In film the narrative is a chain of events linked by cause and effect and occurring in time and space. It refers to all the things that make up a story which includes plot/story, time, cause and effect, patterns, and more.

In this chapter the author discuses plot and story which are two big topics in narrative. Story refers to the chronological events that occur in a story. The story provides the framework and context for all the character’s actions and motivations. In contrast the plot is all the specific arrangement of events that are presented to the audience in the film. The plot is more about the structure and organization and this is what creates meaning and engages viewers.

Diegesis refers to the narrative world of a film this includes everything that exists within the story which is the characters, events, and settings. Similarly, when something is added to the film that is not part of the story’s world it is nondiegetic. These are things the characters are unaware of like the film’s titles, added sounds and credits. They serve to enhance the audience’s experience but don’t belong to the narrative world.

In this chapter the author uses multiple examples like Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones, and the man who knew too much to teach us about cause and effect. The chapter starts by establishing that narratives in film are usually based around a series of cause and effect relationships. In a film a character’s action is linked to previous actions which creates a logical pathway that can help guide the audience through a story. This path can help viewers understand the plot and anticipate the outcomes of a character’s decision. For example, when a character does something the consequences are often tied to that decision and this reinforces the idea that every action has a reaction which is cause and effect. Adding on to this cause and effect has to do with the role of character motivation. The chapter talks about how a character’s actions are often driven by certain fears, desires, and also circumstances that are shown earlier in the story’s plot. When these motivations are brought to light the filmmakers create a better connection between the audience and the characters. For example, if a character is portrayed as struggling in life their next actions might be that they isolate themselves or seek revenge and I believe this makes it more understandable and relatable. On the other hand the director might hide certain causes and effects which involve concealing the motivations or reasons behind the character’s actions or if something is significant in the plot. This technique can help build tension and maintain audience interest. For instance, a character might make a sudden decision like setting someone up or pretending to be someone else. When I watch films it keeps me engaged and t curious as to why that character did that and I know it has the same effect on others.

Within the narrative the chapter also discusses time and how the filmmaker can manipulate time with narrative form. I found temporal order, frequency and duration to be a big part of time in this chapter. Temporal order refers to the placement of events in a narrative, specifically the sequence they are presented to the audience. When presenting this sequence of events filmmakers can choose to follow a chronological order in which events are presented as they occur in time. However, they can also use a non linear structure that changes the order of events. Temporal frequency pertains to how often certain events are shown in the narrative. This concept can manifest in various ways like repetition or variation in the portrayal of events. For instance, a significant moment might be depicted multiple times from different perspectives which lets viewers see how it affects different characters and situations. This also remind me of the lion king which I recently watched when taking care of my younger cousins. In the film the story circles back to Mufasa’s death multiple times which highlights the significance of trauma relating to loss which relates to themes like the circle of life which is also highlighted with the famous song that goes “its the circle of life”. Finally, relating to time duration of certain scenes or characters can be used by the filmmaker to cause the audience to think in a certain way. If a scene or present for a long period of time it can show us the importance of whatever the filmmaker wants the audience to see. On the other hand, if something is only presented for a brief period of time it might show us that this isn’t very important than we shouldn’t pay much attention to it.

Lastly, at the end of this chapter the author uses Citizens Kane as an example to teach us more about narrative and how the film manipulates time and has non linear structure with the use of flashbacks when discussing the storytelling and plot of the film. The film use a non linear plot through the use of flashbacks which kept the audience more engaged and informed on what’s going on. In the chapter we are shown a chart of all six flashbacks used that help us track the story’s plot. These flashbacks are useful to show us different portrayals of Mr. Kane which gives us insight on who he is in the present day.