NARRATIVE

Narrative –Tzvetan Todorov

Equilibrium - A sense of

normality, the calm before the

storm. Disruption - The point where the story changes: a death, an event,

a situation.

Recognition of Disruption

Attempt to repair

Restoration of a New Equilibrium

- Where normality is

restored.

Vladimir Propp’s seven spheres of action:

Hero: Individual(s) who's quest is to restore the equilibrium.

Villain: Individual(s) who's task is to disrupt the equilibrium.

Donor: Individual(s) who gives the hero(s) something, advice, information or an object.

Helper: Individual(s) who aids the hero(s) with their set task.

Princess (Prince): Individual(s) which need help, protecting and saving.

Dispatcher: Individual(s) who send the hero(s) on their quest.

False Hero: Individual(s) who set out to undermine the hero's quest by pretending to aid them. Often unmasked at the end of the film

Binary Opposites

Barthes Action and Enigma codes

• How effective was the opening scene at grabbing the audiences attention through the use of action and enigma codes?

The Opening

We start with a gasp-inducing action sequence in Mexico City for the Day of the Dead.

Sam Mendes (director) contrives a stylishly extended continuous tracking shot to bring our hero into the proceedings and setting up clear binary oppositions between Bond and Marco.

It isn’t long before a shot out scene develops into an elaborate chase through the festival goers and ends in an outrageous set-piece involving a helicopter repeatedly looping the loop while 007 vigorously punches the pilot and a fellow passenger.

• The Sun's reviewer concurred, saying the film contains "all the classic elements fans expect", including a "jaw-dropping opening sequence".

• Variety also singled out this "expensively ludicrous opening sequence, set in Mexico City on the Day of the Dead," saying it "ranks among the great 007 intros".

• A clue (Enigma) salvaged from the chaos puts Bond on the trail of Spectre, taking him at first to Rome – cue Bond Girl Lucia Sciarra.

• She then provides useful information to the organisation Marco Sciarra worked for.

• Then he is to infiltrate the horribly occult headquarters of the ‘organisation’ where we are introduced to two key characters: Franz Oberhausen and Hinx

• From here we go to Austria and encounter MrWhite – who provides the next puzzle piece –L’Americain and leads him to his daughter.

• Cue Dr Madeleine Swann (Mr White’s daughter) who wants nothing to do with the lifestyle choice of Bond and her father, yet gets kidnapped anyway – character type..?

• Another chase ensues to enable Bond to save Madeline from Hinx and find out what she knows.

• Meanwhile Q does some digging and finds out more clues about the ring.

L’Americain

• The hotel’s secret room then leads us to Blofeld’s bunker.

• However, not without meeting Hinx on the train for the final time resulting in Bond finally having his way with the not so countertypicalMadeline