2. He said that a narrative text have a deeper meaning to them and you have to unravel
them to find that meaning. He came up with these five codes:
The Hermeneutic Code (HER) = (the voice of truth) The way a story avoids telling
the truth or revealing all the facts to be able to drop clues for the reader and create
mystery
The Enigma/ Proairetic Code (ACT) = (empirical voice) the way tension is built up
through the story to leave the audience guessing what will happen next.
The Semantic Code (SEM) = (the voice of the person) A text that suggest an
additional meaning by way of connotation which the story suggests.
The Symbolic Code (SYM) = (the voice of symbols) similar to semantic but it acts
on a wider level. This is typically done in the use of antithesis, where new meaning
arises out of opposing and conflict ideas.
The Cultural Code (REF) = (voice of science) Looks at the audiences wider cultural
knowledge, morality and ideology
RolandBartes
3. His theory was about genre and he argued that pleasure is derived from
'repetition and difference, there would be no pleasure without difference.
We may derive pleasure from observing how the conventions of the genre
are manipulated. We may also enjoy the stretching of a genre in new
directions and the consequent shifting of our expectations.
Hollywood’s generic regime performs two inter-related functions:
To guarantee meanings and pleasures for audiences
To offset the considerable economic risks of industrial film production
by providing cognitive collateral against innovation and difference.
Steven Neale
4. He believed that the way we understand certain words depends
not so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but
much more by our understanding of the difference between the
word and its 'opposite' or, as he called it 'binary opposites'.
Examples:
Young vs Old
Villain vs Hero
Good vs Bad
Levi Strauss
5. Pretty women
The Binary opposition in this film is the Wealthy Vs the poor
In the film the opposition is that the ‘pretty women’ is a prostitute that is
struggling to make ends meet and meets and gets involved with a
highly wealthy and respected business man and these two types of
people are not suppose to mix.
The proposal
Boss Vs Assistant
In the film the opposition is ultimately power as the boss is in charge of
the assistant and has the dominance of him.
Levi Strauss applied to
Romantic Comedies
6. Todorovs said that all narrative include contain five
fundamental stages which are:
A state of equilibrium (all as it should be, the norm)
A disruption caused by an event
A recognition that the disruption has occurred
An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption
A return or restoration of a new equilibrium
TzventanTodorov
7. She’s The Man
State of equilibrium – When the main character is playing football at the
beach with her friends and her boyfriend
Disruption – When she is told that there will not be a girls football team
and when her boyfriend agrees that girls shouldn’t play football she
breaks up with him
Recognition of disruption – when her mum comments that she doesn’t
like her playing football and she responds telling her that there no
longer a girls football team.
Attempt to repair the disruption – when she poses as a boy so she can
beat her school boys football team and she starts falling for another guy
Return or restoration of a new equilibrium – When they beat the boys
football team and she ends up with the guy becoming her new
boyfriend.
TzventanTodorovappliedto Romantic Comedies
8. Propp’s said that in very narrative there are always certain
people that play certain roles. These roles can be:
hero
villain
heroine
side kick
donor
mentor
father
Vladmir Propps
9. (500) Days Of Summer
Hero = Tom Hanson (Joseph Gordon- Levitt)
Heroine = Summer (Zooey Deschanle)
Mentor = Rachel (Chloe Grace Moretz)
How to lose a guy in 10 days
Hero = Ben Barry (Matthew Mconaughey)
Heroine = Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson)
Villain = Michael Michel (Judy spears)
Shalom Harlow (Judy Green)
Sidekick = Kathryn Hahn
Mentor = Annie Parisse
Vladmir Propps
10. Roland Bartes
If applied to this genre it would use a mixture of the semantic and
symbolic code. It would also use the cultural code too as everyone
has a different sense of humour and what they find funny.
Steven Neale
His theory would apply to this genre as I would have to include the
conventions that are recognized by my audience and be able to
manipulate them in a way that my audience will get pleasure from it.
But also the audience might enjoy and get pleasure from seeing the
genre being stretched out of its comfort zone.
These theorieswhen appliedto the genreof
Romantic Comedy
11. Levi strauss
Applying his theory to this genre and the binary opposites would be the
male against the female or any attributes of males and females that
opposed one another, such as strong vs weak.
Tzentan Todorov
If applied to this genre :
Starting her normal day and she interaction with the male
Another person normally form her or his past comes along
The main girl and guy have broken up or drifted away from each other
They both apologise or the unwelcomed guest leaves or is put in their
place
They girl and guy have a happy ending ( a new life together and
married with kids)
12. Vladmir Propps
Applied to this genre the people who will play these roles would
be:
Hero= main male actor
Heroine = main female actor
Villain= the unwelcomed person form either male/females past
Side kick= the best friend
Donor= some form of message
Mentor= the girl’s mother
Father= the guys father
