Essay three: Narrative Theories in relation to The Women In Black

               

The women in black is a supernatural thriller made in 2012, directed by James Watkins and is part of Hammer Horror Productions. The main protagonist Arthur Kipps who is played by Daniel Redcliff, is send to a remote house off a small village to sort the affairs of a deceased eccentric. His careers is in jeopardy due to recently losing his wife and his grief is effecting his work life. He needs to make this one big job work so he can provide for him and his little boy. Kipps soon works out that the house he is working on is still being haunted by the ghost of the women that use to live there. He also soon works out that the village is also being haunted by the women, she is killing there children to take revenge of the child that was taken away from her.  The women in black's target audience was Harry Potter fans and horror film fans. It had a big marketing distribution plan that payed off, making the film a massive success.   

Screen duration- 95 minutes
Plot duration- 1 week
Story duration- 30 years

The film clearly follows Todorov theory of the narrative structure. The film starts with an equilibruim where there two potentially opposing forces are in balance. At the start of this film the good and the evil has not yet come into contract (Kipps has not yet see the women in black). But the very first scene is the evil taking place killing three young girls but the evil (the women in black) has yet to meet the main protagonist. Then this is disrupted as soon as Kipps steps foot in the village and the house. This is the disequilibrium which then sets off a chain of events until there is a new equilibrium. The new equilibrium is the women in black killing Kipps and his little son to be reunited with his wife/mum. Underneath is a diagram of the 'classic realist' narrative structure and shot in the film that relate to each equilibrium. 

Vladimir Propp was a Russian critic who looking into folk tails who then was able to identified 8 different charter roles. In any good film audiences need to see strong character types. This is clearly shown in this film. The two main character types is the villain and the hero/ Kipps and the women in black. These are also binary opposition, good vs evil the two things in the film that are working against each over. Claude Levi-Strauss looking in to binary opposition underneath are the things he came up with and next to it I have stated how this is shown in The Women In Black:

Male/Female- The male and female is also the good vs elvil. As the hero and the good in this film is Kipps who is a male and the evil is the women in black who is a female.  

Known/Unknown-The unknown is the women in black, who is she? Why is is killing kids? How do they stop her? This makes the known who is Kipps and the villages scared because they are unable to answer these question. 

Safe/Unsafe- Kipps is safe in London with his kids and the villages think they are save even though they are living in fear. But when Kipps come to the village he is blamed for making it unsafe. But there is also a contrast between the adult are safe and the kids are unsafe. This is due the the women in black killing the kid to then hurt the adults.  

Fear/Courage- Fear is the villages who are scared to face the women in black and the courage is Kipps who is able to become a hero and face the evil.
Normal/Abnormal- Normal is living and abnormal is the ghost of the women in black.
Good/Evil- The clear good vs evil is Kipps vs the women in black.

The women in black follows many horror film genre convention from the location being a small village and an abandoned house in the middle of no where This makes the film more tense because it is in a isolated location. The sense of isolation is scary for the charters as there is more of a sense of being alone. This isolated village also harbour a secret from the outside people. The colour black itself represent danger, darkness and evil which is the main colour is this film. The women itself is wearing black showing she is dangerous. Children's toys are also I sighn of innocents and children and because they are so innocent they are oblivious to the danger they are in. 

The women in black includes many jump scares and follows many clear horror film convention. It has a very strong three act structure with a strong ending. This film supports Todorov, Vladimir Propp and Claude Levi-Strauss theories. I belive the strong charters types and story as an audience we find more connection with the hero and want him to stop the evil and help the helpless village.