Halloween (1978) narrative analysis

Vladimir Propp:
A Russian film critic researched many folk tales to find any similarities. He identified 31 narrative functions and 8 character roles. The following are the 8 character roles Propp formed from his research.  
The villain- Michael Myers
The Hero- Laurie Strode/Dr. Loomis
The Donor- N/A
The Helper- N/A
The Princess- N/A
Her Father- N/A
The Dispatcher- N/A
The False Hero- N/A

Propp’s theory doesn’t apply well for horror especially ‘Halloween’ as Propp only looked at folk tales therefore not taking horror into consideration when making the 8 character roles.

 

Claude Levi-Strauss:

(Binary oppositions)
Strauss didnt look so much at the order of events which happen, but more at the sets of opposite values. Binary oppositions reveal the structure of media texts, an example of this would be good and evil.

Good/Evil- Laurie Strode/Micheal Myers
Sane/Insane- Dr Loomis/Micheal Myers
Present/Past- (Myers escapes from the sanitarium) 1978/1963 (Opening scene, Myers killed judith)
Rural/Urban- Smiths Grove/ Haddonfield
Innocent/Guilt- Myers when young killing his sister
Man/Monster- Dr. Loomis/ Micheal Myers
Light/Dark

 

Bordwell and Thompson:

Bordwel and Thompson described narrative as a chain of events in a cause-effect relationship, occouring in time and space. They believe a narrative starts off with one situation, a series of changes in order of cause and effect, then the narrative ends with a new situation. This theory can be applied to Halloween, in the sense that the Myers escapes from the mental hospital therefore resulting in a chain of events, such as the murders. Another example displayed in Halloween is when Myers killed his sister because he was not happy about her having sex or he was trying to re-enact sex threw a phalic symbol (knife). The fact that Myers saw his sister having sex may have triggered the future chain events.   

 

Tzvetan Todorov:
 Todorov proposed that stories began with an equilibrium, meaning normality. This would then be disrupted by an event, resulting in a series of events. The disruption is then repaired, reinstating equilibrium. This is looked upon as the "classic realist" narrative structure.

Equilibrium- Myers held in Smith's Grove Sanitarium.

Disruption- Myers escapes from the mental asylum/ Returns to hometown, Haddonfield.

Reinstate equilibrium- Laurie is safe due to Dr. Loomis, But Myers has escaped and his where abouts are unknown.

 

Todorov’s theory doesn’t fit Halloween well as Myers is still on the loose therefore, not reinstating equilibrium. Horrors are conventional to not have a reinstatement of equilibrium. Therefore, Todorov is not helpful for the horror genre.