Narration in the Fiction Film

Narration in the Fiction Film by David Bordwell explores how movies construct their fictional narratives. This study examines the fundamental principles of narrative representation and the unique features of the film medium to understand how films build stories. Bordwell begins with an overview of general approaches to narration, drawing on theories such as Russian formalist aesthetic theory and cognitive psychology. He then formulates a new concept of narration that is uniquely applicable to fictional cinema. The author considers how time and place affect the process of film narration and how these factors shape spectators' story comprehension. The book characterises four dominant modes of film narration: classical Hollywood cinema, European 'art cinema', Soviet historical materialist film, and parametric narration. Bordwell examines the history and specific strategies of each mode, offering a comprehensive account of how movies use narrative representation to construct their fictional narratives.