Exploring narrative - Levi Strauss

• You will use key theorists to analyse media texts. Waterloo Road.

Key words: Levi Strauss, binary opposition.

Claude Lévi-Strauss 1908 - 2009 is a theorist who came up with the idea that films contains binary opposites, these opposites may clash in the film which makes the narrative more exciting for the audience. 

He argued that all construction of meaning was dependent, to some degree, on these oppositions. 

Examples of binary oppositions found in some moving image narratives might be:

Levi Strauss theory proposes that conflict is based around binary opposites and that binary opposites are the central climax of a narrative structure.

According to Levi-Strauss most films and TV Dramas are based around conflict between binary opposites. 
In this episode we see the conflict between the binary opposites. 
Hero v Villain, Good v Evil and Love v Duty. 
In this episode of Waterloo Road Lula and her Uncle are in opposition and stand for Good v Evil. 
As is usually the case with most TV shows and films good eventually triumphs over evil, despite always looking like evil will come out on top during the attempt to repair disruption as set out by Todorov.

Task one: 
Watch both clips of the crime drama Life on Mars and apply Levi Strauss' theory of binary opposites in a list similar to the one shown above. Consider how opposition of settings, characters, costume, language, approach to police work etc drive the narrative.

Life on Mars: After being involved in a car accident in 2006, DCI Sam Tyler wakes up to find himself in 1973, the era of 'Sweeney' type policing, Mark III Cortinas, and flared trousers.

Year 10 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication