Vladimir Propp - Narrative Theory and Film Trailers

VLADIMIR PROPP

Who is Vladimir Propp and what is his theory?

Vladimir Propp was a Soviet scholar who investigated narrative elements. His theory was about types of characters, of which he said there were eight. These character types were:

The Hero - This is a character who is searching for something, initiated by the absence of it.
The Dispatcher - This is the character that motivates the hero to find it.
The Villain - The character attempting to stop the hero or disrupt his/her life.
The Helper - A character who aids the hero's cause and helps them to reach their goal.
The Donor - A character who gives something (usually a magical object) to the hero.
The Princess - The hero's reward.
Her Father - Rewards the hero.
The False Hero - Someone who appears to be helping the hero, but is in fact against them.

Where do we see the eight character types in media today?

Trailer: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) 

The Character Types I Found:

The Hero

The hero and protagonist in the trailer is Katniss Everdeen. Although she isn't a hero of her own accord, her cause is to win the Hunger Games (for the second time in the series) and return home to her family.

The Dispatcher / Villain

In terms of the dispatcher, the trailer subverts this type somewhat. It could be argued that the dispatcher is President Snow who rules Panem (the dystopian location in which the films are set), because he is the one who created the games and made the rule that the 'tributes' would be reaped from the existing pool of victors (meaning Katniss would be entered for certain, because she is the only living female victor in her district). However, in doing this to her deliberately, President Snow is also the villain.

The Helper

It could be argued that the helper in the trailer is Peeta Mellark, who volunteers to go with Katniss into the games and help her survive. However, there are many characters in the trailer that appear to try to aid Katniss in some way.

The Donor

The donor is a character named Cinna. The character type he plays is somewhat subverted by the fact that he actually works for the Capital, and by extension, President Snow, but he is shown to like and admire Katniss. He provides her with her symbolic Mockingjay pin (pictured below), so she can take it with her as her lucky item into the games. It is not a 'magical object' as Propp's theory says, but it does provide Katniss with some courage and comfort, reminding her of home and her friends and family.

The Princess

The princess in the trailer is Katniss' sister, Primrose Everdeen. She is the reward for Katniss, as it is her that she is trying to save and keep safe; in the first film, The Hunger Games (2012), Katniss volunteers to replace Primrose in the games.

Her Father

There isn't a specific father in the film because Katniss' real father died prior to the events of the first film. However, it could be argued that there is a father-like figure in the films: Haymitch Abernathy, who acts as Katniss' mentor for the games. He gives advice and sometimes helpful items, making him a father-figure/donor hybrid, although he doesn't provide the reward as Propp's theory states.

The False Hero

As with the father character type, there isn't a false hero per-se, but there are some false villains who actually disagree with President Snow and want to help Katniss. A prime example is Effie Trinket, Katniss and Peeta's escort, who also announces the randomly-selected tributes for the games every year. In the trailer, during the reaping ceremony, her and Katniss exchange glances. Katniss is crying, and Effie looks at her with a sad, sympathetic face, possibly close to tears herself. In the film itself, she also tells Katniss before she leaves that she deserves better. 

I think it should also be noted that trailers often won't show a false hero because it would spoil the twist and make the film less appealing because it has already been revealed, thereby taking away some of the mystery and intrigue. It may be hinted at, but not explicitly shown for these reasons.








Poster: Xmen: Apocalypse (2016) 

It is quite typical that superhero genre film posters will feature a range of characters (and at the same time, advertising the main stars) and present a conflict between them. From this poster for X-Men Apocalypse, there are quite a few of Propp's character types that we can apply to it, as I will explore in-depth below.

 The Hero: Charles Xavier

This character is portrayed to be the hero and main protagonist by how he is positioned at the very front of the montage of characters, and in the centre. Our eye is instantly drawn to him, and although he is, apart from Apocalypse (the largest image, at the top of the poster) and Magneto (the man in a red suit and helmet), the only character who is looking almost directly forwards. In this, he shows determination, but a certain level of submission to the villain. It is also quite noticeable that the others are all looking away, or slightly out-of-line of the 'camera'. He is shown to be the leader of the fight against the villain.

The Villain/Dispatcher: Apocalypse

The villain, Apocalypse, is quite obvious because he is positioned above everything else in the poster, and stares directly forward. He appears dominant and fearless, with an air of superiority. He is also somewhat of a dispatcher, as he is the character that sparks the conflict in the film.

The Helper(s):

The helpers are, from left to right, top to bottom: Nightcrawler, Quicksilver, Cyclops, Jean, Beast and Mystique. They are helpers because they are all a part of the hero's team against the villain, Apocalypse, and aid his cause to defeat him. They all have expressions of determination and a 'ready to fight' look to them (e.g the way Beast appears to be roaring).

The False Hero:

The character magneto could be described as the false hero because while in past films he helped the X-Men (Charles and his helpers), he is now on the side of Apocalypse (shown by his positioning in the poster and how he is centered below him) and has lost his sense of morals. This is further emphasized by the fact that like the villain, he is looking directly forwards. Despite being surrounded by other characters on the poster, he appears dominant, making his role as an antagonist very clear to the audience. 

Other Character Types:

Aside from those previously described, there are a few characters left on the poster that don't particularly conform to any character type, and some of these types are absent (e.g the princess and their father) in that they aren't personified. The princess could be argued to be freedom after the defeat of the villain, or peace among humans and mutants. The characters left on the poster that don't conform are: Storm, Psylocke and Angel.

In a way, they are helper/villain hybrids, because they help the main villain, Apocalypse. They are portrayed as 'the four horsemen', his followers that help him to destroy the X-Men and the human race. Overall, the poster does portray the main roles in terms of character types like the villain, hero and helpers, but it is absent of the more fairy-tale like types such as the donor who provides a magical item, or the father who provides the reward. 

How could the eight character types be used in my own trailer?

I think the eight character types is a possibility for my trailer, however like Catching Fire, some may be subverted or more complicated than the theory accommodates- for example, the role of hero would not be clear because the trailer revolves around a theme of criminal VS. criminal, and a lack of morals. This would make it (intentionally) unclear to the audience if there is a hero or 'right' side that they should root for. However, I think the roles of false hero, dispatcher and possibly donor may give the trailer a more interesting dynamic and evoke more intrigue from the audience, which is what I am aiming for. The donor might not provide a magical item, but it could provide our hacker/serial killer character's motivation (for example, if the donor was the one who provided them with their 'Anonymous' mask and influenced them to kill). To conclude, I think the idea of character types is an interesting idea, but I would like to make them more unconventional and put a twist on some of them to make the trailer me and my group create more distinctive, as in my opinion the eight character types can become stereotypical and simplistic.