ASSIGNMENT 6: SIMPLE FILM NARRATIVE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS By Monae Minors-Gibbs
ASSIGNMENT 6: SIMPLE FILM NARRATIVE
STRUCTURE ANALYSISBy Monae Minors-Gibbs
Salt Evelyn Salt is a CIA agent A Russian spy comes in and
informs that the President of Russia will be assassinated during a visit to New York City to attend the funeral of the recently deceased U.S. Vice President.
The name of the assassin: Evelyn Salt
Concerned about the safety of her husband, she goes on the run.
Her boss Ted Winter refuses to accept that she is a mole or a double agent but her actions begin to assume that she is.
Has the institution created a text with a conventional (stereotypical)
narrative structure?
Yes, this linear structure had a chronological order of the:
Beginning (Set up) Middle (Conflict) End (Resolution)
Explain how the film is narrative implicit or explicit(clearly expressed)?
Explicit narrative reason Explicit narrative evidence
There's a clear beginning that gets the audience into storyThe audience are relaxed and settling into the film
Clear chronological order of the flashbacks
The middle had conflict Explosions ShootingsAnd chases
The end shows her escape Running in the woodsBut leaves the audience contemplating of what may happen next
This shows they are both happily married at first.
This shows the husband is sticking by her.
Screen grabs shows her husband being shot and watching it happen.
This shows salt making her next move.
How the film uses conventional narrative structure (Act 1)
Evelyn Salt – 1st scene
Salt & her husband
Orlov Oleg Vassily is the Russian man (bad guy)
•Trying to convince that she is not a spy•Why is she being beaten up? •Sets up the story for the audience
•She's being let loose •Her husband is waiting for her •Trigger the audience thoughts of what will happen now
•Happy relationship•Everything seems to be going good•The audience feels satisfied
•He (the bad guy) tells a story •Audience wonders why a story
Act 1 (Set-up)The beginning sets up the movie.
Orlov Oleg Vassily story Evelyn Salt against the CIA agents
•He's getting a flashback while telling his story •When his story finishes he confesses Evelyn Salt is the assassin•The other CIA agents are confused as the computer says he's telling the truth
•She was forced to stay in a room but escapes after a destruction with Orlov Oleg Vassily •She makes a quick explosion to get out •This is the start of a crisis
Continued ..
Russian vice president attack
A Russian kills Salt’s husband
Evelyn Salt
•She make an explosion at the funeral •she gets arrested •The audience think that she's captured
•The Russians killed her husband •This scene makes it dramatic•The audience feel sorrow
•Salt gets revenge •Kills all the Russian there and Orlov Oleg Vassily •Eye opener for the audience as she manages by herself
Act 2 (conflict)The crisis are happening
The other CIA agent Salt kills the agent
•This agent was a Russian and had the same plan •This gets the audience confused
•She attacks again shockingly •Salt kills the false agent •The audience are shocked
Continued ..
The boss Ted lets Salt free Evelyn Salt still alive
•A big escape out of a plane •Audience begin to question if she survives
•She's still alive•The audience is happy that she's alive •Still questioning her next move
Act 3 (end)The survival
Why have the film makers used this conventional structure?
The structure is easier to follow Makes a lot of money Enjoyed better for the audience when
used to a certain structure
What impact does this have on the audience?
They would have enjoyed the structure
Felt satisfied/happy about watching the film
They would have been confused May have thought some was
predictable
What audience expectations have they established or challenged by
using this structure?-Challenged ending: Audience left uncertain of if she kills the rest If she survived through the woods Let the audience communicate of to what would
of happened Salt left with no husband-Established action conventions: Car chase Long running chase Big explosion (e.g. funeral, killing Russians) The relationship between a man and woman