Narrative

Today's lesson was based around Narrative Codes. Theorist Roland Barthes argued that whilst film texts vary greatly, most are structured around five narrative codes. These five narrative codes are:

• The Hermeneutic Code (HER) - refers to anything that is not explained, that exists as an enigma and is most likely resolved in the end.
• The Proairetic Code (ACT) - applies to any action that implies a further narrative action.
• The Semantic Code (SEM) - points to any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by way of connotation.
• The Symbolic Code (SYM) - a deeper structural principal that organizes semiotic meanings.
• The Cultural Code (REF) - this code tends to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works.

By analysing text with regards to these codes, we are able to identify patterns/conventions regarding narrative/structure/meaning. Additionally, Barthes theory on narrative highlights the important difference of closed/open text and audience reading.

I have examined the opening sequence of Disney's Up. Using these codes, especially the Enigma, Action and Semiotic Code, I was able to analyse the opening scene and identify key scenes and themes.

Key Characters: To briefly open this analysis, there are two central characters to the opening sequence. Carl and Ellie. We can spot that these are the names of them when they are painting the post-box with their names and hand prints.

Key Action Codes: There are two specific scenes in which a certain action implies a further action. For instance, when Ellie is sitting outside on the chair after she was given dreadful news by a specialist doctor that she couldn't conceive (based on my interpretation). Carl takes the adventure book outside in order to comfort her. The book is very symbolic as it gives them both hope for the future. Unfortunately, they couldn't live the typical lifestyle like everybody else since Ellie found out she was infertile. However, going on adventures was Ellie's ambition when she was a child as we find out by the childhood photo of her in the pilot hat later on in the sequence. The book enables them to move on with their lives, which further implies why they began to paint their idealistic vision of the two of them living on top of paradise falls in South America. Since the adventure book has given them so much hope, it allows them to begin saving up money to make it feasible for them to move away. There we have a narrative action caused by the dreams and ambitions the book supply's.

Another scene where one narrative action causes another action to occur is the hill scene from 1:07 - 1:19. Carl and Ellie are staring at the clouds and they both begin to visualise them as babies. Many clouds shaped as children begin to appear and this gives them both the idea of wanting to have many children. This idea is a prime example of how the action code is used in film. The scene then shortly cuts to the couple renovating a room for the child they wish to have. Here is the further action implied from the code. Without the first action of the idea of having children, both Carl and Ellie wouldn't be creating a room.

Key Enigma Codes: Here are a variety of questions that the audience may be asked during the opening sequence -

• Wedding Scene: why are one side of the family thrilled and the other side more modest?
• Hill Scene 1: Why is Carl struggling up the hill? What are the two talking about when the turtle appears in the clouds? Why is Carl smiling?
• Reading Scene - What are the two reading about?
• Hospital Scene: Why is Ellie crying? What is the doctor telling her?
• The Tie Scene: What's the relevance to the ties? Why does he need help with them every morning? Why does he switch to bow-ties?
• Dancing Scene: Why has the paradise falls fund been tucked away? Why did they never go to paradise falls?
• Hill Scene 3: Why is Ellie struggling up the hill?
• Hospital Bed Scene: Why is Ellie in hospital? What is wrong with her? Why does she had Carl the adventure book?
• Funeral Scene: Why is Carl on his own? Where have all the people gone, where are his family?

Key Semiotic Codes: In the opening sequence, there are some semiotic and symbolic meanings I managed to discover throughout the scene:

• The wedding scene - One side of the family are cheering and screaming for the marriage and wearing bright colours which connotes that it is a joyful day and they are happy. The other side of the family are straight faced, clapping and wearing all black. This could connote that they aren't particularly showing emotion towards the marriage and are unsupportive, disagree with it.
• There are a couple of contrasts, opposites used to perhaps portray that opposites attract. For instance, the white wedding dress and the black suit. As well as tradition, this is also a key way to show how the both of them collaborate so well. The other example of this is the chairs they sit on. Carl's chair is very masculine, plain and straight edged. Ellie's chair, on the other hand, is more rounded, patterned and feminine. This is another symbolic code used to reinforce the contrasting attraction.
• In two of the hill scenes, the clouds are very symbolic to what they are planning. For instance, the turtle image could imply that they want to have a pet. As well as this, the imagery used to present the babies mean that they are thinking about conceiving.
• Renovating Childs Room/Hospital Scene - The colours change from bright and cheerful to grey and dull. Symbiotically, this suggests that there is some bad news arriving, or that the story will take a tragic turn. In the end, it does as Ellie finds out about her incapability to have children.
• Finally, the adventure book and the paradise falls jar are key symbols of hope and ambition. Without them, the couple may not have been able to recover from the bad news. Although we cannot see the content of the book, we are able to see what the book may have been about judging from the display they create in the painting scene. Collecting money in a pot is one of the key methods of preparing for the future therefore this is very symbolic for their future.