Abstract
Since the late 1990s, popular films and television have featured a striking increase in narrative complexity. From Memento (2000) to Mulholland Drive (2001), and Arrival (2016) to Twin Peaks (2017), nonlinear, fragmented, ambiguous, contradictory, and unreliable forms of narration have become widespread in contemporary audio-visual culture. But the popularity of such complex stories raises something of a paradox, as it does not fit the picture of ordinary narrative enjoyment. High degrees of complexity obstruct the basic communicative, immersive, and mimetic functions usually attributed to narratives. Moreover, if confusion is something we generally prefer to avoid in real life, why would we seek it in fiction?
This dissertation proposes that the heart of narrative complexity lies not only in intricate narrative structures by themselves, but also in the felt experience and cognitive effects that such compositional disruptions create. Combining perspectives from film studies, narrative theory and the cognitive sciences, the study looks at how different films strategically create complexity and confusion in narrative understanding by playing on viewers’ cognitive processes and interpretive practices. By examining what additional cognitive and interpretive effort complex films demand from viewers, the research proposes an original understanding of the distinct viewing experience of cinematic narrative complexity, as well as the ways in which different films and traditions have exploited such effects.
This dissertation proposes that the heart of narrative complexity lies not only in intricate narrative structures by themselves, but also in the felt experience and cognitive effects that such compositional disruptions create. Combining perspectives from film studies, narrative theory and the cognitive sciences, the study looks at how different films strategically create complexity and confusion in narrative understanding by playing on viewers’ cognitive processes and interpretive practices. By examining what additional cognitive and interpretive effort complex films demand from viewers, the research proposes an original understanding of the distinct viewing experience of cinematic narrative complexity, as well as the ways in which different films and traditions have exploited such effects.
Translated title of the contribution | De cognitieve en hermeneutische dynamiek van narratieve complexiteit in cinema |
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Original language | English |
Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisors/Advisors |
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Award date | 1-Feb-2018 |
Place of Publication | [Groningen] |
Publisher | |
Print ISBNs | 978-94-034-0361-8 |
Electronic ISBNs | 978-94-034-0360-1 |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |