Narrative and storytelling introduction to film essay sample

According to Goodykoontz & Jacobs, the telling of the story in a film is often a collaborative effort between the screenwriter, director, and other members of the creative team. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). A story is told/presented/recorded in chronological order; while a plot is the series of events that the filmmakers use to present the story in a dramatic form. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). I have been watching the Orson Welles’ film, Citizen Kane which is touted by Goodykoontz & Jacobs to be the best film ever. (Goodykoontz, & Jacobs 2011). The plot surrounds a millionaire media mogul named Charles Foster Kane.

The story is not presented in chronological order but in a non-linearly form moving from the present to the past and vice versa. At the beginning of the movie Kane uttered the word “ Rosebud” before he died and this aroused my curiosity. The filmmaker wisely chose this form to capture the viewers’ attention. The main character was played by Welles himself and I was drawn into Citizen Kane’s world through the use of the retrospective forms that were used to build the character. A chronological presentation would have bored me stiff but the clever usage of plot time, held my interest. Because Citizen Cane is not in my usual movie genre, I had to watch it several times to really get the point of the story. Storytelling is very important in this movie.

Reference

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.