Visual Storytelling and Narrative Structure - Stuart Poyntz

REALISTIC NARRATIVE

Films with Realistic Narratives generally favour episodic stories, which means stories 
that move along from one episode to the next, in no particular order, almost like a “slice 
of life”. As audiences, we only get to see a part of a main character’s experiences, but 
we generally learn enough about the character to identify and sympathise with him or 
her.

This gives you an explanation for 'realistic narrative' and what effect it can have on the audience and how they interpret it. But also hints at the themes of a film with a 'realistic narrative'.

Audiences who are most familiar with action films or films that move along at a quick 

pace are often disappointed by Realistic Narratives. Generally, this is because it takes 

time for the main storyline to emerge. As well, these movies avoid clichés, stock 

characters and situations, simple melodrama, romantic ideas of Destiny and Fate, and 

happy, expected endings. Because of this, audiences often have to work harder to enjoy 

Realistic Narratives, and many movie-goers simply aren’t prepared for this when they 

head out to the theatre.

This tells you the themes and values of a film with a Realistic Narrative, and what they hold, and that they make audiences work, for example: Memento, Shutter Island, Inception.

FORMALIST NARRATIVE

Formalist Narratives generally make it very clear to audiences 

that we are watching a made-up story, which the director can play with in any way he 

or she likes. They tend to use the narrative structure to highlight themes the director 

feels are important by stylising, exaggerating, or distorting particular elements in ways 

that convey the artificiality of the film experience.

This tells you about Formalist Narrative, in which the directory makes it very clear that the film is made up, and that anything he wants to can happen, it is not meant to be a reflection of society or a realistic view, and can provide a 'what if' theme to the story.