Narrative

Question 1

What is a fabula?

Answer 1

chronological order in which events of story take place

Question 2

What is an example of fabula in CB?

Answer 2

it doesn’t begin in Paris so not chronological. Paris shown as a flashback instead

Question 3

What is a syuzhet?

Answer 3

sequence in which the author chooses to relate those events. the plot/storyline

Question 4

What is an example of syuzhet in CB?

Answer 4

it delays the history of Rick and Ilsa, instead reveals it through a flashback

Question 5

What is an ellipsis and how is it demonstrated in CB?

Answer 5

where something has been left out. e.g the time after Ilsa comes to Rick’s apartment at night

Question 6

What is a stretch?

Answer 6

a moment in the film is elongated through slow motion/rapid series of cuts. creates sense of jeopardy and drama

Question 7

What is a pause and how is it demonstrated in CB?

Answer 7

diegetic/film time stops for a moment e.g the credits/prologue to CB

Question 8

What is a scene?

Answer 8

film time and real time overlap. any dialogue scene. helps move storyline across. keeps a somewhat realistic effect as if we are in the film

Question 9

What is a summary and how is it demonstrated in CB?

Answer 9

a chunk of time is reduced to a series of shots/montage sequence. e.g when Rick is driving through paris with Ilsa

Question 10

What is Propp’s character theory and how does this apply to CB?

Answer 10

Hero (the action revolves around) - Rick
Antagonist (opposes hero) - Strasser
Donor (gives hero useful object) - Ugarte
Helper/Sidekick (aids hero) - Renault
Dispatcher/Boss (sends hero on quest) - None. Rick chooses for himself
Princess (hero’s motivation/reward) - Ilsa

Question 11

What is McKee’s narrative structure?

Answer 11

• story built around active protagonist
• struggles against external forces of antagonist to pursue their desire
• through continuous time
• within a causally connected fictional reality
• leads to a closed ending of irreversible change
  (remember as CELTIC PECCR)

Question 12

Apply McKee’s narrative structure to CB

Answer 12

active protagonist (P) - Rick
external conflict (EC) - Nazis trying to stop his plan
linear time (LTI) - chronological with sequence of flashbacks
causality (C) - everything follows through from each other
consistent reality (CR) - realistic, makes sense
closed ending (CE) - Ilsa and Viktor leave to Lisbon. Rick and Renault walk away together. Strasser is dead

Question 13

What is Barthes enigma code?

Answer 13

an element of the story that is not fully explained to the reader

Question 14

What are snares?

Answer 14

deliberately avoiding the truth

Question 15

What are equivocations?

Answer 15

partial/incomplete answers

Question 16

What are jammings?

Answer 16

openly acknowledging there is no answer to a problem. refusing to give an answer

Question 17

Why are jammings used in films?

Answer 17

to keep the audience guessing until the final scene where all is revealed and closure is achieved

Question 18

How is jammings used in CB?

Answer 18

“As Time Goes By”
Ilsa leaving Rick, will they get back together?
how do they know each other?

Question 19

What is Barthes’ action code?

Answer 19

refers to any other action/event that indicates something else is going to happen. gets the viewer anticipating what will happen next

Question 20

How is action code used in CB?

Answer 20

Strasser goes to pull out a gun but Rick does it first. establishes he is not the villain

Question 21

What is semic code?

Answer 21

connotation within the story that gives additional meaning

Question 22

What is symbolic code?

Answer 22

used within antithesis - new meanings arise out of opposing ideas

Question 23

What is cultural code?

Answer 23

anything founded on some kind of canonical works that cannot be challenged and assumed to be foundation for truth (eg character tempting another with an apple, draws cultural knowledge of Adam and Eve)