This week in our lectorial Seth Keen discussed the significance of narrative and non-narrative in relation to documentary making and how relations are organised between shots. Bordwell and Thompson’s definitions of ‘narrative’ and ‘non-narrative’ are conceptualised in the form of film, “a film is not simply a random bunch of elements. Like all artworks, a film has form. By film form in its broadest sense we mean the overall system of relations that we can perceive among the elements in the whole film.” Bordwell and Thompson are referring to the fact that narrative begins with one situation and through the duration of a narrative patterns occur in the form of cause and effect and finally a new situation arises which brings about the end to a narrative. Bordwell and Thompson explain the significance of cause and effect in narrative, and that most fictional characters and in particular the protagonists through their actions, play a pivotal role in producing the cause and effect in most narrative structures. Bordwell and Thompson explain that ‘characters create causes and register effects’. In regards to the notion of time in Bordwell and Thompson’s analysis, cause and effect occur within temporal constraints. Even when events are presented in an order that is not chronological the audience uses a temporal framework to place events into chronological order. The best example I can refer to is Pulp Fiction, the audience place a temporal framework when Vincent’s death occurs in the middle of the film, but appears again unscathed in the chapter afterwards. Therefore the audience through this are able to create their own temporal framework by placing each chapter in chronological order, to make the timeline linear.

However, Seth brought to light examples of nonfiction into the categories of: ‘linear narrative’, ‘linear non narrative’, ‘multi linear narrative’ and ‘multi linear non narrative’. Seth identified the form of ‘multilinear non-narrative’, which is a form of documentary that has no beginning, middle or end, which was intriguing as most documentaries are meticulously structured.

One of the forms described in Bordwell and Thompson is categorical form, categories meaning the grouping that individuals or societies create to organise their knowledge of the world. Most of the categories we as an audience use in our daily life are less strict, less neat and less exhaustive. People as detailed by Bordwell and Thompson tend to group things around them based on common sense, practical approach and ideological views of the world. If a documentary filmmaker wants to convey information so the audience can relate to it they must follow a basic film form by organising their categories. An example of categorical form is the Gap-Toothed Women, which consists largely of brief interviews with women who have gaps in between their front teeth. As the documentary develops it suggests larger themes which all interrelate. The film examines social attitudes both positive and negative, towards gap-toothed women. Bordwell and Thompson have conveniently split the Gap-Toothed Women film up into categorical segments.

1. A pretitle sequence introducing a few gap-toothed women
2. A title segment with a quotation
3. Some genetic and cultural explanations for gaps
4. Ways American culture stigmatises gap-teeth and efforts to correct or adjust to them.
5. Careers and creativity
6. An epilogue: gaps and life
7. Credits
8. Fin

These segments are well stylised with songs, still images, loads of Madonna style close ups which all comment on the subject matter of the interviews. ‘The film Gap-Toothed Women shows that category-based form need not be a dry recitation of conceptual similarities and differences’ the film can takes a stance on its subjects and the contrasting attitudes and opinions are all quintessential to entertaining and informing the audience. Level of meaning is also important in this film and meaning can be created through categorical form without having a clear start or finish in the narrative.

For all those fans of Pulp Fiction who have been wondering for years what the true structure of the film is and what the film looks like in chronological order, and for those who haven’t seen it yet this should help you considerably…