Narrative Research

Three Act Structure

This is a common structure for films, that divides the narrative structure into 3 acts.

The first is the setup. This is where we are introduced to the protagonist, antagonist, setting, and the mood/tone is set for the rest of the film. This usually makes up 1/4 of the film.

The second is the confrontation. Generally, this is where we are introduced to the problem that the protagonist faces. Often the protagonist will attempt to solve the problem and will fail, leading to further complications. This usually makes up about 1/2 of the film.

The third and final act is the resolution. This is where the problem is solved, after a climactic battle if sorts, either mentally or physically. Generally, this is the happy ending part, where the protagonist is victorious. However, sometimes, there is no resolution, and the ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger.

An example of a recent film that loosely follows this three act structure would be Drive. At the beginning  of the film, we are introduced to "the driver" (he is never named). Through one continuous shot during the intro, we learn a lot about him. From the annotated map of the road system, we learn that he is meticulous in planning the escape, and that he has every option covered. From his conversation on the phone, we learn that he is always in control, even though he is just a getaway driver. Finally, from the baseball game on his television, we learn in about 5 minutes that he has already planned the escape, and knows its outcome.


During the main bulk of the film, the driver (Spoilers) falls in love with his neighbour, and must protect her family from mob bosses, and the men after her husband. He deals with the men after her husband, yet the problem of the mob bosses soon arises.

At the end (Even more spoilers), the driver defeats the mob bosses, yet is left wounded. The film ends with the driver driving off into the night, bleeding out, the audience unsure about his fate. There is a lack of resolution for two reasons:

1. He is bleeding, so we do not know whether he will die (though the director did say in an interview that he lives)

2. He cannot see the woman he loves so as to protect her from the men that will surely be after him after killing the mob bosses.

Nonlinear Narratives 

Films often play out in a chronologic order, but not always. Sometimes, a film will use a nonlinear narrative, which is where the narrative doesn't show events in the order that they happened. An example of this would be Into the Wild. The film cross cuts back and forth between Christopher McCandless' journey to the Alaskan wilderness, and his time spent there.

The film begins with Chris walking into the wild, as superimposed text reveals insight into the story. He is writing letters to a friend throughout the film, and this is part of a letter we see him write later on. Directly after this scene, the film cuts to an earlier point in time, with Chris' sister narrating. This allows us to get the backstory, which is really just as important as when Chris enters the wilderness. It is about his journey into the unknown, not just physical places, but ways of living and thinking.




With our film, we are looking at doing a nonlinear narrative, and want to make use of flash forwards, to keep the audience engaged. This is often the case with Thrillers, as the audience are then left guessing how a certain event comes about (through the use of flash forwards), or are given more insight into the background of an event/character (through the use of flash backs), which helps to drive the narrative. Many of the films we looked at use flashbacks and not flash forwards, and so in this way, we are looking to break Thriller conventions, and to produce something unique.