Films are classified into three main types- Documentary, Avant-Garde, and Narrative. Some people think that documentaries and narrative films are the same. Even though these two kinds of films share certain similarities, they are different in their own ways. If you wish to learn the differences between documentaries and narrative films, then take a look at this blog.
Here, we have presented the fundamental differences between the two genres of motion pictures. Additionally, we have also discussed the key subgenres and the distinguishing qualities that documentaries and narrative films possess.
Continue reading and update your knowledge.
What is a Narrative Film?
A narrative film is a motion picture that revolves around a fictional story that is set in either the real world or a fantasy realm.
One of the main features of a narrative film is that the story will be either wholly non-factual or an exaggerated rendition of something that happened in the real world with real people. For this reason, narrative films have the name fiction or fictional films. In the latter case, performers execute scripted reenactments of real events.
Hollywood produces several narrative feature films. Harry Potter, The Sound of Music, Pulp Fiction, and The Matrix are some box office narrative films.
Tzvetan Todorov’s Narrative Theory
To give more insights into the narrative category of films, Bulgarian Literary theorist Tzvetan Todorov has developed a narrative theory. In his narrative theory, he states that the basic structure of the narrative should contain the following.
Act 1
- Introduces the primary characters and environment.
- Introduces the main issue or equilibrium disruption.
Act 2
- Follows the primary characters’ quest or journey to overcome the situation or resolve the issue.
- Ends with a final struggle or insight.
Act 3
- The restoration of balance or resolution of events
Even though Todorov strongly recommends presenting narratives chronologically, the portrayal of events out of order in a non-linear narrative to the audience is acceptable.
Moreover, narratives can be either single or multi-stranded. This implies that the story may concentrate on the journey of a single major character, or it may focus on several main characters engaged in several subplots that may or may not come together to form the main arc.
Generally, every character in a story, their interactions, and the sequence of events help to propel the story forward. As the film has evolved throughout time, directors have been using the visual side of motion pictures by incorporating symbolism and other obvious thematic elements to help the viewer understand important aspects of the plot.
The narrative films involve several genres. Each genre possesses unique characteristics. Romance, science fiction, fantasy, westerns, film noir, and musicals are a few main film genres. Moreover, all these film genres have their own subgenres and hybrid forms.
Also Read: Learn About Narrative Conventions and its Types with Examples
What is a Documentary?
Films that “document” a real-life subject are called documentaries. They may be observational, where the filmmakers may only watch and record the action. Alternatively, the documentaries may entail a greater degree of involvement, in which the filmmakers conduct interviews with subjects to go deeper into a narrative (similar to investigative journalism).
Regarding the definition of a documentary, numerous theorists, and documentarians have offered their opinions. Furthermore, there is even more ambiguity because the genre has changed throughout time.
In the book, ‘Introduction to Documentary’, Nicholas classified documentaries into six types. It includes Expository documentaries, Poetic-style documentaries, observational documentaries, Participatory documentaries, Reflexive documentaries, and Performative documentaries.
Here, let us look at the documentary definitions of a few reputed personalities.
John Grierson’s Definition of Documentary
The term ‘documentary’ was first coined by John Grierson. He introduced the word during the review of Robert Flaherty’s Moana (1926). Grierson was a Scottish documentary maker who is considered the founding father of Canadian and British documentaries.
John Grierson defined documentary filmmaking to be: “a creative treatment of actuality.” Also, he defined the purpose of a documentary to be a: “desire to bring the citizen’s eye in from the ends of the earth to the story, his own story, of what was happening under his nose”.
According to Grierson, documentaries should focus on reality through the lens of aesthetic and rhetorical choices. Also, it should refer to real-life situations and real people. Moreover, he felt that documentaries should be experienced from the director’s point of view.
Documentary Definition of Bill Nicholas
American film critic and theorist Bill Nicholas defines documentaries as “a representation we already occupy and stands for a particular view of the world, one we may never have encountered before even if the aspects that are represented are familiar to us”.
Dziga Vertov’s Documentary Definition
Soviet Filmmaker Dziga Vertov’s perspective on documentary was that of portraying “life as it is” (that is, life filmed secretly) and “life caught unawares” (life roused by the camera).
This concept was noticed in the 1922 series Kina-Pravda, which means “film truth” in English. It was the first film that used a hidden camera. From this effort, Vertov developed a much-debated cinema philosophy that asserted that film contains more precise reality than what the human eye can perceive.
Although the definitions presented here vary greatly, they all agree that documentaries are nonfiction films that depict genuine events as they occurred.
The main distinction between a documentary and a narrative film is that documentaries are non-fiction. In contrast, a narrative film belongs to the fictitious genre.
Documentaries vs. Narrative Films
The objective of a documentary is distinct from that of a narrative film. While the latter’s primary objective is entertainment, The Oxford English Dictionary specifically indicates that documentaries “document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record.”
Earlier, indie film festivals promoted documentaries and helped independent filmmakers to present their work. However, in recent years, the documentary genre has become more popular because now audiences can see films on TV, streaming platforms, and in theaters.
Are Documentaries and Narrative Films Really Different?
Some critics argue that filmmakers’ attempts to garner more mass viewership have blurred the boundaries between fiction and reality. As a result, current documentaries are losing their ability to reflect reality objectively and authentically. Therefore, documentaries’ aims and formal definitions have varied over time.
Re-enactments, dramatizations, and scripted interviews are some ways of fabricating footage in documentary films. This has resulted in new subgenres such as docufiction or docudrama. These can take the shape of satirical films in the manner of a documentary, created for entertainment, or a social commentary on a certain problem.
Moreover, through editing, the misinterpretation of reality in documentary films often happens. Michael Moore, a controversial documentary filmmaker is one of many responsible for this degradation of the documentary genre. In his infamous documentary movies, Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11, he heavily manipulated and assembled the footage in a non-fiction way to communicate a different message than the original context and aim.
Moore imposes his personal bias on the facts of the subject matter in his films, thereby changing the information’s meaning to deceive viewers.
Also Read: 185 Captivating Narrative Essay Topics To Consider
Key Difference between Documentaries and Narrative Films
As the films evolve, the style of making documentaries also changes. But, in general, documentaries and narrative films are unique in their own ways. Here, let us look at the major difference between documentaries and narrative films.
- Documentaries are non-fiction whereas narrative films fall into the fictitious genre.
- A narrative film is a pre-scripted movie starring actors. On the other hand, documentary filmmaking captures reality in some way, with scripts often written after filming has begun.
- For narrative films, the filmmakers will develop the story and script ahead of time, whereas, in a documentary, the story usually emerges as it occurs.
- Narrative filmmaking is complex because it requires more coordination between crew, equipment, and actors. But, in documentaries, the difficulty arises during editing, a process that accumulates bits and pieces to build a story.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, by now you will have gained a better understanding of the differences between documentaries and narrative films. In case, you would like to know more about film genres, film types, and filmmaking styles, call us.
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