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History

Literary

Surrealism

Typography

Cinema
films, history, theory, scriptwriters, directors

Those interested in the film as text may wish to see the various sections on literature: Surrealism (for Surrealism, Dada, and Oulipo), Concrete & Visual Poetry, Calligrams, Comix, the Future of Books (for hypertext and digital literature), and the more general Literary Works.

The films mentioned below are discussed in Emily-Jane's essay on Cinema.

Films

  • All about Eve.Written & directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, from the story "The wisdom of Eve," by Mary Orr. Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, and Celeste Holm, performers. Distributed by 20th Century Fox, 1950.
    [flashback / voice-over]
    A version of the script for this film is available online:
  • Betrayal. Directed by David Hugh Jones, written by Harold Pinter (from his play). Jeremy Irons, Ben Kingsley, and Patricia Hodge, performers. Distributed by Virgin, 1983. *
    [reverse chronology]
  • Citizen Kane. Directed by Orson Welles, written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles. Orson Welles, William Alland, performers. Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, 1941.
    [flashback / shuffled narrative / voice-over]
    Several versions of the script for this film are available online:
  • Clue. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by John Landis (story) and Jonathan Lynn. Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren, performers. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, 1985.
    [branching paths]
  • The conversation. Written & directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest, and Cindy Williams, performers. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, 1974.
    [shuffled narrative]
  • Double indemnity. Directed by Billy Wilder, written by Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder, from the novel by James M. Cain. Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray, and Edward G. Robinson, performers. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, 1944.
    [flashback / shuffled narrative / voice-over]
  • The French lieutenant's woman. Directed by Karel Reisz, written by Harold Pinter, from the novel by John Fowles. Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons, performers. Distributed by United Artists, 1981.
    [shuffled narrative]
    The script for this film is available in book form:
    • Pinter, Harold. The French lieutenant's woman : a screenplay. Boston : Little, Brown, c1981.
    • Pinter, Harold, and John Fowles. The screenplay of The French lieutenant's woman : based on the novel by John Fowles. London : J. Cape in association with E. Methuen, 1981.
  • Groundhog day. Directed by Harold Ramis, written by Danny Rubin. Andie MacDowell, Bill Murray, and Chris Elliot, performers. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, 1993.
    [circular narrative]
    A version of the script for this film is available online:
  • Jacob's ladder. Directed by Adrian Lyne, written by Bruce Joel Rubin. Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, and Danny Aiello, performers. Distributed by TriStar Pictures, 1990. *
    [flashback / shuffled narrative]
    A version of the script for this film is available online:
  • The lady from Shanghai. Written & directed by Orson Welles, from the novel Before I die, by Sherwood King. Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, and Everett Sloane, performers. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, 1948.
    [voice-over / flashback]
  • Lone star. Written & directed by John Sayles. Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Miriam Colon, Joe Morton, Eddie Robinson, Ron Canada, Kris Kristofferson, and Matthew McConaughey, performers. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, 1996. *
    [flashback / shuffled narrative]
    The script for this film is available both in book form and online:
  • Memento. Written & directed by Christopher Nolan. Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano, performers. Distributed by Newmarket Film Group, 2000. *
    [reverse chronology / flashback]
    The script for this film is available both in book form and online:
    • Memento. (All movie scripts)
    • Nolan, Christopher, Jeremy Theobald, and Jonathan Nolan. Memento & Following. London ; New York : Faber and Faber, 2001.
  • Out of sight. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Scott Frank, from the novel by Elmore Leonard. Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Dennis Farina, and Albert Brooks, performers. Distributed by MCA/Universal Pictures, 1998.
    [shuffled narrative]
    A version of the script for this film is available online:
  • The postman always rings twice. Directed by Tay Garnett, written by Harry Ruskin and Niven Busch, from the novel by James M. Cain. John Garfield, Lana Turner, and Cecil Kellaway, performers. Distributed by MGM, 1946.
    [flashback / voice-over]
  • Pulp fiction. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, and Bruce Willis, performers. Distributed by Miramax Films, 1994.
    [shuffled narrative]
    The script for this film is available online and in book form:
  • Qatsi trilogy.
    [no formal narrative]
    • Koyaanisqatsi. Directed by Godfrey Reggio, written by Ron Fricke, Michael Hoenig, Godfrey Reggio, and Alan Walpole. Distributed by Island Alive and New Cinema, 1983; re-released by Arsenal, 2001.
    • Powaqqatsi. Directed by Godfrey Reggio, written by Godfrey Reggio and Ken Richards. Distributed by Cannon Films, 1988.
    • Naqoyqatsi. Directed by Godfrey Reggio, written by Philip Glass and Godfrey Reggio. Distributed by Miramax Films, 2002.
  • Sunset Boulevard. Directed by Billy Wilder, written by Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman Jr., and Billy Wilder, from the story "A can of beans," by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder. William Holden and Gloria Swanson, performers. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, 1950.
    [voice-over / flashback]
    A version of the script for this film is available online:
  • Tampopo. Written & directed by Juzo Itami. Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, and Koji Yakusho, performers. English-subtitled version distributed by New Yorker Films, 1987.
    [shuffled narrative]
  • The thin blue line. Written & directed by Errol Morris. Distributed by Miramax, 1988. *
    [flashback / shuffled narrative]
  • Thirteen conversations about one thing. Directed by Jill Sprecher, written by Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher. Matthew McConaughey, John Turturro, Clea DuVall, Alan Arkin, Amy Irving, Barbara Sukowa, Tia Texada, Frankie Faison, Shawn Elliott, William Wise, Peggy Gormley, and Malcolm Gets, performers. Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, 2001.
    [shuffled narrative]
  • The usual suspects. Directed by Bryan Singer, written by Christopher McQuarrie. Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro, Giancarlo Esposito, Suzy Amis, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, performers. Distributed by Gramercy Pictures, 1995. *
    [shuffled narrative / flashback / voice-over]
    A version of the script for this film is available online:
  • Waking life. Written & directed by Richard Linklater. Distributed by Fox, 2001.
    [shuffled narrative / delayed narrative / circular narrative]

Texts

  • Cook, David A. A history of narrative film. Third edition. New York ; London : W.W. Norton & Company, 1996.
    A broad overview, covering narrative film from the United States, Germany, Russia and the former Soviet Union, Britain, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Spain, Poland, the former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Japan, India, China, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Iran, Israel, the Pacific Rim, and the continent of Africa. Contains a glossary, index, and selective bibliography.
  • Fell, John L. Film and the narrative tradition. Norman, OK : University of Oklahoma Press, 1974.
    Discusses the antecedents of narrative film, with particular emphasis on popular novels, comic strips, popular music, the graphic arts, and stage melodrama of the late Victorian period (about 1886-1911). Includes a filmography (arranged chronologically and covering 1898-1912), a bibliography, and an index.
  • Gray, W. Russel. "Looking backward : reversible time in Harold Pinter's Betrayal screenplay," Journal of popular culture (volume 35, number 1), Summer 2001, pages 145-153.
  • Kozloff, Sarah. Invisible storytellers : voice-over narration in American fiction film. Berkeley ; Los Angeles ; London : University of California Press, 1988.
    Includes a detailed discussion of narrative in All about Eve. Appended with a filmography of films with voice-over narration (arranged by date), a bibliography, and an index.
  • Martin, Richard. Mean streets and raging bulls : the legacy of film noir in contemporary American cinema. Lanham, MD ; London : Scarecrow Press, 1997.
    Includes a filmography (arranged by decade), a bibliography, and an index.
  • Mottram, James. The making of Memento. London : Faber and Faber, 2002. *
    A very detailed discussion of the making of the film, including material gleaned from interviews with the director, producers, crew, and cast.
    Includes the short story "Memento mori," on which the film was based.
  • Telotte, J.P. Voices in the dark : the narrative patterns of film noir. Urbana, IL ; Chicago : University of Illinois Press, 1989. *
    A well-written discussion of narrative techniques in film noir, with chapters focusing on voice over and flashback in Double indemnity, The lady from Shanghai, Sorry, wrong number, and Murder, my sweet.
    Includes a detailed filmography of classic noir films (arranged alphabetically), a bibliography, and an index.
  • Villella, Fiona A. "Circular narratives : highlights of popular cinema in the '90s," Senses of cinema (issue 3), February 2000.
    Discusses Pulp fiction and David Lynch's Lost highway.

Websites


*  Asterisks mark items Emily-Jane considers to be especially interesting, useful, or well-written.

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