Tzvetan Todorov suggested that conventional narratives are structured in five stages:
- A state of equilibrium at the outset;
- A disruption of the equilibrium by some action;
- A recognition that there has been a disruption;
- An attempt to repair the disruption;
- A reinstatement of the equilibrium
He said this narrative structure is very familiar to us and can be applied to many 'mainstram' film narratives. I am going to analysis 'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark' that I have previously analysed but this time testing Todorov's theory.
'Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark' starts with a establishing shot of the new house, which is an equilibrium within the setting. We then begin to see scenes of mystery, when the young girl starts hearing noises when exploring her new house, this shows a disruption of the equilibrium, breaking through of normality. An attempt to repair the disruption is shown through the the father and his girlfriend of the young girl who is facing menacing and terrifying forces are convincing her nothing is going to happen. Then there is a reinstatement of the equilibrium when all goes wrong and the menacing forces trap the young girl. No recognition is seen because it is a trailer and not a film and if recognition is shown the audience will not be anticipated to see the film.
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