Sex and the City
The main narrative plot of “sex and the city” is based around four women who live in New York, manage family lives, careers, love lives, fashion and socialising. It begins by giving history and linking each character to the main character “Carrie.”
Because Sex and the city was originally a series on TV, it was necessary to introduce the characters to the audience for those who never saw the series. By introducing the new characters it also helps remind those who did originally watch the series but need reminding- this fits in with Blumer and Katz’s theory of the uses and gratifications of films, and how the audience is able to socialize and relate to the characters, as though they are catching up with old friends.
The characters history is summarising and told by a non diegetic voice over from Carrie, therefore indicating how she knows everything about her friends and how she has helped them through all of their problems, suggesting a very good group of friends.
Character types:
Carrie- princess and hero
Big- villain and hero- contradicts Propps theory that heros and villains are kept separate because Big changes between hero and villain as each equilibrium is established
Narrative structures:
Non linear as several new equilibriums are established and so both audience and charters think that they have returned to a calm state, but they are disrupted very quickly and often quick suddenly.
They get engaged
Big refuses to get married
Miranda finds out she has been cheated on
Charlotte is pregnant
Carrie reinvents herself back at her ne apartment
Carrie and Big get back together and married
Key scenes that help to forge the narrative:
The opening scene in which all of the characters are introduced and the audience is introduced into the film- Blumer and Katz (uses and gratifications) helps the audience to relate and socilaise
Big and Carrie find their dream apartment- empty apartment to symbolize a fresh start for the both of them- at this point they are hero and princess
The four girls go to an auction- realization of a potential disruption to the equilibrium
Big and Carrie get engaged
The girls clean out Carries apartment and pack her stuff
Carrie chooses a simple dress in which she wants to get married
The gay wedding planner says that she should get married in a more elaborative dress
Carrie goes to a photo shoot and finds her perfect dress
Miranda finds out Steve has been cheating on her
Samantha has relationship issues with her boyfriend
Engagement party
Big become overwhelmed and seeks comfort in Carrie
Big fails to turn up to the wedding – it is at this point that Big becomes a villian
Carrie finds big and throws her bouquet at him in the street
All four girls go on the honeymoon
Carrie looks in the mirror and realizes the state she is now in- she locks herself in her hotel room and stays there for the next few scene
Charlotte gets ill
Carrie- upon her return- moves back into her old apartment- new equilibrium
Miranda gets relationship counseling with Steve
Charlotte gets pregnant
Charlotte has her baby and Carrie finds out that Big has been trying to reach her.
Carrie and Big both meet at the new apartment just before it is about to be resold
Big and Carrie get back together and a new equilibrium is established- they then return to their previous positions of hero and princess
A key scene in the film is the point at which Todorov’s theory is evident when the equilibrium is disrupted. During the scene Carrie and Big are discussing whether or not they should get married. The setting is a flash apartment suggesting that they are both independent wealthy people who have no specific financial needs or worries. Straight cuts to close ups and mid shots are used to help create the idea of a conversation. This suggests that marriage is a difficult subject for this couple, as the mid shots include body language so that as each person makes suggestions and adds to the conversation, tension is added and it puts the audience on edge about how the other person will react to what is said. There are a lot of props used including kitchen utensils and vegetables. This adds to the tension because it provides a distraction for both the audience and characters.
This scene is not only a major contributor to the narrative, but it also helps add a sense of comedy as the audience especially the targeted audience of women should be able to relate to the situation where difficult topics and conversations must be broached in relationships.
Another important scene is one where Carrie realises that Big wont be turning up to the wedding, whilst she is stood at the ceremony is her wedding dress. A long shot has been used here to show Carries complete mental, emotional and physical collapse. The long shot is held as she falls slightly, and bends at the waist. By doing this she now fails to fill the frame as before when she was stood up, as she collapses she bends over and her figure and dress fail to fill the frame. This could represent her wish to just curl into a ball like a baby for protection and human instinct. Her wedding dress is emphasised and the audience realises how beautiful she looks. As she takes the call, close ups of her face show the viewers how she is processing the idea, and it also helps the audience to empathise with her over what has happened. This scene challenges Todorov’s theory as it is the second disruption of the equilibrium.
Although this film is a comedy, it does contain many upsetting scenes that are real dark moments for the characters where they are emotionally low. By having these dark moments it means that they are able to appreciate the comical and happier moments. For example, whilst on her honeymoon Carrie looks at her face in the mirror and realizes how upset and distraught she is. The close up emphasizes how tired and unwell she looks in contrast to how she looked in previous scenes such as the wedding day. These dark moments often look a though they could be part of a drama but this just helps to enhance the comedy moments by making the audience laugh.
Sex and the city is not a fantastic example of comedy as it is combined with romance and drama but it does help to show how elements of comedy can be incorporated into other genres. The film uses a lot of high key and natural lighting to help connote that they are living normal lives, this convention of comedies helps the audience to relate to the film.
Run fat boy run is based around a man who runs away from a marriage, regrets this decision and runs a marathon to win his ex- fiancé back. The non linear narrative establishes the background to the narrative by using a flash back to explain to the audience why the main character does what he does. The main character, Dennis Doyle is played by well-known comedy actor Simon Pegg. This means that the audience may be fully aware very early on that the film is most likely a comedy because Simon Pegg is best known for his comedy work. The film is directed by David Schwimmer, also a well-known comedy actor, and this again gives an indication of the genre.
Characters:
Dennis- hero
Libby- princess
Whit- villain
Gordon- donor
Narrative structure:
An equilibrium is established during the opening when Dennis and Libby are about to get married. The equilibrium is disrupted when Dennis walks out on the wedding. The main plot for the film is Dennis trying to win Libby back and therefore creating a new equilibrium.
An equilibrium is established when Dennis is shown chasing a shoplifter down a shopping high street. This gives the audience a sense of what a normal day is like for Dennis and his day-to-day job as a security guard. Close ups are used to entertain the audience with the idea that the security guard is having trouble breathing, and is out of breath whilst chasing a transvestite shoplifter. The close ups, show his heavy breathing, sweating, and redness in the face all indicating how unfit he is. It kind of create an empathy for Dennis because the shot could represent how desperate he is and how hard he is trying to get his fiancé back, but on the other hand, it also creates a feeling of disappointment amongst the audience because they feel he isn’t trying hard enough and that he doesn’t deserve her. The setting is just an ordinary high street, to emphasise how Dennis is just an average middle class man, who has nothing special or extra ordinary about him which fuels the narrative. A very long point of view shot of the high street shows to the audience how far away the shoplifter is from Dennis to emphasise how useless he is at his job.
Coinciding with Todorov theory of narrative structures, finally a new equilibrium is established at the very end of the film when Dennis is lying on the floor at the finish line of the London Marathon. This extremely high angle shot helps to create a sense of achievement from the audience and sympathy for him. The use of a high angle shot has been adapted for this film ,a s usually high angle shots are used to belittle someone and show the power of the audience, contrastingly this shot does the opposite and connotes the idea that Dennis has achieved a great feat. Dennis is centred in the middle of the frame, but he is surrounded by his ex fiancé and his son. This represents how, even though he is injured, mentally and physically exhausted he is very happy surrounded by the people he loves.
Key scenes that help to forge the narrative:
Wedding happy preparations – equilibrium
Dennis runs away from wedding- equilibrium disrupted
Dennis fails again at his job
Visits Libby at bakery
Dennis meets Whit
Dennis decides to run race
Gordon and Dennis train for marathon
Dennis and Libby have a discussion at party for whit
Dennis runs marathon
Whit falls over and hurts himself
Dennis wins race, wins Libby back and so new equilibrium is established
Run fat boy run is a good example of a comedy because although it provokes emotions common with dramas such as empathy and sympathy, it does it in a way so that the audience experiences the up and downs with the characters in a light hearted way that makes the audience laugh and smile.
Kinky boots
The basic plot of Kinky boots is following a man who is trying to revive his fathers old shoe factory and the struggle he has with new ideas and keeping the factory and hope of the workers, afloat. The film has a non linear narrative structure, as it helps to reinforce the character Charlie’s feeling and passion for the shoe factory. By using flashbacks, it helps the audience to track Charlie’s thought and feelings.
A key scene in the film is the climax where a new equilibrium is in the process of forming. A very long, slightly low angle shot is used to show Charlie on a high fashion runway in just a shirt and a pair of female boots specifically designed to hold a mans weight. The low angle element of the shot connotes the idea that the camera that is conventionally at the end of a cat walk to take pictures during models walks isn’t sure where else to look, when this embarrassing event occurs. A long shot connotes a feeling of isolation, abandonment and embarrassment with Charlie as it is the setting that overwhelms the frame, but as he is the only person I the scene, the audience immediately looks at him. The lighting is low key to again recreate the idea of a real high fashion show. The shot is silent and so the tumbling noise and the sounds of the heeled boots overwhelms the scene and so each stumble is magnified to intensify the drama unfolding.
This film is a good example of a comedy because similarly to Run fat boy run, it helps the audience to relate to and follow the ups and downs of one mans journey and mission, but again due to unusual and unexpected nature of the mission, it is funny and comical.
Character types:
Charlie- hero
Lola- key donor could also be interpreted as a hero
Lauren- princess
Don- donor
Key scenes that help to forge the narrative:
Audience sees factory working well
Father dies and factory plunged into trouble
Charlie tries to sell left over shoes on street
Lets staff go at factory
Meets Lola
Charlie goes to transvestite club to see Lola
Lola shares her problem with boots
Charlie spots gap in market
Charlie realizes how much debt his father has left
All factory works well together to produce boots for Milan fashion week
Big argument between Lola and Charlie
Lola doesn’t arrive in time for catwalk
Charlie falls over whilst on catwalk
Lola and her dancers take over and recover the show
Narrative structure:
Equilibrium- factory is running well
Equilibrium disruption- factory is plunged into financial trouble due to fathers death
Equilibrium solved- Charlie meets Lola and they decide to make boots for transvestites
New equilbroum factory works well making boots
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