Thirteenth International Conference on The Image

Abstract

Classical narrative cinema started production in Hollywood in 1920. Compared to narrative films, non-linear narrative films have recently not only become more and more popular among audiences and filmmakers but have inspired a great deal of research. The relationship between characters and goals has become the main motivation to construct the story structure in narrative movies, which has an impact on editing and soundtrack in post-production. Fundamentally, in classical movies, narrative time and space develop the story plot and logic. However, Puzzle films refer to a narrower subset: complex cinema generally has a specific structure, and it will offer unique viewing experience within ‘pervasive paradoxes’. They present impossible universe, despite the fact that are not performing physical impossibilities but principally including logical impracticalities, such as mutually special versions of events, looping temporal lines and alternative paradoxes. In this paper, we explore how non-linear narrative storytelling demands a formal design of narrative complexity impossible in puzzle films.