Narrative Codes

In our very first theory lesson we were taught the five narrative codes, and how they are used within films.

• Action code

applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be

• Enigma code

Refers to any element in a story that is not explained and therefore exists as an enigma for the audience, raising questions that demand an explanation.

• Semantic code

Any element in a text that suggests a particular, often additional meaning by the way of connotation.

• Cultural code

Any element in a narrative that refers to a science or a body of knowledge. In other words, the cultural codes tend to point to our shared knowledge about the way the world works.

• Symbolic code

We were taught that this is a very hard code to understand so we were taught Binary opposites to help us understand...

Binary Opposites

Levi Straus believed that the world was split into series of binary opposites. Essentially one thing can only be defined in a relation to something it isn't, e.g. a hero is only a hero if there is a cowardly option.