Shaun of the Dead Narrative notes

Narrative - Shaun of the Dead 

Todorov's Theory

1.Equilibrium ->

2.Disruption of the Equilibrium ->

3.Recognition of the Disruption ->

4.Attempts to Repair the Damage ->

5.New Equilibrium

< Equilibrium = A time of peace - think Calm before the storm. >

Equilibrium - Shaun at the pub & before he left the house.

Disruption of the Equilirum - Newreports/Ambulances, Zombie seen by Shaun before it disappears behind a bus.

Recognition of the Disruption - Zombie in garden is imbaled, then climbs back up in front of Shaun & Ed

Attempts to Repair the Damage - Shaun's mission to rescue his mum & Liz and take them to the Winchester's pub.

New Equilibrium - Time jump after Shaun & Liz are saved, showing them now living with the zombies.

Cause and Effect 

Every Film narrative has a cause & effevt chain. 

Every action/event must be motivated and cause something in return. 

Cause = Think that occurred before it to make it happen (E.g. The zombies)

Effect = The thing that happened after it as result (E.g. Death of Peter)

Every point on the chain is necessary for the rest of the narrative to make sense.

Plot Segmentation

Segmentation = Division of the film into segments based on Narrative time & Space. To provide an overview of the film's structure. 

A segment can end & begin when there is a change in Time/Place (the paragraph rule.) This can be signified by cinematic devices like cuts, fades, black screen markers & dissolves.

Binary Opposition

Levi-Strauss sugessted that the narrative structure depends on Binary Opposition 

^ When two opposing forces arr at work throught the story. - These opposing forces cause conflict that is essential in moving the narrative forwards.

Binary Opposition can be represented through characters, conflicting ideas or Themes.

(In Shaun of the dead there's Binary Opposition in Ed & Shaun - shown through themes of childishness and maturity, as well as through mankind and 'the other.')

'The Other'

'The Other' is a concept seen in many film genres such as Sci fi and horror. 'The Other' refers to characters like Zombies, ghosts, vampires, aliens, robots, etc. The conflict at work in these films is between mankind and 'the other.' Including them in Binary Opposition. 

The idea of 'the other' is challenged in Shaun of the Dead, as the film does not end with one side winning , but rather both sides adapting to get along - as seen through Ed still living with them, in the shed. There's no longer a conflict between the Binary Opposition.

Character Arcs

Another way to spot narrative development is to…