Lovefield

4)    Lovefield – Narrative

David Bordwell and Kirsten Thompson’s narrative theory:

The narrative is in a linear structure because all the events are shown in chronological order. The plot makes the audience believe that an elderly man has murdered a young woman in a field of crops. However the story of Lovefied shows that a young woman has suddenly gone into labour in a field of crops and the farmer of the land has got off his tractor to help the young woman give birth to her baby.

Todorovs Theory of classic narrative-

Equilibrium(Crossing the Threshold):The equilibrium is that we see a corn field on a summer's day with nothing unusual happening at this point. A disruption(Return with the ‘elixir’): We see a mobile phone beeping on the floor then the feet of what appear to be a woman laying on the floor Realisation(The road back): The audience realises that the woman has been killed and left in this field by the male character in the story Restored order(Call to adventure): The antagonist tries to think of what to do next, audience can see the panic in his facial expression Equilibrium again(Reward): The audience then realises that the man hasn't really murdered the young woman but he was in fact helping her give birth to her baby.

Roland Barthes, Action and enigma Codes-

Enigma code for Lovefield: Who is this man and has he murdered this young woman?

Action code: Male character going into his car as if he is looking for something, suggests that he is wanting to do something with the body.

Vladimir Propp’s Morphology of the Folk Tale narrative theory- Hero: farmer Villain: farmer asswell cos audience is made to believe he has murdered a young woman Princess: the young woman