Wizard of Oz Narrative Report
Assignment 1 – Narrative Report
Story and Plot
In a narrative film, a plot is considered all visible and audible elements present in a film, in essence the film in its entirety including nondiegetic images. In The Wizard of Oz, the plot begins with Dorothy (Judy Garland), a young farm girl from Kansas who dreams of escaping to ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ without troubles and torment for her dog Toto from a horrible neighbour Miss Gulch (Margaret Hamilton). During a tornado she is hit on the head and is transported to the World of Oz where she meets characters transformed from her Kansas life at home, meeting three companions who are all missing a quality that they wish to gain. She goes on a journey with them all to see the Wizard (Frank Morgan) down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, defeating the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and visits the Wizard who rewards her friends with all of their wishes. Dorothy then gains her wish to go home to Kansas where she wakes up in her own bedroom, greeted by her beloved family and friends who have missed her.
A story is all events present in a narrative including both those that are explicitly presented and those that are implied, including diegetic elements. The story of The Wizard of Oz has a temporal duration over several days and goes beyond the plot by also including an underlying element of familiarity through the characters being present in both Kansas life and in the magical Oz.
It is insinuated that Dorothy experiences this adventure internally in a dream state, as she travels through Oz meeting characters who represent significant people in her Kansas life and in turn facing challenges, conflict and gaining unconditional friendship, learning valuable life lessons including the appreciation of her home and family and friends in Kansas.
The explicit meaning of the film falls in line with this story of a young girl who wishes to escape the troubles in her life and comes to realise how much
Story and Plot
In a narrative film, a plot is considered all visible and audible elements present in a film, in essence the film in its entirety including nondiegetic images. In The Wizard of Oz, the plot begins with Dorothy (Judy Garland), a young farm girl from Kansas who dreams of escaping to ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ without troubles and torment for her dog Toto from a horrible neighbour Miss Gulch (Margaret Hamilton). During a tornado she is hit on the head and is transported to the World of Oz where she meets characters transformed from her Kansas life at home, meeting three companions who are all missing a quality that they wish to gain. She goes on a journey with them all to see the Wizard (Frank Morgan) down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, defeating the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and visits the Wizard who rewards her friends with all of their wishes. Dorothy then gains her wish to go home to Kansas where she wakes up in her own bedroom, greeted by her beloved family and friends who have missed her.
A story is all events present in a narrative including both those that are explicitly presented and those that are implied, including diegetic elements. The story of The Wizard of Oz has a temporal duration over several days and goes beyond the plot by also including an underlying element of familiarity through the characters being present in both Kansas life and in the magical Oz.
It is insinuated that Dorothy experiences this adventure internally in a dream state, as she travels through Oz meeting characters who represent significant people in her Kansas life and in turn facing challenges, conflict and gaining unconditional friendship, learning valuable life lessons including the appreciation of her home and family and friends in Kansas.
The explicit meaning of the film falls in line with this story of a young girl who wishes to escape the troubles in her life and comes to realise how much
References: Bordwell & Thompson, 2010, Film Art: An Introduction, McGraw Hill, New York Study Guide CMM17 Introduction to Screen Analysis 2010, School of Humanities, Humanities and Social Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane The Wizard of Oz (1939)