Week Three

Genre and Myth. Classifications. Phases of Genre Evolution. Tone, Narration, Music. Adaptations from Literary Sources.

Film Studies

What was the Inciting Incident in this story? (The primary cause of all that follows?)

How did the protagonist react to this? (the Quest)

The Progressive Complications — What’s at stake? What’s the risk? How are the subplots involved?

The Crisis? What was the crisis decision?

The Climax? What was the “value swing”?

The Resolution? What was the point of this resolution in terms of dramatic structure?

STORY PRINCIPLES

Review -- Robert McKee

CLASSICAL NARRATIVES

Derived from live theatre (Aristotelian Poetics and the “well-made-play”) the classical narrative model is based on a conflict between a protagonist, who initiates the action, and an antagonist who resists it.

Most films in this form begin with an implied dramatic question -- we want to know if the protagonist will get what they want in the face of opposition.

The scenes that follow escalate in an Aristotelian cause and effect with each scene linking to the next.

Review from last week, wrt Rear Window + Apocalypse Now

CLASSICAL NARRATIVES CONT.

Classical paradigm emphasizes dramatic unity, plausible motivation, and coherence.

Classical structures often feature double plot lines and characters who are goal oriented.

Classical plot structures are linear and often take the form of a journey, a chase, or a search.

Review from last week, wrt Rear Window + Apocalypse Now

Think about for next week

In Apocalypse Now, watch for images that conveys a abstractions and metaphor —and explain their functions as meaningful figurative devices.

How does point-of-view factor into this film narrative.Who is telling the story? Be ready to explain in a short analysis of Apocalypse Now.

Think of Apocalypse Now and its practical story structure. Categorize according to style and explain in bullet points corresponding to McKee’s Principles of Story.

What is the role of the music in Apocalypse Now.

In advance of our discussion on genre

Genre Theory and Classifications

1. Genre films are distinguished by a characteristic set of conventions in style, subject matter, and values.

2. Genre is a convenient way of focusing and organizing the story materials.

3. Many genre films are directed a specific audience. Examples? How does “National” cinema apply to this?

4. André Bazin referred to genre (specifically the “western”) as “a form in search of a content.” Comments?

Genre and Myth

1. Myths embody the common ideals and aspirations of a civilization and the stylized conventions and archetypal (q: is this stereotype?) story patterns of genre encourage viewers to participate ritualistically in the basic beliefs, fears, anxieties of their age.

2. Filmmakers are attracted to genres because they automatically synthesize cultural information, freeing the filmmaker to explore more personal concerns.

The Four Cycles of Genre

1. Primitive or formative. Naïve though powerful because of novelty of the form. Many conventions of the genre are established in this phase. Examples western? Other?

2. Classical. Intermediate stage embodies classical ideals of balance, richness, and poise. Eg? Western?

3. Revisionist. More symbolic, ambiguous, stylistically complex, appealing to the intellect. Eg? Western?

4. Parodic. An outright mockery with howling cliches -- presented in a comedic manner. Eg? Western?

However, genres can spring back to life.

APOCALYPSE NOW (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979) (Director’s Cut Redux 2001, added scenes)

Writing credits John Milius (screenplay) andFrancis Ford Coppola

Genre: Action / Drama / War / AdventurePlot Outline: Based on Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness, this is a

controversial addition to the multitude of Vietnam war movies in existence. We follow Captain Willard on his mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Green Beret who has set himself up as a God among a local tribe. (from imdb)

Marlon Brando .... Col. Walter E. KurtzMartin Sheen .... Capt. Benjamin L. WillardRobert Duvall .... Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore

Excerpt from Heart of Darkness, 1901by Joseph Conrad (from Chapter One)

Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you — smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, Come and find out. This one was almost featureless, as if still in the making, with an aspect of monotonous grimness. The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black, fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist. The sun was fierce, the land seemed to glisten and drip with steam…

Compare this with the next slide, an early draft by FFC…

Opening Lines from Apocalypse Nowspoken by Ben Willard, played by Martin Sheen

Willard: [voiceover] Saigon... shit; I'm still only in Saigon... Every time I think I'm gonna wake up back in the jungle. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife, until I said "yes" to a divorce. When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle. I'm here a week now... waiting for a mission... getting softer; every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he gets stronger. Each time I looked around, the walls moved in a little tighter.

Compare this with the next slide, an early draft by FFC…

Excerpt from Apocalypse NowEarly Draft by Francis Ford Coppola (written 1973)

1 PRIMEVAL SWAMP - EARLY DAWN

It is very early in the dawn - blue light filters through the jungle and across a foul swamp. A mist clings to the trees. This could be the jungle of a million years ago.

Our VIEW MOVES CLOSER, through the mist, TILTING DOWN to the tepid water. A small bubble rises to the surface;then another. Suddenly, but quietly, a form begins to emerge; a helmet. Water and mud pour off revealing a set of beady eyes just above the mud. Printed on a helmet, in a psychedelic hand, are the words: "Gook Killer." The head emerges revealing that the tough-looking soldier beneath has exceptionally long hair and beard; he has no shirt on, only bandoliers of ammunition - his body ispainted in an odd camouflage pattern. He looks to the right; he looks to the left; he looks INTO CAMERA, andslowly sinks back into the swamp, disappearing completely.

From Drew’s Script-o-rama

Think about for next week

In Apocalypse Now, watch for an image that conveys an abstract idea —and explain its function as a meaningful figurative device.

How does point-of-view factor into film narrative.Who is telling the story? Be ready to explain in a short analysis of Apocalypse Now.

Think of Apocalypse Now and its practical story structure. Categorize according to style and explain in bullet points corresponding to McKee’s Principles of Story.

What is the role of the music in Apocalypse Now.