2.  Tzvetan Todorov introduced the idea of a ‘classic’ narrative which
writers and directors conform to even today.
Equilibrium-At the start of a story, Moment of Disequilibrium-The
there is a balance and harmony. The equilibrium is shattered. The
protagonists are introduced and decide protagonist starts behaving strangely, is
to move into a Hotel to pursue writing overly engrossed in his work, and
career. dismisses family.
New Equilibrium- The villain is Disequilibrium-The protagonist
defeated and peace restored but usually struggles to fix the wrongs that beset
at a cost. Something or someone has them and return to a place of
been lost and the new equilibrium is equilibrium. Protagonist realises
tainted by the experience. The grandeur extent of villain’s mental deterioration
of the Hotel is tainted with the horrific and attempts to flee but encounters
activities which took place. many difficulties.

3.  Vladimir Propp was a folklorist who introduced the idea of there
being only thirty-one separate storylines which kept repeating .
 There are only a limited number of character types in texts and we can
transpose these to film.
The Villain- The Donor- The Hero- The False Hero- The Helper- The Dispatcher- The Princess/Prize-

4.  Claude Levi Strauss explained that a constant creation of
conflict/opposition propel narrative.
 Narrative can only end on a resolution of conflict.
Opposition can be visual Opposition can be conceptual
Light vs. Darkness Love vs. Hate
Movement vs. Stillness Control vs. Panic

5.  Roland Gérard Barthes came up with the idea that audiences
can often guess what is going to happen in most mainstream films and
seeing this play out is the pleasure they get from the text.
 There is another layer of pleasure to be had when the unexpected
happens.

6.  Carol Clover introduced the ‘Final Girl’ theory which raised
awareness of gender divisions in film.
 Carol Clover in ‘Men, Women and Chain saws' argues that the audience
are structurally forced into identifying with the resourceful surviving
female. The audience is a masochistic voyeur.
Male villains usually Unisex name and
suffering from a wears masculine
masculinity/sexuality clothes
crisis Becomes fully masculine
in final confrontation
Audience transformed to sadistic with villain through
voyeurs as they would dismiss a Film ‘phallic appropriation’ by
film showing abject terror on taking up weapon
male like it shows females. Theory (knife/chainsaw etc)
Usually
Price to pay for virginal or
beauty/sexual availability is Present in sexually
generally expressed as Slasher Films unavailable
‘Sex=Death’

7. Examples of ‘Final Girls’

8.  Sigmund Freud was concerned with the working of the mind, the
subconscious, ID, EGO and SUPEREGO.
ID- Irrational and emotional part of mind. Pleasure principle. If ID too
strong, person is uncaring and seeks self gratification.
EGO- Rational part of mind. Reality principle. If EGO too strong, person is
extremely rational and efficient but can be cold and distant.
SUPEREGO- Moral part of mind. Value principal. If SUPEREGO too strong,
person strives for perfection and may grow into an insufferably saintly
personality.