Chapter 03
Narrative Form
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In a narrative film, an element is nondiegetic if it
2. As defined by Film Art, a film’s “plot” is
3. The opening scene of Pulp Fiction is an example of
4. Christopher Nolan created a unique manipulation of time in his film Memento by structuring the story in which of the
following ways?
5. “Depth” of narration refers to
7. The chains of actions that make up the narratives of classical Hollywood films typically depend on
8. Which of the following genres does NOT provide conventions used in Citizen Kane?
9. In Citizen Kane, the event that causes the reporter Thompson to write a story on Kane is Kane’s
10. Film Art‘s segmentation of Citizen Kane shows that the film’s narrative is built around
11. The newsreel sequence in Citizen Kane
12. The ending of Citizen Kane is notable for
13. Ambiguity in Citizen Kane arises in part from
14. Film Art argues that the search for the meaning of “Rosebud” in Citizen Kane is more than a gimmick because
15. Citizen Kane creates a narrative parallel between Kane’s political campaign and
16. Which of the following statements is NOT true of the narration in Citizen Kane?
17. What is the term for a chain of events linked by cause and effect and occurring in time and space?
18. In a narrative, the sum total of all events in chronological order is the
19. A “point-of-view shot” is taken from
20. Which of the following is NOT an example of a way in which mental subjectivity might be portrayed in a film?
21. “Restricted” narration is commonly used in
22. Classical filmmakers prefer that the end of a film
23. The agent who tells the story in a film is called the
24. The process of narration involves
25. In a film, the high point of the action that increases tension for the spectator is called the
26. “Setup” refers to
27. Action that takes place before the plot begins is called the
28. At what point in a film does most of the exposition usually take place?
29. A complex character typically
30. What is the term for how often a story event is presented in a plot?
31. Narrative form can be used in documentary films.
32. The opening scene of North by Northwest contains no nondiegetic elements.
33. Howard Hawks’s The Big Sleep is an example of objective, highly restricted narration.
34. In a narrative film, plot duration is always equal to story duration.
35. A point-of-view shot is an example of perceptual subjectivity in narration.
36. Plots based on searches might be considered examples of goal-oriented plots.
37. Films such as Run, Lola, Run by Tom Tykwer and Peter Howitt’s Sliding Door distort story time by providing alternative
futures to the viewer.
38. Alfred Hitchcock’s approach to narration is to withhold as much information as possible from the spectator in order to create
surprise.
39. The plot duration of Citizen Kane consists of roughly 65 years of Kane’s life plus the length of Thompson’s investigation.
40. In Citizen Kane, the pattern of plot development is consistently to move between flashbacks of Kane as an old man
progressively back to flashbacks of him as a child.
41. Non-character narrators are common in documentaries.
42. A classical narrative usually involves a blocking element, or an opposition that creates conflict for the protagonist.
43. In classical films, characters rarely achieve their goals through changing their situations or attitudes.
44. A common pattern of plot development involves a character gaining knowledge as the film progresses.
45. The onset of the conflict is the part of the plot that introduces the backstory and initial situation.
46. Characters are the most common source of causes in a narrative.
47. Groundhog Day is an example of a film with a “what-if” plot.
48. The locale of the plot is always the same as that of the story action.
49. An “omniscient” narrator usually has very little information about plot and characters.
50. Explain the distinction made in Film Art between “plot” and “story” in narrative films. Use specific examples from Film Art,
the lecture, and [title of film shown in class].
51. Discuss some of the ways in which a spectator actively participates in understanding the narrative of a film. Give specific
examples from Film Art, the lecture, and any of the narrative films shown for this course.
52. Explain why it is often useful to compare the opening and closing of a film in analyzing its narrative. Give some specific
examples from Film Art, the lecture, and any of the narrative films shown for this course.
53. Explain the term narration, making reference in the course of your discussion to the concepts of range and depth. Use
specific examples from Film Art, the lecture, and any of the narrative films shown for this course.
54. Discuss how causality operates in two or three scenes from [title of film shown in class]. Be sure to describe how specific
events motivate other events.
55. Define the terms order, duration, and frequency as they apply to narrative time. Give specific examples of each from
Film Art, the lecture, and any of the narrative films shown for this course.
56. Describe at least two basic narrative traits of the classical Hollywood cinema, and give examples of each from Film Art, the
lecture, and films shown in class.
57. [The following question can be used if you show your class a film that presents a distinct alternative to the classical
58. Discuss at least two ways in which Citizen Kane‘s narrative adheres to conventions of classical Hollywood narrative and
some of the ways in which it departs from that tradition.
59. Discuss at least two ways in which Citizen Kane‘s plot differs from its underlying story. Be as specific as you can in giving
examples of manipulations of temporal order, duration, and frequency.
60. Explain how Citizen Kane‘s narrative fails to achieve complete closure and discuss some of the effects this has on the
spectator’s understanding of the film.
