Research: Linking Movies with their Theorists

Media Studies – Linking Movies with Theorists’ Theory’s

Movie Theorists

-          Todorov – Narrative’s plot lines follow the same path.

-          Vladimir Propp – The classic and generic movie structure.

-          Lévi-Strauss – Theory of binary opposites.

-          Roland Barthes – Anything can happen in a movie.

Movie Watched

-          The Shining, 1980.

-          Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, 2009.

-          Zombie Land, 2009.

Movies with Theories

I believe that Propp’s theory goes well with the film Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol. I believe this theory ties in well with this movie as it has the main characters needed to prove this theory. For example, in this movie there are the characters; the villain, the hero/ saviour, and donor aka the sidekick(s). Also, throughout the movie there is a beginning, middle and end. The characters shown are the villains who’re fighting against the agents fighting for the brief case – we also have the characters; the mina agent and the sidekicks being other agents helping him collect the brief case. As terms of structure, it follows the structure too. For example, the start starts off as an agent getting shot – making us as the audience think that the first person shown will be the main character throughout the movie. The middle consists of a fighting scene in a building in Dubai when a sandstorm hits too. The final scene is then shown as the heroes and donors being happy they beat the villains and go out to a coffee shop to celebrate.

I believe that Barthes’ theory goes will with the film Zombie Land. I believe that this theory ties in well with the movie since it doesn’t have a start, middle or end – but is consisted with nothing but plain gore; and showing how the citizens of their town are getting killed by the zombies. Though it does have a start; we’re introduced to the movie by a voice over of how we can survive the zombie apocalypse/ outbreak – giving us four steps on living within this hell. We can also see the narrative way; one personal view point whilst this happens too (either it’d be a personal viewpoint of a voice over of what is happening, i.e. the start of the movie).

Finally, I believe that Todorov’s theory goes well with the film The Shining. I believe that this film’s characters and structure link in well with this due to the structure used in the film. A family enter a new house where the son Danny sees really horrible and graphic thoughts through his telepathic mind – which he called ‘The Shining’. When the father is writing up and working on a project, he slowly goes insane and starts to see things i.e ghosts which aren’t appearing for no one else. We then find out the only thing that can save the family is Danny’s power, ‘The Shining’.