Pulp Fiction (Tarantino, 1995)

Film Structure and Analysis

"As part of Unit 11 (Scriptwriting) you need to produce a blog post about narrative structure. This should focus on linear and non linear narrative structures." 

• An explanation about the difference between story & narrative:

A story and a narrative are two different things -

A story has 3 structural elements: a beginning, a middle and an end:

The beginning -

• Important as it sets the audience up for the events that are going to occur in the film
• The beginning addresses the issue at hand and the subject to the audience

The middle -

• A good middle has a structure
• Each event we see should be linked to and in keeping with the subject and tone of the film
• A good middle section may be a series of separate sequences that link together to tell more of a story

The end -

• The resolution
• The closure of the ending or an open ending (sequel)
• It is what the audience will leave with once the film has ended.

A story refers to almost everything involved in a fiction, and is most often the collective of narrative, plot, and the space in which the fiction exists. The story includes everything that makes a fiction: the tone, the mise-en-scène, the context (e.g emotion context).

However, the narrative refers to the way the plot and story is communicated to the audience (how we tell the story). This could, for example, be first or third person or from the protagonists point of view. In comparison with the story, the narrative has no requirements to obey the laws of time and space. This means, and is the case with Pulp Fiction, the narrative can jump backwards and forwards between the different events to the plot. This means that the narrative can be constructed however many ways without it directly affecting the story or the plot.

• An explanation of both the 3 act narrative structure and the 5 act classic Hollywood structure 

The 3 act narrative structure:

1. Equilibrium
2. Disequilibrium
3. New Equilibrium

Equilibrium: When everything is as it should be, in a state of equal balance between powers of any kind.

Disequilibrium: A disruption of that order by an event, and then the recognition that the disorder has occurred. The disruption usually takes place outside the 'normal' social events, and the characters or situations are 'transformed' (Todorov theory) through the progress of the disruption.

New Equilibrium: An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption, and then the return or restoration of a new equilibrium at the end of the narrative.

In these three stages, the narrative is not seen as a linear structure but a circular one - the narrative is driven by attempts to restore the equilibrium. BUT, the equilibrium reached at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium (hense, NEW Equilibrium).

The 5 act classic Hollywood structure:

1. Exposition
2. Development
3. Complication
4. Climax
5. Resolution

Exposition: Introducing the key characters and the location. The part of the story that introduces important background information to the audience, e.g about the characters backgrounds.

Development: Getting to know more about the characters, and the 'rising action' that is the build-up to the 'complication'.

Complication: Something happens in terms of the plot. The turning point, which changes the protagonist's fate.

Climax: The conflict between the protagonist and antagonist ensues, where there could be a moment of final suspense, until the resolution.

Resolution: A 'happy' (or sad, but not normally) ending - comprises the events from the climax to achieve a resolution.

The 5 act classic Hollywood structure is a linear narrative structure. A linear narrative structure is a narrative that follows a straight line: starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and then the ending of the story.

• An explanation about linear narrative and non-linear narrative - you should support this with examples from film and/or TV:

Linear narrative -

A linear narrative is a story that starts at Point A and follows a logical progression of time that leads the characters to Point B. The story occurs in chronological order. 

Non-linear narrative -

A non-linear narrative is a narrative structure which is composed with the branching of the structure, where a a single starting point can lead to multiple developments and outcomes. In cinema, a non-linear narrative is shown through 'broken narrative', for example in the 1996 film Pulp Fiction. The film is three short stories, which, when you look at the bigger picture, are actually three parts of one story where the chronology is broken up. Quentin Tarantino creates this narrative without using the 'flashback' technique.

• A diagram illustrating a classic Hollywood narrative structure - this can be a flow chart or a table

• A diagram illustrating the narrative structure of Pulp Fiction - This is the order that the film is shown 

• An alternative diagram that breaks down each storyline in Pulp Fiction and puts it into chronological order

The Pitch And Feedback

Working title:
The Motorbike Man

Log line (your film idea in one sentence):
I am going to make a Documentary about my granddad about his love of motorcycling (who won British Motorcycling Champion in 1966) and how his interest of motorbikes has evolved over the years.

Synopsis (one paragraph explaining the key narrative elements of the film):
My Documentary is going to be an interview-based short film, but you won't hear much of the interviewer's voice. I will ask questions about what started off his passion for motorbikes, and why he thinks he's been interested in them for so long. I will talk to his brother, who runs a motorbike school, for his opinions too, and overall I want to find out more about how being so involved in such a dangerous sport has effected his life.

Pitch Feedback:
Katie Turner: "I like how you're focussing on such an important part of your Granddad's life, like he is reflecting on his career. You should get some footage of your Granddad riding his bike to show he still likes riding today, even if he doesn't compete as much."

I think that it's important to get some footage of my Granddad riding his bike, because I think it will add to the depth of the documentary, and it will be interesting for the audience to watch as it fits with the theme and it shows everyone just how passionate he is about riding. I want to show the audience how much riding means to him, and expressing it though archive footage and comparing it with footage from today seems like a good idea.

Documentary To-Do List

I have a short list of things that I need to do before I can begin to film my Documentary:

• Brief my Documentary subjects
• Take some test shots
• Research stories/back stories
• Check and plan recording dates
• Find and access an archive

6 Documentary Ideas

Generating documentary ideas using the following 6 starting points:


Key starting points -

• A story from your local paper
• A person you know
• Investigation into something you're interested in
• A place
• An issue
• Autobiographical

A story from your local paper:

• RSPCA investigation launched after baby rabbits are found abandoned in Soham - view here
• Oscar Pistorius trail - view here

A person you know:

• My cousin, Harry, who wants to be a pilot and is interested in aeroplanes.
• Policeman, Dave and a 'day-in-the-life' documentary
• My dad, who runs his own restaurant

Investigation into something you're interested in:

YouTube, and how's it has grown and become so popular

A place:

Harrods, London

An issue:

Technology (and it's continuous evolution) - giving the older generation technology they haven't used, e.g iPads and iPhones, and documenting their reactions

Autobiographical:

'Day-in-the-life' of myself

Documentary Review: Supersize Me

Summary:
Supersize Me is a 2004 American Documentary film follows Morgan Spurlock in a 30-day period from  February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he only eats McDonalds food.

The film follows Spurlock and shows us the dramatic effects this lifestyle has, both physically and psychologically. Furthermore, it looks at the fast food industry's corporate influence, including how it encourages poor nutrition to increase its profit. He also goes around and interviews people on the street and their opinions towards the fast food epidemic.

At the start, Spurlock is physically above average in shape according to his doctor. Before he started the experiment, he was 185.5 lbs at 6'2 feet tall. By the end, Spurlock is 210 lbs with a 13% body mass increase.

Spurlock eats McDonalds three times a day, and he tries everything on the menu at least once over the next 30 days. Additionally, if he's offered to go supersize with his meal, he has to take it. By the end of the documentary, we learn that Spurlock has gained 24 and a half pounds in 30 days, after consuming around 5000 calories a day. During the 30 days, Spurlock experiences mood swings, sexual dysfunction and fat accumulation in the liver, which is dangerous.

The end text tells us that it took Spurlock 5 months to lose 20.1 lbs, and a further 9 months to lose the remaining 4.5 lbs

Agency:
The increasing spread of Obesity throughout America, and Spurlock wanted to investigate it. The key agency is Spurlock going on the 30-day McDonalds diet and then he goes on to document how it affects him.

Sound:
Continuous music throughout most of the documentary, quieting when people, such as Spurlock, are talking. Spurlock narrates what is going on throughout the film.

Interviews:
Various doctors, physicians and people on the street.

Narrative:
Morgan Spurlock

Producer:
Morgan Spurlock

Director:
Morgan Spurlock

Thoughts:
I think that this was an interesting documentary because it explores a key issue that's getting worse, obesity. Also, McDonalds is a very popular fast-food restaurant (and drive-through), so a lot of people will want to watch it because they'll be interested in knowing more about the food that they consume. Overall, Spurlock took a well known fact that fast-food is unhealthy and took it further to prove it in a shocking and attention-grabbing way.