Blade Runner Film and Game Narrative Analysis
ASSESSMENT 1: RESEARCH ESSAY
BY BLAKE SIMPSON, 108365
"Campbell’s analysis is a combination of myth and fable, psychoanalysis and comparative theology. Throughout his writings, he dwells more in the psychological and spiritual meanings of myth than in the aspect of strict storytelling. The stages of his Hero’s Journey, however, are easily adapted to modern storytelling in movies and perhaps in games" [1]
Christopher Vogler in The Writer 's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters, adapting his paradigm from Joseph Campbell 's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and Vladimir Propp 's Morphology of the Folktale [2], makes claim that 'all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams and movies ' [3]. Syd Field, author of The Screen Writer 's Workbook [4], also outlined a paradigm that most screenplays follow comprising a three-act structure: Setup, Confrontation and Resolution. His model uses plot points, often called reversals: Events that push plot on a new trajectory, signaling transition between acts. In combination, Field 's three acts and Vogler 's hero 's journey becomes a consistent tool for narrative analysis by deconstruction:
"The familiarity of archetypal narrative frameworks such as the three act structure or the hero’s journey is such that they can be drawn upon without the need for extensive elaboration in any particular manifestation. The notion of a central character being sent off on a quest... usually involving a shift out of more recognizably everyday routines, is sufficiently well-established as a narrative convention" [5]
Adapted from Philip Dick 's 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott 's 1982 Cyberpunk film Blade Runner can be successfully deconstructed according to these combined literary paradigms with reference made to the conventions of 'Film Noir '. Similar can be said for Westwood Studios ' 1997 Blade Runner PC game: An adventure
BY BLAKE SIMPSON, 108365
"Campbell’s analysis is a combination of myth and fable, psychoanalysis and comparative theology. Throughout his writings, he dwells more in the psychological and spiritual meanings of myth than in the aspect of strict storytelling. The stages of his Hero’s Journey, however, are easily adapted to modern storytelling in movies and perhaps in games" [1]
Christopher Vogler in The Writer 's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters, adapting his paradigm from Joseph Campbell 's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and Vladimir Propp 's Morphology of the Folktale [2], makes claim that 'all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams and movies ' [3]. Syd Field, author of The Screen Writer 's Workbook [4], also outlined a paradigm that most screenplays follow comprising a three-act structure: Setup, Confrontation and Resolution. His model uses plot points, often called reversals: Events that push plot on a new trajectory, signaling transition between acts. In combination, Field 's three acts and Vogler 's hero 's journey becomes a consistent tool for narrative analysis by deconstruction:
"The familiarity of archetypal narrative frameworks such as the three act structure or the hero’s journey is such that they can be drawn upon without the need for extensive elaboration in any particular manifestation. The notion of a central character being sent off on a quest... usually involving a shift out of more recognizably everyday routines, is sufficiently well-established as a narrative convention" [5]
Adapted from Philip Dick 's 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott 's 1982 Cyberpunk film Blade Runner can be successfully deconstructed according to these combined literary paradigms with reference made to the conventions of 'Film Noir '. Similar can be said for Westwood Studios ' 1997 Blade Runner PC game: An adventure
References: 1. Perry, D ; DeMaria, R. (2009), Game Design : A Brainstorming Toolbox, (pp. 108), Boston, MA, USA: Course Technolgy 2 3. Campbell, J. (1949), The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Princeton: Bollingen 4 5. King, G; Krzywinska, T. (2006), Tomb Raiders and Space Invaders : Videogame Forms and Contexts (pp. 50), London, GBR: I.B. Tauris 6 7. Scott, R. (1982), Blade Runner (FILM), US: Warner Bros. Pictures 8 9. Rushing, J; Thomas, S. (1995), "The Double Hunt", Projecting the Shadow: The Cyborg Hero in American Film (pp. 151), Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press 10 11. Robb, B. (2001), Ridley Scott, Harpenden, GBR: Pocket Essentials 12 13. Robb, B. (2001), Ridley Scott, Harpenden, GBR: Pocket Essentials 14 15. Thomas, M; Penz, F. (2003) Architectures of Illusion: From Motion Pictures to Navigable Interactive Environments (pp. 119), Bristol, GBR: Intellect Ltd.