Narrative is often talked about as if story and narrative are in fact the same thing. Narrative tends to be a more technical term for the way in which the elements of the story are presented to us. Film Art puts it: “we can consider a narrative to be a chain of events in cause-effect relationship occurring in time and space.” Cause and Effect is probably the most important element of Narrative storytelling because cause and effect is almost entirely what is shown to the audience in the cinema.

Mystery Road beautifully uses narrative as not only a way to show the action taking place but also to create meaning. Through cause and effect we are given insight into the way the film world operates and a window into the culture the film is exploring. Narrative is incredibly important in the portrayal of characters too. Mystery Road is not a static film, there are actions and reactions littered throughout. Jay’s decision to remain distant from the community has repercussions and leads to lack of trust from fellow community members. As a film, it brilliantly organises the events of Swan’s investigation, the entire time, the film uses very realistic construction of time and space, short of being Stanislavski. The shootout at the end of the film specifically uses long, uninterrupted cuts. This narration creates suspense in a different way than, say, Enemy of the State. Narration is the process of presenting the narrative to the audience and in Mystery Road, Ivan Sen constructs his narrative through the characters and society within the story.

Narrative is often organised into Story and Plot elements and these elements are linked but not the same. Plot details anything within the narrative of the film that is explicitly narrated to the audience. Story, is a broader concept that encompasses the details of the film world, the diegesis. These elements combine to form the narrative of the film.