the medium used and representational conventions. They do, however, share with literary fiction and television drama the basic structure and functions of narrative. Much work has been done be researchers in the field known as ‘narratology’ on exactly what constitutes the structures and functions of narrative. ... Rather, stories provide us with an easy, unconscious, and involving way of constructing the world; narrative can be described as a means of ‘making sense’ of the world around us. Not only is narrative common to all cultures, but there is evidence that there are several similarities between the tales, stories, and legends produced by different cultures. The narrative structure found in the folk-tales of one culture can recur in another, suggesting that there is something universal in the structure as well as in the function of narrative.
Vladimir Propp, a folklorist, analysed a group of Russian folk-tales in order to see if they shared common properties. ... These are not separate characters, since one character can play a number of roles or ’spheres of action’ as Propp calls them and one role may be occupied by a number of different characters. ... From his analyses Propp concluded: Functions of characters serve as stable, constant elements in a tale, independent of how and by whom they are fulfilled. They constitute the fundamental components of a tale; the number of functions known to the fairy-tale is limited; the sequence of functions Is always identical; all fairy-tales are of one type in regard to their structure.
Propp then set out the narrative into a structure of six sequences. ...
On the other hand Tzvetan Todorov claimed that a narrative is a fictional environment which begins with a state of equilibrium (all is as it should be) which then suffers some disruption (disequilibria), before a new equilibrium is produced at the end of the story. ... The structure can be applied to fictional and non-fictional forms. The problems are that it remains very general and cannot reveal the close detail of a narrative.
‘Run Lola Run’ is a German film directed by Tom Twyker. It is non-linear meaning that it has no pattern and does not have a basic beginning, middle, and end narrative. ... When the job is done, all he has to do is wait for his girlfriend, a red-haired girl Lola, to pick him up. ... Due to her scooter being stolen while she was buying a pack of cigarettes, Lola is late, and Lola is never late. ... One stroke of bad luck leads to another, and by the time Manni calls Lola, he is at a pay phone with a big problem. ...
Lola rushes out of her apartment and down the street, attempting to get to Manni and, somehow, pick up 100,000 marks on the way. ...
I think that ‘Run Lola Run’ does not fit either Propp’s or Todorov’s idea of narrative exactly but similarities can be seen in certain areas. Propp’s seven ‘spheres of action’ can be seen in the film. The villain is played by the tramp for stealing the money, there is no donor, the helper is Lola, there is not really a princess but the sought-for person could be the money instead of an actual character, there is not really a dispatcher either, the hero is Lola, and there is not a false hero. So it can be seen that certain ‘spheres’ of action are not used so this particular narrative theory does not fit totally. ... A recognition of the disruption is when Manni realises he has lost the money and phones Lola to see is she can save him. The attempt(s) to repair the damage is when Lola is running through Berlin trying to find ways of getting 100,000 Marks. ... Thus leaving Manni and Lola free to carry on their lives.
I feel this particular film fits Todorov’s narrative theory better than Propp’s. In light of this I will discuss further the key concepts and technical codes displayed throughout the film using the narrative structure of Todorov.
The start of the film is when there is an equilibrium, in this case Lola and Manni. ... When it goes wrong and he is on the phone to Lola he is shown as being desperate and weak which is unconventional as it is generally seen that the woman is the weaker person of the two. ...
This is emphasised by the camera angles used on him whilst he is on the phone to Lola.
Approximate Word count = 3834
Approximate Pages = 15.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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