1 an exploration of parallel narrative - jasmine roth

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Life is Messy:

An Exploration of Parallel Narrative

Jasmine Roth

Bachelor of Communication (Media)

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Bachelor of

Communication (Media) (Honours)

Supervised by Christine Rogers

RMIT University

School of Media and Communication

Submitted 29 October 2010


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Statement of Authorship

I, Jasmine Roth, hereby certify that this exegsis contains no material which

has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any tertiaryinstitution, and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, contains no

material previously published or written by another person, except where due

reference is made in the text of this thesis.

Jasmine Roth

29 October 2010


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Acknowledgements

There are a number of people who played a part in shaping my honours work,

and without whom I could not have survived through this year. I would like to

thank them and acknowledge their contribution to this project.

I would like to thank my very close friends and fellow writers Clair Humphreys

and Chris McCoy for their ongoing interest in my project and their ever-insightful

suggestions. Thankyou to my wonderful friend Karin Christensen who gave up

huge amounts of her time to help me with other endeavours this year, and for

always wanting to talk about film. To all those f riends who listened patiently to

my passionate rants about parallel narrative, thank you too.

Having a great honours class has made this year that much more enjoyable. I

would especially like to thank Daniel OFarrell for very helpfully providing me

with articles and films to point my research in the right direction, and for his

outstanding proof-reading abilities. James Thompson, too, has been a refreshing

source of ideas, with his wacky suggestions and encouragement.

I give an enormous thanks to my supervisor Christine Rogers who always went

above and beyond to offer advice on my work. Her thoroughness, honesty and

praise have been instrumental in making my project what it is. Many thanks

to the Honours Coordinator Adrian Miles, who patiently endured my pedantic

questions, and who, however unwittingly, always pushed me to achieve the

highest standards in my work. I would also like to acknowledge Linda Aronson

for making it her business to contact and offer professional advice to a fellow

lover of parallel narrative.

Finally, I acknowledge my family for their love, humour and unwavering support.

A special thankyou goes to my mum Vickie Roth for her unique ability to calm

me through times of panic, for her wisdom, for allowing her dining room table to

disappear beneath my mountain of books and films, and for always remembering

not to put lilies near me while I studied.


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Contents

9 Summary

11 Introduction

15 Chapter 1: Parallel Narrative: An Emerging Form

31 Chapter 2: Constructing Parallel Narrative

49 Chapter 3: Script Reflections

71 Concluding Points

75 Bibliography

79 Filmography


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Life is Messy: An Exploration of Parallel Narrative

Summary

Parallel narrative fi lms depicting several main protagonists and intertwining

plotlines are becoming increasingly prevalent in mainstream Hollywood cinema.

These complex narratives present[s] a particular craft challenge (Bordwell

2006c, pg. 99) to contemporary screenwriters.

My honours project is a short film script of thirty minutes based on a particular

mode of parallel narrative entitled fractured tandem. Fractured tandem

possesses a number of specific traits such as non-linearity and a focus on the

themes of coincidence, tragic accidents and consequences. The aim of the script

is to adhere to some of these principles of fractured tandem whilst containing

the story to thirty pages of script.

This exegesis contains a discussion of the possible origins of parallel narrative,

its unique characteristics, and why it has gained such relevance in commerical

cinematic storytelling over the past two decades. It also addresses the issue

of how to approach parallel narrative, particularly fractured tandem, from a

screenwriting point of view, providing a number of models and devices upon

which parallel structures are based. Finally, the exegesis contains a series of

detailed reflections documenting the process of writing my short fractured

tandem film script.


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Introduction

I initial ly approached my Honours year with one goal in mind: to write a fi lm

script. I had no idea as to the subject matter I wished to explore, nor any

thoughts about characters or plot. All I knew of was my continuing fascination

with stories that chart the experiences of an array of protagonists, and thatexplore the consequences of random, tragic intersections and coincidental

events. In my mind, these films are more realistic than single protagonist plots

because they provide a more accurate portrayal of the messy, interconnected

nature of human existence. Given this, I knew that I wanted to write a script

based on these principles.

Before I could write my film script, however, I knew I had to find out more about

this intriguing form. It was only when I began researching such films that I

discovered they were fast forming a storytelling mode all of their own. I further

found this mode had a range of names, from network narrative (Bordwell

2006c), hyperlink cinema (Quart 2005), smart film (Peters 2008), to Linda

Aronsons notion of parallel narrative (2010), the latter being the term I have

selected for the purpose of this project. I was both astounded and delighted

to discover the number of writers and film theorists who shared my view that

parallel narrative often successfully depicts the chaotic, random situations that

befall human beings al l the time.

Through my own viewing of parallel narrative films, I have noticed that the

duration of many of these films extends further than the standard ninety-minute

feature length. Some even surpass the three-hour mark. This was a finding that

also came up in my research. In light of this, I thought it would be an interesting

challenge to see if I could write a paral lel narrative to the time constraints of a

short film. Thirty minutes seemed like an appropriate length for a project of this

kind. It is situated at the lengthier end of short film duration, and I knew I would

need a substantial amount of screen time in order to successfully explore the

multiple characters and their respective plotlines.


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After gaining some understanding through my initial research as to parallel

narratives function in contemporary mainstream cinema, the next step was toask, how does one actually go about writing a parallel narrative film? In order

to answer this, I turned to screenwriting manuals. I quickly discovered that

while this storytelling mode is rapidly becoming more prevalent in commercial

filmmaking, there is limited instructional material in current screenwriting

theory on how to construct parallel narrative stories. It was therefore difficult to

find sources that offered detailed discussions on the structures and strategies

upon which the form is based. After much difficulty and seemingly fruitless

searching, I did manage to locate exactly what I was looking for. For this

success, I have those around me to thank. A helpful classmate Daniel OFarrell

pointed me in the direction of David Bordwells The Way Hollywood Tells it, in

which Bordwell has written extensively on what he labels network narrative.

Although a film theorist and not a screenwriter, Bordwell describes in detail the

various ways these narratives operate as stories, providing substantial insight

into how the screenwriter approaches them.

I also borrowed Linda Aronsons 2001 screenwriting manual Screenwriting

Updated: New (and Conventional) Ways of Writing for the Screen from my

supervisor Christine Rogers. This was a pivotal moment for me. Not only doesAronson dedicate entire chapters to parallel narrative, this particular model

also forms the basis of her work in the book. When Aronson herself contacted

me via my student honours blog to offer advice on writing a parallel narrative,

I was delighted. Her words were extremely encouraging, and I was thrilled to

converse with a writer for whom I have much admiration. She informed me of

her newest book The 21st Century Screenplay (2010), which in even more detai l

delves into writing parallel narrative. I went out and bought it immediately - it is

one the best decisions I have made this year. In the book, Aronson identifies six

specific modes of parallel narrative. In light of her work, I was able to distinguish

the mode that deals most explicitly with the themes of tragic accidents,

coincidences and consequences: what Aronson calls fractured tandem.

In addition, I sought out screenwriting manuals that focus specifically on the

construction of short film narratives. In understanding some of the central

characteristics of the short film, I was able to evaluate both the possibilities and

constraints of writing a short fractured tandem film. Finally, in light of the work

of Bordwell and Aronson, as well as other key instructors such as Linda Cowgill,


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I had the means to final ly start writing my own short fractured tandem film

script.

This exegesis is structured in much the same way as the order in which Iapproached my project. It is divided into three main chapters. The first chapter

is entitled Parallel Narrative: An Emerging Form. It examines the ways in which

parallel narrative has infiltrated mainstream Hollywood cinema in the last two

decades and is becoming an increasingly popular fi lmmaking trend. It also

highlights some of the possible origins of this developing form, such as digital

and experimental storytelling practices and recent discourses of the popular

sciences, as well as suggesting that it has origins in both stage and television

drama. Furthermore, the first chapter outlines the central characteristics of

parallel narrative, including its representation of non-linearity, melodrama, its

tendency to challenge the audience intellectually, and its reliance on the themes

of chance, fate and coincidence. Ultimately, this chapter explains why this

storytelling mode is becoming more and more relevant to contemporary cinema

audiences.

The second chapter, Constructing Parallel Narrative, discusses various methods

of writing parallel narrative films. Firstly, it examines characterization and

dramatic structure in traditional storytelling practices, demonstrating the ways

in which parallel narrative is based somewhat on classical design. It then goeson to discuss characterization and dramatic structure in paral lel storytelling,

and provides a series of devices that commonly connect main protagonists

in parallel narrative films, what I call connecting devices. This chapter also

describes each of the six parallel narrative modes identified by Aronson, and in

doing so, pinpoints fractured tandem, the specific mode I have chosen to adopt

for my thirty-minute film script. It also highlights the importance of theme in

creating dramatic unity and narrative coherence, as well as the crucial role

suspense and surprise play in maintaining audience engagement in parallel

storytelling. In addition, the second chapter identifies some of the characteristics

of fictional short film narrative, and reveals structural similarities between it and

fractured tandem narrative.

The third chapter forms the lengthiest section of the exegesis. It illustrates the

overall process of writing my short film script. Quite simply, this process was

to write a draft of the script, and then reflect upon it afterwards. I ended up

with four drafts in total, the fourth being my final completed draft. As a result,

I have written four script reflections. The third chapter contains only the script


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reflections. All drafts of the script are located in a separate accompanying

document entitled Tied: A Short Film Script. The notes in the third chapter are

part of a journal I maintained throughout the year documenting the development

of the project, and should therefore be read chronologically. They discuss my

reasons and methods behind the use of particular narrative devices, both

parallel and conventional, whilst pointing out areas in each draft that require

further attention.

Finally, my exegesis concludes with a discussion about what I have achieved

by undertaking this project, the constraints I faced, and what I learned over the

course of the year in terms of my own writing practice, screenwriting as a craft,

and this fascinating thing cal led parallel narrative.


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C H A P T E R O N E

Parallel Narrative:

An Emerging Form

In the past two decades, commercial cinema has seen an increasing movement

towards multiple character stories. These stories, which have been labelled

parallel narrative (Aronson 2010a, p. 167), have become particularly prominent

in mainstream Hollywood cinema. In this chapter, I wil l discuss the origins of

parallel narrative, suggesting stage theatre, digital storytelling practices, current

television programming, and a number of recent popular scientific discourses

as possible influences. I will seek to demonstrate that, unlike more conventional

storytelling methods such as the single-protagonist one-hero film, parallel

narrative better represents what I have called the messiness of human existence.

I will further argue that although parallel narrative contains elements commonto melodrama, it is, within the world of fiction storytelling, the most effective

storytelling mode in realistically depicting the chaos and randomness of life.

Another objective of this chapter is to outline the unique attributes of the form,

such as its use of non-linearity, its thematic explorations of chance, fate and

coincidence, and its primacy of character. In addition, I will respond to recent

criticism that such films are too confusing for audiences by contending that they

can be told coherently and engagingly despite the challenge they may present

audiences.

Linda Aronson has written extensively on parallel narrative. She describes

this storytell ing mode as films that use several separate narratives running in

parallel, often involving non-linearity, time jumps, large casts, or all of these

(2010a, pg. 167). For the purpose of this project, I will be adopting Aronsons

term and referring to this form as parallel narrative. David Bordwell has also

published a number of works on this particular narrative model, labelling it

network narrative (2006a, p. 1). He similarly defines parallel narrative films as

highlighting several protagonists inhabiting distinct, but intermingling, story

lines (2006b, p. 1).


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Shirley Law notes the way in which [m]ainstream film directors from around

the mid-90s have increasingly explored complex multiple-story and non-linear

forms (2006, p. 123). Ma del Mar Azcona Montoli similarly views parallel

narrative as a cinematic form that has all of a sudden become an important

player in contemporary cinema (2009). For David Denby, the recent adoption

of this storytelling mode may be due to Hollywood directors merely acting out

their boredom with that Hollywood script-conference menace the conventional

story arc (2007, p. 2). However, the reason behind the increasing popularity of

parallel storytelling in commercial cinema warrants deeper inquiry. As Bordwell

asserts, [w]e need to think more about where this impulse toward innovation

comes from and how it shows itself (2006b, p. 5). I will therefore be looking first

at how and why this innovative tendency is likely to have arisen.

Origins

Stage drama

The growing trend of parallel narrative seemingly originates from a number of

different storytelling practices. For one, it appears to have groundings in stage

drama. Aronson points out that parallel storytelling is a technique traditionally

used in theatre (2001, p. 197). She highlights that in traditional stage drama,

stories are usually chosen on the basis of how they can interconnect and knit

the drama together (2001, p. 197). Just as an array of protagonists in parallel

narrative films interconnect in what we understand to be a kind of web-of-life

plot (Bordwell & Thompson 2004, p. 437) - a device with which the screenwriter

constructs the overall story - theatre deals with multiple narrators and those

mini-narrations, in dialectical relationship with each other, combine to form

the global narration (McAuley 1987). Furthermore, the nonlinear storytelling

techniques often utilized in parallel narrative films are also present in theatre.

As Gay McAuley highlights, film commonly dramatises past and future

events (in flashbacks and flashforwards), while these are precisely the events

which in theatre are commonly recounted (the dream, the recit, etc.) (1987). As


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such, there is evidence that parallel narrative films have grown out of storytelling

traditions first developed in stage plays.

Television

Television is another medium that employs parallel storytelling strategies. This

is particularly evident in television programming of the past two decades. In

his article Narrative Complexity in Contemporary American Television, Jason

Mittell argues that, like recent departures from convention in mainstream

cinematic storytelling, American television of the past twenty years will beremembered as an era of narrative experimentation and innovation, challenging

the norms of what the medium can do (2006, p. 29). As such, multiple narrative

forms in current television programming are quite likely to have influenced

the expanding number of parallel narrative films in contemporary commercial

cinema. Paul Thompson shares this view, stating, the public raised on the

multiple storytelling techniques of episodic television is perfectly capable of

following the interwoven narratives of modern cinema (2001, xii). Marshall

McLuhan goes further, stating, American movies have advanced toward

maturity owing to the influence of TV (1964, p. 333). Though McLuhans words,

published in 1964, refer to the introduction of television in the 1950s, it is still

indicative of the way in which film and television are mediums that have always

adapted in relation to one another.

Jason Mittell recognises the growing popularity of multiple storytelling in

television, stating, HBO has built its reputation and subscriber base upon

narratively complex shows, such as The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Curb Your

Enthusiasm, and The Wire (2006, p. 29). In his view, the complexity of these

shows offer[s] an alternative to conventional television narrative (2006, p. 29).

The popularity of such programs may be due to their tendency to challenge

viewers intellectually. As Mittell states, there is no doubt that this brand of

television storytelling encourages audiences to become more actively engaged

and offers a broader range of rewards and pleasures than most conventional

programming (2006, p. 32). Audience engagement arises from the opportunity

to actively participate in the process of deciphering the connections between

characters and overlapping plot lines. As we will see later in this chapter, this is

an also attribute of parallel narrative.


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In Mittells view, parallel storytelling in television differs from film in that it

gives viewers more time to think about what they are watching and to unravel

the densely netted causal relations of the action. As he states, extended

character depth, ongoing plotting, and episodic variations are simply unavailable

options within a two-hour film (2006, p. 31). The serial nature of television

programming means that writers are able to draw out character and plot strands

over time. It is therefore little wonder that some parallel narrative films struggle

to achieve this in two hours. Magnolia (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson 1999), for

example, reaches a lengthy three hours. In this light, it seems worth considering

Aronsons point that the longer the film, the more opportunity for the audience

to feel exhausted or lose concentration or both (2001, p. 188).

Mittell suggests that this kind of complex storytelling in television is generally

more successful in television than in film because, as Mittell puts it, [w]hile

innovative film narration has emerged as a boutique form over the past years in

the guise of puzzle films likeMementoandAdaptation, the norms of Hollywood

still favour spectacle and formulas suitable for a peak opening weekend (2006,

p. 31). In television, comparatively, narratively complex programs are among the

mediums biggest hits, suggesting that the market for complexity may be more

valued on television than in film (Mittell 2006, p. 31). The huge fan bases for

multiple narrative television programs such as The Sopranos, which normalized,

then popularized, the idea that a TV show could measure up against the best of

any art form (Sternbergh 2008, p. 1) demonstrate that audience expectations are

changing to embrace more elaborate story forms in television.

Experimental storytelling

The complex and innovative nature of parallel narrative is also reflective of a

number of recent changes in the making and viewing of contemporary cinema.

It would seem that digital media has made possible a range of storytell ing

possibilities, and encouraged the employment of experimental narrative

techniques in commercial contexts. Examples include the creation of mash-ups

and the decentralised nature of hypertext narrative. James C. Beck asserts it is

with the computerisation of culture that a certain database logic begins to

permeate al l of our existence fiction-based Hollywood films are infected with

[this] kind of database logic (2004, p. 59). Modern film audiences today not only


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have access to digital content, they are more familiar with digital media making

practices and are therefore more literate in experimental devices. According

to Bordwell, these devices are absorbed into existing [storytelling] forms, like

classical script structure, genres or stylistic principles (2006b, p. 4).

Alissa Quarts notion of hyperlink cinema (Quart 2005), a term she uses to

describe parallel narrative films, ascribes to the idea that internet literacy is

contributing more and more to current filmmaking approaches. M. Keith Booker

agrees, describing hyperlink cinema as a method in which multiple narratives

intertwine in a single film, allowing (and requiring) viewers to jump about in

time within a story and from one story to another much in the way they jump

about among websites on the Internet (2007, p. 12). Like Quart, he believes

hyperlink cinema [is] a distinct film phenomenon that seems to be catching

on (2007, p. 12). Quart identifies Don RoosHappy Endings(2005) as an example

of hyperlink cinema. In this film, the story toggles back and forth between its

ending and beginning (three interwoven storylines track the destinies of 10

characters in all) (Quart 2005). Not unlike the way in which we are presented

with information when we browse the internet, in Happy Endingswe are given

information about a characters fate, [and] the action then clicks back to fill in

the missing pieces (Quart 2005).

One way in which parallel narrative has been clearly influenced by experimental

storytelling techniques can be perceived in its employment of non-linearity.

Complex parallel narrative films such as 21 Grams(dir. Alejandro Gonzalez

Inarritu 2003) andBabel(dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu 2006) toy with

temporal ordering, manipulating story time both to break convention and

challenge their audiences. Quentin TarantinosPulp Fiction(1994), a parallel

narrative film that was so commercially successful that it virtually demolished

the boundary between independent and Hollywood cinema (Booker 2007, p.

13), is perhaps one of the most famous displays of non-linear storytelling in the

past two decades. Of the film, Tarantino comments, its not the fact that Im on

this big crusade against linear storytelling ... but its not the only game in town

(Berg 2006).

Denby suggests innovative narrative practices are inevitable because film

production itself is vulnerable to manipulation, expressing, thanks to the

mechanical nature of the recording medium playing with sequence and

representation is almost irresistible (2007, p. 3). Booker makes a similar point

in his assertion, the increasing fragmentation of postmodern film can in

many ways be seen as a logical extension of older montage techniques and

indeed of the evolution of film as a medium itself (2007, p. 2). Bordwell also

illustrates the way in which American filmmaking has often renewed itself


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by absorbing all manner of experiment, from German Expressionism (for 1930s

horror films) to serial music (for 1950s dramas) (2006b, p. 4). It seems Hollywood

cinema is undergoing yet another process of reinvention, this time through its

appropriation of parallel narrative.

The influence of popular scientific discourses

For some theorists, popular scientific discourses are partially responsible for

the shift towards this adventurous attitude toward storytell ing (Bordwell

2006b, p. 5) in modern mainstream cinema. Azcona Montoli contends that

the development of the multi-protagonist genre in the last two decades has

run paral lel with the significant cultural impact of a series of scientific and

social discourses - such as chaos theory, the butterfly effect, the global village

conception of the world and six degrees of separation theories - which have both

challenged traditional notions of causality and emphasized the network nature

of human li fe and interaction in an increasingly shrinking and globalized world

(2009). Lindsay Peters shares this view, arguing the resurgence of the network

narrative corresponds closely with the ever-increasing societal concern over

the effects of globalization (2008). As such, the rise of such popular scientific

theories may be a contributing factor in the recent increase of parallel narrative

films.

A representation of life

Unlike the conventional single-protagonist story, parallel narrative is particularly

known for providing a realistic representation of the interconnectedness of

human life. As H. Porter Abbot argues, the increasing popularity of network

narrative storytelling in mainstream cinema is yet one more way in which

narrative worlds replicate the actual world we live in (2008, p. 167). Dancyger

and Rush also explore the notion that such stories reflect a vivid realism in their

discussion of Traffic(dir. Steven Soderbergh 2000). They argue that the films

rejection of linear narrative structure and its use of multiple protagonists to

represent the manifold horrors of the drug wars offers a more realistic depiction

of the human sensibility in reaction to personal and political hardship, and that


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this effect seems to be enhanced by Soderberghs reluctant to privilege one

character over another: [t]here are no heroes in Traffic that would require

more use of plot; here, there are only human beings whom we watch affirm their

humanness (2002, p. 66).

Roger Ebert makes a similar statement ofBabel. In his view,Babelbuilds to

a stunning impact because it does not hammer us with heroes and villains

but asks us to empathize with all of its characters (2007). This film does not

ask its audience to take sides, but instead to attempt to understand the tragic

experiences of every one of its central characters. In doing so, the film appeals

to the audiences sense of humanity, and this is precisely what makes it so

powerful.

Linda Cowgill agrees that paral lel narrative films can be sublimely satisfying

because the audience generally feels it has had a real look at life (Cowgill 1999,

pg. 123). She highlights that in such films some plot lines conclude ambiguously

and others unhappily, [and] this view of life seems more authentic than the

standard Hollywood fare with its happily ever after endings (1999, pg. 126).

Cowgill further emphasises the point that, as viewers, we are better able to

relate the often ambiguous, open-ended nature of parallel narrative films to

our own experiences as human beings because this storytelling mode more

accurately reflects the world we live in, where some things work and others do

not (1999, pg. 126). For this reason, she believes parallel narrative can be viewed

as essentially a description of life (1999, pg. 126).

In his foreword to Aronsons book, Thompson best articulates the possible

reasons why some current scriptwriters are moving away from conventional

narrative models such as Hollywoods chronologically linear, beginning-middle-

end, three-act structure (Berg 2006) and towards more innovative forms such as

parallel narrative:

It is dif ficult to say why so many recent movies are unconventionally

structured. It would be nice to think it is an attempt by contemporary writers

to reflect an increasingly complex world with accuracy. We live in confusing

times. It is an enormous challenge for the storyteller to impose artistic order on

current chaos and to extract some kind of signif icance from the avalanche of

meaningless events that bombard our l ives It may be that the contradictions

of our times can no longer be convincingly represented by a single protagonist

overcoming overwhelming odds in two hours of screen time. It may be that the

modern screenwriter has to choose between perpetuat ing old myths or tell ing

new truths and this choice might require the rewriting of some of the rules

(Thompson 2001, xi).


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Coincidence, Chance, Fate and Melodrama

Parallel narrative films possess a number of unique traits. For one, they are

frequently reliant on the themes of chance, fate and coincidence as a means

of establishing and maintaining a sense of interconnectedness for the main

characters and their respective plotlines. Coincidence in particular has emerged

as a recurring theme, as well as a way of manufacturing causal links. Azcona

Montoli highlights this fact, stating, [c]oincidences of several sorts are, of

course, not exclusive to films with multiple protagonistsbut their visibility and

the narrative relevance that they have acquired in this genre are unprecedented

(2009).

Bordwell believes coincidence in parallel narrative is required to keep

audiences on track (2006a, p. 1). However, the use of coincidence in parallel

narrative remains subject to some criticism. Peters argues parallel narrative

films are hindered by their consistent use of unrealistic coincidence (Peters

2008). Adrian McKinty similarly expresses in his blog post Coincidence?

Er yeah. that coincidence has no place in twenty first century writing

(2010). In his view, coincidence is a worse device for solving problems than

the supernatural coincidence assumes that you, the paying punter, are

really really stupid (2010). According to Peters, Crash(dir. Paul Haggis, 2005)

is the exemplar of excessive coincidence (2008). In her view, Crashpresents

an implausible portrayal of its story action because its use of coincidence

ultimately forces a suspension of belief on the part of the viewer in order to

follow a particular pair of narrative strands to their (unrealistic) conclusions

(2008).

Peters does admit, however, that when used skilfully coincidence can in fact

produce a realistic effect. She uses InarritusBabel as an example. Because

Babel utilizes a single object, a hunting rifle, to establish a point of connection

for the four narrative strands, the film is able to avoid creating disbelief on the

part of the viewer. As Peters explains, [w]hile coincidence is integral to its

narrative construct, the measure with which it is used attempts to establish a

realistic logic of the random (2008). For Jeffery Sconce, the idea of randomness

is a consistent point of focus in parallel narrative films because they often depict

a rotating series of interlocking episodes, centering on a series of seemingly

random events befalling a loosely related set of characters (2002, p. 362).

According to Peters, the notion of a realistic logic of the random stems from

elements of melodrama, contending that in parallel narrative the repetitive,


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artificially constructed encounters correspond to the melodramatic tendency

to produce meaningful realism by way of random occurrence (2008). Michael

Stewart identifies melodramatic qualities in Inarritus 21 Grams, asserting

the film possesses a number of melodramatic traditions of imploding and

dysfunctional families, suffering women, broken and disorientated men,

and intense and expressive forms of realism and affect (2007, p.49). Sconceadditionally describes Inarritus particular filmmaking tendencies as cold

melodrama (2002, p. 350). Intriguingly, parallel narrative films are frequently

able to establish a measure of realism whilst producing dramatic effect.

P. T. AndersonsMagnol iais perhaps the most apt piece of screenwriting for

discussing the ways in which melodramatic techniques team up with the use

of chance, fate and coincidence to produce a sense of realism. It is Joanne

Clark Dillmans view that [l]ike soap operas and melodramas,Magnol ia

is characterized by excess (2005, p. 146). This is due to its element of the

hysterical (Dillman 2005, p. 146) in both its characters and storytell ing style.

The films fragmented structure is also representative of the melodramatic

tendency towards an episodic form (Peters 2008). This episodic style works

alongside the films theme of random, coincidental encounters as a means of

making a statement about life.

Magnolias frog rain sequence is a kooky but enormously original representation

of Andersons message that life is random and inexplicable and we should not

attempt to find a reason for or an answer to all things. The most intriguing part

about this freak event is that none of the characters are shown discussing its

peculiarity. We only see them stare, stunned and disbelieving, at the tirade of

frogs descending from the heavens, smacking into car windows, into people, and

breaking clean through kitchen skylights. Each characters reaction is revealed

in a kind of episodic, successive pattern. It is left entirely unexplained, and there

is a reason for this. The characters acceptance of the frog rain phenomenon is

precisely what Anderson seems to be telling his audience to do: embrace the

strange, the inexplicable, because events such as this really do happen and they

should be understood simply as a part of life. In reflection of this idea, the voice-

over narration that bookendsMagnol iaimparts the following words towards the

films close:

There are stories of coincidence, and chance, and intersections, and strange

things told, and which is which, who only knows. And we generally say: Well,

if that was in a movie, I wouldnt believe it. Someones so-and-so met someone

elses so-and-so, and so on. And it is in the humble opinion of this narrator that

strange things happen al l the t ime.


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This narration self-consciously brings the films use of chance and coincidence

to the forefront of the viewers experience. It also suggests that while parallel

narrative films rely heavily on themes of chance and coincidence to function

effectively, such themes are not restricted to the world of cinema. They are

governing factors in our everyday lives. InMagnol ia, Anderson seems to be

conveying the message that, as human beings, our pathways through lifeand our connections with others are determined by chance. Thus, through

self-conscious recognition of its own themes, and a fragmented non-classical

narrative structure, a key constitutive factor of the melodramatic form (Peters

2008),Magnoliamakes a very strong case for the role of chance and coincidence

in human existence.

It is important to reiterate that chance, fate and coincidence in parallel narrative

are devices carefully selected and constructed by the screenwriter. Such themes

are used as a means to connect characters to one another and in doing so create

action with which the story is able to drive forward. Bordwell acknowledges

this fact, stating, although the network model can claim to be a realistic device

(in our world, our projects commingle), its almost always presented through

a series of conventions traffic accidents, people brushing past each other

We recognize these as part of the artifice in this tradition of storytelling

(2006b, p. 2). Denby agrees with Bordwell on this point, arguing the adversity

the characters in a parallel narrative film must endure cant pass itself off as

the mere impersonal merciless working out of fate (2007, p. 6). In his view,

[experience cant be random and also structured like a cage (2007, p. 6).

Yet, the issue of artifice in parallel narrative cannot be one of great significance,

as it is something inherent to all film. As Denby admits, a film is not a piece

of life; we know that it is something made (2007, p. 4). Paul Joseph Gulino

reinforces this idea in his assurance that drama is a contrivance (2004, p.

13). The melodramatic tendencies often associated with parallel narrative films

are a further indication of this. Thus, films such as Crash, which Peters argues

overuses coincidence, cannot be accused of causing audience dissatisfaction

due to disbelief in their narrative structure because it is precisely these

coincidences and chance meetings that make the drama and maintain audience

engagement. It may seem unlikely that Officer John Ryan (Matt Dillon), the

policeman who pulls African-American woman Christine Thayer (Thandie

Newton) from her burning car towards the end of Crash,is the very policeman

who expresses racism towards her earlier on. Yet, this is one of the films most

powerful moments. It is essential to the policemans realisation that this woman

is just as worthy of civil treatment as he, and therefore crucial to his character

development.


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In opposition to what critics perceive as the issue of chance and coincidence

in paral lel narrative, Azcona Montoli asserts, it is difficult to think of a

narrative that does not include a coincidence of one type or another (2009). It

can therefore be argued that although this narrative mode contains elements

common to melodrama and instances of unrealistic coincidence, it is, within

the world of fiction storytelling, the most representative of the messiness ofhuman life. The fact that contingency and chance rule a good part of our

behaviour (Denby 2007, p. 2) indicates this running theme in parallel narrative

is consistently explored due to its grounding in human sensibility.

An emphasis on character

Parallel narrative also tends to prioritise the experiences of its main protagonists

over distinct causal links. Aronson highlights that in parallel narrative films,

the various stories are linked via characters or theme (2001, p. 187) rather

than through conventional linear structure. Often, it is the characters goals,

experiences and the adversities they face that form the emotional connection

between the film and its audience. As Azcona Montolis states of non-linear film

21 Grams, [c]haracters desires are part of the emotional continuum running

through the film (2009). A similar statement could be made of Babel.Babels

melancholic tone demonstrates director Inarritus compassion for his characters

and unwill ingness to undermine or dismiss their plights by succumbing to

the conventional happy ending. Ebert, who believes the film to be among the

adornments of recent cinema (2007), shares this view,expressing, Inarritu fi lms

more in sorrow than anger, and spares most of his characters tragic retribution

because he loves and understands them too much to simply grind them in a

plot (2007). Inarritu himself says ofBabel,

I think that film always has the opportunity and power to make us understand

a little bit better who we are, and to reveal a little bit of our human condition.

We can have different language[s] today but we are in a common ground as

human beings. And I want that everybody know it s not a fi lm by me; its a f ilm

by us I started out doing a f ilm about the dif ferences between human beings,

and ended up doing a film about what brings us together, not what tears up

apart (Inarritu in Under Construction Notes).

It is significant that the theme of human interconnectedness arose throughout

the making of the fi lm, which was, as Inarritu states, initially intended to


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highlight the cultural, linguist ic and emotional barriers between human beings.

LikeMagnol iaand Crash,Babelrepresents the interconnectedness of human

life, a central unifying force in many parallel narrative films.

Despite the powerfully moving sentiments conveyed by such parallel narrative

films, some writers and film theorists have expressed concern that the heavy

focus on character can obscure narrative coherence. Linda Aronson shows

admiration forMagnol ia, calling it a remarkable and moving tandem narrative

(2001, p. 188). Yet, she feels Anderson gets carried away with the characters

experiences to the detriment of the plot, arguing that it is as if the writer/

director did not quite know where or how to stop (2001, p. 189). Ebert makes a

similar statement of 21 Grams. He finds the film disorientating at times both due

to its employment of non-linearity and its concentration on character, stating,

the interlocking stories spun a little out of [Inarritus] control [and] there was

sometimes the sense that we were more disoriented than the film really wanted

us to be (2007). McKee, however, puts this concern to rest by assuring us that

character and plot are intrinsically related as structure is character; character

is structure (1997, p. 100). Anderson explains that in his script for Magnol ia, his

intentions were to create

one story, so youre not watching, like, piece, piece, piece. It al l has to be

one connection. Youre watching one story and you feel l ike if one piece was

missing... do you know what I mean? ... I was trying to figure out how many

stories there really were, I guess it s n ine main characters... [but] Im try ing to

make one story (Anderon inMagnolia Diar ies).

Here, Anderson seems to be saying that each of the character paths make up

vital cogs in the functioning of the films overall narrative. The musical sequence

in which the protagonists sing sections of Aimee Manns Wise Uprepresents

this idea of one story, as well as the characters interconnectedness. Perhaps

Magnoliaas a film becomes distracted from its plot by its large ensemble of

characters, but Anderson shows that, at script stage anyhow, story was as much

a consideration as character.

A smarter audience

Due to the complex nature of parallel narrative, the audience is often required

think critically throughout the watching of parallel narrative films. This usually

means having to make connections between separate plotlines and figure out


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what the film is attempting to convey as a whole. As a result, some film critics

complain that parallel narrative creates confusion for viewers. Denby expresses

concern for such films, arguing their clogged-sink narratives are so heavily

loaded with subplots and complicated information that the story can hardly seep

through the surrounding material (2007, p. 2). Bordwell demonstrates a similar

attitude. According to him, this maybe too common (2006a, p. 1) mode ofstorytelling can a ll too easily fall down and become confusing for the audience if

not enough energy is spent sharpening and deepening the plotlines themselves

(2006a, p. 3).

I would argue, however, that rather than creating confusion for audiences,

parallel narrative provides an opportunity for viewers to be intellectually

challenged. Denby agrees that when the audiences pleasure in narrative is

diverted, or postponed, it may realize how conventional that pleasure usually is

how easily most movies yield to the desire for tension, release, and resolution

(2007, p. 3). Quart, too, enthusiastically believes the new genrehyperlink

cinema, could be the most iq-enhancing of all (2005).

According to Patricia Gruben, a films formal qualities are not fixed and self-

contained structures that exist independently of our perception: rather, meaning

is created by the viewer (2005, p. 271). Parallel narrative plays with this idea by

allowing the audience to continually guess at the meaning of a film. The form

frequently achieves this effect on viewers through the employment of non-linear

tactics. Michael Z. Newman commends 21 Gramson its artful use of temporal

reordering to keep audiences guessing, stating, one senses while watching 21

Gramsthat order is around the corner, that the narration has carefully selected

and ordered the events to produce certain effects and that the a ha! moment

when things fall into place will be al l the more satisfying after a run-up of

anticipation and excitement (2006). He argues that [o]nly by presenting the

plot so playfully can this kind of anticipatory effect really work (2006). Denby,

too, recognises that the use of non-linearity in parallel narrative can leave the

viewer experiencing reactions before actions, denouements before climaxes,

disillusion before ecstasy (Denby 2007, p. 1). Thus, we can see the way in

which parallel narrative uses non-linearity to provide an enriching experience

for contemporary cinema audiences by requiring them to think through and form

their own meanings of the material being presented onscreen.


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To recap

Parallel narrative is gaining increasing prominence in mainstream Hollywood

cinema. There are a number of possible reasons as to why this form has emerged

so significantly in the past two decades. The rise of internet literacy has seen

modern film audiences and filmmakers adopting more experimental techniques.

Such techniques include non-linearity and fragmentation, and these are strongly

reflected in the episodic nature of parallel narrative films. It is also evident that

popular scientific discourses such as Chaos Theory and six degrees of separation

theories, with their emphasis on the chaotic, interconnected nature of human

existence, have heavily contributed to the increasing shift towards parallel

storytelling in current commercial cinema. Furthermore, the forms employment

of multiple protagonists and intertwining storylines indicates strong groundingsin both traditional stage drama and television.

This developing storytelling form displays a number of unique attributes.

Themes surrounding ideas of chance, fate, coincidence and randomness are a

repeated focus in parallel narrative, with coincidence in particular emerging

as a recurrent theme. Parallel narratives constant emphasis on coincidence

(Azcona Montoli 2009) and random, fateful encounters between characters

has been recognised as melodramatic. Although there are some instances

in which the implementation of these melodramatic trope[s] (Peters 2008)

are not used successfully and evoke disbelief on the part of the viewer, they

must be taken for what they are: constructs. Alternatively, I argue that these

devices, although heavily dramatized, can in fact be seen to represent the

messy, interconnectedness of human existence. Another distinct trait of the

form is its tendency to prioritize character experiences. Through the rejection

of conventional Hollywood storytelling structures, parallel narrative brings

characters emotions to the forefront of the viewers. This indicates that often

what is most important to these films are the characters themselves. Primacy

of character is, as I have shown, another way in which parallel narrative is morereflective of the human disposition.

The complex nature of many paral lel narrative films has further resulted

in altered viewing practices. Narrative techniques such as non-linearity,

fragmentation and open-endedness are challenging audiences intellectually.

As such, audiences are now becoming accustomed to forming their own

meanings and connections during the watching of parallel narrative films.

As I have argued, this should not be condemned as confusing, but instead

perceived positively as means of providing audiences with an enriching viewing

experience. For David Denby, complex parallel narrative films have the potential


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power to jolt us into a new understanding of art, or even a new understanding

of life (2007, p. 2). Quart goes even further, suggesting that this narrative mode

might end up being the new Hollywood weve been waiting for (2005). It is

therefore evident that parallel narratives potential has yet to be fulfilled. For

screenwriters, filmmakers and audiences interested in this specific form, this is

an exciting prospect.


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C H A P T E R T W O

Constructing Parallel

Narrative

As parallel narrative structures are becoming increasingly prominent in

mainstream Hollywood filmmaking, instructional material addressing how

exactly to go about writing such films is gradually expanding. In 2001, Linda

Aronson noted the lack of commentary in film theory on the matter of writing

parallel stories, stating, there is little in the way of theory for writers who want

to write film using parallel narrative structures (pg. xiii). Yet, her most recent

screenwriting manual The 21st Century Screenplay(2010) illustrates the way in

which, ten years on, models are now being formed around parallel structures to

which writers can look. In the last decade or so, more and more screenwriters

have pushed the boundaries of narrative even further, creating ever morecomplex script structures in films like 21 Grams,Crash, The Hours,Eternal

Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, City of GodandMemento, films that, excitingly,

displayed consistent patterns that meant writers could use them as templates

(Aronson 2010a, pg. xv).

I wil l begin this chapter by discussing characterization and dramatic structure

in traditional cinematic narrative. In doing so, I aim to demonstrate the ways

in which newer, unconventional forms of storytelling are inevitably reliant

on elements of classical design. I will then list and describe the six modes

of parallel narrative identified by Aronson, before illustrating the function

of characterization and dramatic structure in parallel narrative. Next, I will

discuss three methods of constructing parallel narrative plots, in terms of

three connecting devices: the story frame, the connecting incident, and

the circulating object. Furthermore, I will highlight the way in which theme

is essential in creating dramatic unity and an overall sense of meaning and

coherence in parallel narrative films. This will be followed by a detailed

discussion of the importance of surprise and suspense in the mode of parallel

narrative I have chosen for my thirty-minute film script, fractured tandem. This


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will include an illustration of some of the key devices employed in fractured

tandem, namely the way non-linearity is used to create dread, a threat of death

for the protagonists, and a suspenseful detective story. Finally, I will identify

some central characteristics of the short film, and discuss possible ways of

writing a fractured tandem narrative within the time constraints of the short

film.

In her first scriptwriting manual Screenwriting Updated: New (and Conventional)

Ways of Writing for the Screen(2001) Aronson emphasises that in order

for parallel narrative films to be accessible to audiences, the writer must

simultaneously adhere to classical storytell ing norms whilst exploring new

structures, stating, writers who wanted to master the new forms needed a very

firm grounding in the old (pg. xiii). Bordwell shares this view, asserting, [m]ost

of the daring storytelling we find in modern American film offers legible variants

on well-entrenched strategies for presenting time, space, goal achievement,

causal connection, and the like (2006c, pg. 75). In fact, all innovative practices

are born out of convention, as [e]very new artistic achievement revises existing

practices, and often the unconventional strategy simply draws on other

conventions (Bordwell 2006c, pg. 75). As such, the first section of this chapter

will examine two of the most recognised conventional narrative models currently

dominating Hollywood: the single protagonist hero plot and the three-act

structure.

Characterization in traditional narrative

Traditionally, storytelling in film centres on a single protagonist. As Robert

McKee states, the classically told story usually places a single protagonist

man, woman, or child at the heart of the telling (1997, pg. 49). As such,

the overwhelming majority of instructional scriptwriting books emphasise

the necessity of the main character. Among these instructors is the highly

recognised Syd Field, who suggests that the main character alone determines

what course the action takes, as the main character must always cause things

to happen (1998, p. 168). Lisa Dethridge similarly privileges the notion of the

single protagonist, contending, the writers main job is to set up the basic world

of the story and to establish the main character or protagonist (2003, p. 59).


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In her view, there is no room for multiple characters of equal significance in a

script because the main protagonist is the central figure in your screenplay

the most fully realised onscreen character (2003, p. 59). McKee presents a

slightly different stance, in that he acknowledges the importance of an array

of characters and the storytelling possibilities they create. He argues that by

altering the relationship between the main protagonist and secondary characters

in more traditional arrangements a scriptwriter can suggest that no one

character is privileged, and that the main character has to deal with the same

limitations as all the other characters (1997, p. 171). However, while McKee does

not adhere to conceptions of story as rigid as those of Dethridge, in his famous

screenwriting manual Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of

Screenwritingthe writer still maintains a kind of reverence for the notion of the

central narrative figure.

Perhaps the most significant convention used in single protagonist stories is

the character arc. The character arc is when the central narrative figure is

transformed significantly by the events of the story (Cowgill 1999, pg. 48).

According to Cowgill, characterization is most effective when it charts the

growth or development of the characters (1999, pg. 48). As such, characters in

traditional storytelling a lmost always undergo some kind of transformation by

the end of the film. Usually, this development comes as a result of experiencing a

life-altering situation, whereby the characters are changed, for better or worse,

when they encounter extraordinary events (Cowgill 1999, pg. 48). Aronson

asserts that the main protagonist does not need to improve or be redeemed

(although usually the protagonist does need to undergo change) (2010, pg. 47).

It is therefore the screenwriters job to force dramatic, life-changing situations

on their characters (Cowgill 1999, pg. 48), from which the characters gain new

knowledge and are, as a result, able to grow.

The character arc is also commonly understood in screenwriting theory as

the heros journey. Christopher Vogler describes fictional heroes as bearing

qualities that we can al l identify with and recognize in ourselves. They are

propelled by universal drives that we can all understand: the desire to be loved

and understood, to succeed, survive, be free, get revenge, right wrongs, or seek

self-expression (1998, p. 36). William Indick similarly contends, [h]eroes are

simply ourselves projected outwardly... and their adventures are meaningful only

to the degree that we can identify with the heroes struggles and anxieties

(2004). According to Kal Bishop, The Heros Journey is the template upon which

the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based


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upon (2010). In his view, [u]nderstanding this template is a priority for story or

screenwriters (2010) because, as he argues, the heros journey plays a significant

role in ensuring screenplays, and as such films, prosper in the mainstream.

Dramatic structure in traditional narrative

In terms of structure, conventional narrative is characterised by what is referred

to in screenwriting terms as the three-act structure. The three-act structure

has been described as the basis for every mainstream American screenplay

(Dancyer & Rush 2002, pg. 18), and its dominance in commercial filmmaking

practice is indicative of its success as a narrative formula. Aronson believes

the three-act model is effective because it builds in a fast pace and rising

suspenseful chronological build to closure (2010a, pg. 47). For this reason, she

argues, it is the most prevalent model, the most streamlined model, the basic

model, and, crucially, the safest model (2010a, pg. 47) for screenwriters to adopt.

Bishop agrees, screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality

work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays

(2010).

According to Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush, the three-act formula is derived

from Aristotles broad notion that all dramas have a beginning, a middle, and

an end, and that these parts are in some proportion to one another (2002,

pg. 18). They outline the three-act structure as the following: [t]he first act is

concerned with setup, the second act with confrontation, and the third act with

resolution (2002, pg. 19). Cowgill describes this model in a similar way. In line

with Aristotle, she seems to find it useful to think of act one as the beginning,

act two as the middle, and act three as the end. She contends, the beginning

of a film must set up the dramatic problem. The middle consists of the storys

rising action which builds to the fina l climaxand resolution (1997, pg. 51

[emphasis in original]). Traditionally, the three-act formula centres on a single

protagonist and story time progresses in a linear fashion. As such, Aronson

refers to it as the three-act one-hero linear model (2010a, pg. 47).


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Modes of parallel narrative

The complexity of parallel storytelling is evident in the way it requires six

different modes, appointed by Aronson, in order to fully comprehend its scope.

The six modes, tandem, multiple protagonist, double journeys, flashback,

consecutive-stories and fractured tandem, each have their own specifications

in terms of structure, style and ideology. Aronson splits these modes into two

groups of three. She uses the umbrella terms ensemble narrative and non-

linear narrative to define the two groups. Ensemble films have a large cast and

a series of stories that run simultaneously and chronologically in the same time

frame (Aronson 2010a, pg. 172). Non-linear films, on the other hand, use several

stories, sometimes of varying importance, either set in several time frames, OR

told one after the other (Aronson 2010a, pg. 172 [emphasis in original]). Thethree modes belonging to ensemble narrative are tandem, multiple protagonist

and double journeys. The three modes that fall under non-linear narrative are

flashback, consecutive-stories and fractured tandem. Aronson argues that

while these forms, for the moment, stand relatively on their own, we must

expect hybridisation (2010a, pg. 171) as they continue to infiltrate mainstream

Hollywood cinema.

To begin with, I will outline the three ensemble modes. Firstly, tandem narrative

uses equally important stories on the same theme, running simultaneously

in the same time frame and geographical area, with the films action jumping

between stories (Aronson 2010a, pg. 174). Examples of tandem narrative are

Traffic,Magnol iaandLove Actual ly(dir. Richard Curtis 2003). Secondly, multiple

protagonist narratives such as The Big Chill(dir. Lawrence Kasdan 1983) and

The Full Monty(dir. Peter Cattaneo 1997) revolve around a small group of people

thrown together in a group adventure which is specifically a quest, a reunion

or a siege (emotional and/or actual) (Aronson 2010a, pg. 174). Thirdly, double

journeys narratives are multiple protagonist fi lms that deal with a very specific

relationship; namely, two characters journeying either towards each other, inparallel, or apart (physically, emotionally, or both) (Aronson 2010a, pg. 173).

Double journeys films includeBrokeback Mountain(dir. Ang Lee 2005) and The

Departed (dir. Martin Scorsese 2006).

Next, are the three non-linear forms. The first non-linear mode Aronson identifies

is flashback. There are six varieties of flashback some simple, some complex,

each serving a different story purpose (Aronson 2010a, pg. 175). The second

non-linear mode is consecutive-stories, which she initially termed sequential

narrative (2001, pg. 185) in Screenwriting Updated. Consecutive-stories


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employ separate stories (with separate protagonists) told one after the other,

coming together at the end (Aronson 2010a, pg. 176).Pulp Fiction(dir. Quentin

Tarantino 1994), The Butterfly Effect(dir. Eric Bress & J. Mackye Gruber 2004)

andAmores Perros(dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu 2000) are examples of

consecutive-stories films.

The third and final mode of non-linear narrative Aronson identifies is fractured

tandem. To make matters more complex, fractured tandem is in fact a cross-

pollination of ensemble narrative and non-linear narrative. Essentially, it

is tandem narrative told in a non-linear fashion. As Aronson explains, [f]

ractured tandem runs equally important tandem narratives but fractures them,

jumping between time frames (2010a, pg. 176). She asserts that this specific

form of parallel narrative, more so than others, heavily rests on the themes of

randomness, coincidence, and consequences, stating that fractured tandem is

tandem narrative chopped up and put together out of chronological sequence in

order to pump up speed and transmit a philosophy about accidental tragedies

and tragic, unforeseen consequences (2010a, pg. 176). Examples of fractured

tandem films are 21 Grams, Crash,Babeland The Hours(dir. Stephen Daldry

2002). Because my film idea involves coincidence and accidental intersections

between its protagonists, Aronsons notion of fractured tandem is the mode of

parallel narrative I wil l be adopting for my thirty-minute film script.

Characterization in parallel narrative

Parallel narratives revolve around an array of equally weighted characters. Each

main character hosts her or his own plotline, which, depending on the particular

mode of parallel narrative, may or may not overlap with others. However, they

almost always cross paths at some stage in the plot. Cowgill refers to these

distinct plotlines as miniplots (1999, pg. 124). In her view, these miniplots

dont need as much development as a single plot to drive a film because

intercutting among them diverts the audience (1999, pg. 124). Because the

writer must juggle several miniplots at once, each main protagonist cannot be

given as much attention as is afforded a sole protagonist in a classical one-hero

film. However, this lessened attention does not prevent characters in parallel

narrative stories from undergoing their individual transformations.

The character arc is present in many paral lel narrative films. Like classical

storytelling design, the character arc in parallel narrative occurs as a result of


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life-changing events. Fractured tandem mode places accidental intersections at

the centre of the telling. These intersections bring together isolated characters,

and are often tragic and irreversible. In such films, accidental or random

events become the means through which the main protagonists undergo

their transformations. As Ma del Mar Azcona Montoli explains, [c]haracter

development and narrative turning points do not originate as much from humandetermination as from the accidental intersections between different characters

and their narrative lines (2009). The point she is making here is that the

random encounters between characters are what triggers the opportunity for

their individual developments. This device can be seen inBabel, whereby the

accidental shooting of Susan Jones (Cate Blanchett) re-establishes the closeness

between her and her husband Richard Jones (Brad Pitt), forcing them to forgive

one another in what they fear to be her final moments. Without the random,

coincidental occurence of the shooting, these characters would not have the

opportunity to experience growth.

With several protagonists of equal importance, parallel narrative clearly rejects

the classical convention of the single protagonist. However, there are elements

of this convention that writers incorporate into parallel narrative films to better

identify with the audience. For example, there are parallel narrative films that

make good use of the hero formula. In one of the final scenes from fractured

tandem film Crash, bigoted policeman John Ryan (Matt Dillon) pulls an African-

American woman Christine Thayer (Thandie Newton) from the burning

wreckage of her car. Coincidentally, and rather ironically, this is the very samewoman towards whom he expresses racism and whom he sexually humiliates

before her husband (Terence Howard) earlier in the film. It could be argued

that because Officer Ryan is able to overcome his feelings of hatred towards

this woman and pull her from the accident scene, he demonstrates attributes

common to the stereotypical hero. As Vogler explains, [h]eroes overcome

obstacles and achieve goals, but they also gain new knowledge and wisdom

(1998, p. 37). This transition is made all the more powerful by Ryans role as

villain throughout the entirety of the film up until this point. The presence of the

heros journey inCrashreflects Aronsons assertion that [a]s writers we need

to master the new structures, indeed, we need to take them even further, always

recognizing that while they seem to blow apart the old rules of storytelling, in

fact it is in traditional narrative that they have their core (2001, pg. xv).


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Dramatic structure in parallel narrative

Although parallel narrative stories are often structured in radically

unconventional ways, the traditional three-act model maintains a strong

presence in paral lel storytelling. Aronson illustrates this in her assertion, all

of the parallel narrative forms work by splitting, reassembling and sometimes

either truncating or doubling the conventional three-act narrative structure

(2010a, pg. 48). It would seem that because the three-act one-hero linear

structure is an excellent and extraordinarily versatile model (Aronson 2010a,

pg. 47), screenwriters are able to use it as a basis for constructing more

unconventional forms. Furthermore, it could be argued that writers who make

use of the heros journey, as the way Paul Haggis does in Crash, are inevitably

adapting the three-act model because three-act stories are structured aroundone central character (Dancyer & Rush 2002, pg. 22). Thus, we can further see

the way that new storytelling structures are reliant on classical structures.

Three connecting devices

Structurally, there are a series of strategies writers may adopt when constructing

stories for parallel narrative films, three of which I wi ll discuss here. Firstly,

there is Cowgills notion of the event frame (Cowgill 1999, pg. 128) or story

frame (Cowgill 1999, pg. 128), which Bordwell describes as a common fate or

significant occasion (2006c, pg. 97). Story frames are used in ensemble films

that do not employ a mutual goal as a unifying agent (Cowgill 1999, pg. 128).

In these narratives, a story frame anchors the plot to an event that will play

out by the end of the film (Cowgill 1999, pg. 128), thus creating a situation in

which the characters physically encounter one another, usually at the films

climax. Cowgill argues this unifying event must be foreshadowed, and, for

most films, the earlier the better (1999, pg. 129). The importance of setting up

an expectation of the final event, she asserts, is that it creates a focal point

for both characters and audience as the film narrows in scope and reaches its

end (1999, pg. 129). At the end of multiple protagonist film Parenthood (dir.

Ron Howard 1989), for example, all the characters come together at a birth.

This event is foreshadowed early on by one couple in disagreement over having

another child, and by another couple accidentally conceiving one. Ultimately,

story frames create overall unity across the separate plotlines, bringing the


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major characters together at the end to give a sense of wholeness (Cowgill 1999,

pg. 129). It should be noted that story frames do not apply to siege and quest

films (Aronson 2010a, pg. 174), examples of which areArmageddon(dir. Michael

Bay 1998) andIndependence Day (dir. Roland Emmerich 1996). In these films, the

multiple characters share a common goal or problem, and are therefore already

united by a centralized conflict (Cowgill 1999, pg. 128).

The second strategy for constructing parallel narrative is what I have termed

the connecting incident. Fractured tandem, the mode I am adopting for my

script, is about random accidents, about, as it demonstrated so clearly in

Crash, individual strangers accidentally colliding (Aronson 2010a, pg. 382). As

such, in fractured tandem there is no story frame within which the multiple

plotlines operate. As Bordwells explains, [i]f theres no overarching event

frame, unacquainted characters might be granted more autonomy, pursuing

their own lives but intersecting occasionally by sheer accident (2006c, pg. 97).

Azcona Montoli reiterates this point in her statement that in such films random

encounters carry most of the narrative weight and may even end up deflecting

the plot in unexpected directions (2009). In her view, [a]ccidental interactions

are not just the means to tell a story: they are the story itself (2009). For this

reason, I am calling the second strategy the connecting incident, to which

fractured tandem is predominantly attributed.

The work of screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga provides successful methods of

writing non-linear parallel narrative by utilising a connecting incident. In

both 21 GramsandAmores Perros, Arriaga uses traffic accidents as a means

of bringing together the three narrative threads that run through each film.

In each film, a traffic collision becomes the pivotal event around which the

whole structure of the film revolves (Azcona Montoli 2009). Arriagas writing

strongly reflects Aronsons notion of fractured tandem as being primarily about

unexpected, often tragic, connections between apparently or initially very

disparate people, triggered by an accident or random event (2010a, pg. 180). It

seems the tragic nature of these accidental intersections is constructed in order

to increase the element of drama, and provide meaning to each protagonists

story by having the connecting incident change each of their lives in some

unprecedented way.

The third strategy for writing parallel narrative is to tie the characters together

by a circulating object (Bordwell 2006c, pg. 97). Circulating objects are usually

employed when plotlines are drastically isolated from one another. InBabel, for

example, a rifle loosely links the four stories. It is a connecting strategy that has

been represented also by a car in The Yellow Rolls Royce(1964), and a currency

note in Twenty Bucks(1993) (Bordwell 2006c, pg. 97). According to Bordwell, [c]


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irculating-object plots like Twenty Buckstend to create convergences by having

characters from one story return as walk-ons in others (2006c, pg. 98). Aronson

identifies the same characteristic in tandem narrative, whereby characters often

literally walk into and out of each others stories (although characters may not

always know each other when they pass) (2010a, pg. 185). A circulating object

is therefore an effective method of linking protagonists in ways both known andunbeknownst to them.

Theme and dramatic unity

One of the most important elements in any film script is theme. Cowgill believes,

however, that theme is perhaps even more essential in parallel narrative than

in conventional storytelling, arguing, the key ingredient in all great ensemble

films is dramatic unity the synthesis of thematic ideas and plot movement

which enables the screenwriter and filmmaker to interpret the lines of action

and construct the framework for the films plot (1999, pg. 124). When writing

a parallel narrative film, an overarching theme allows the writer to focus

the material and manage the information so that even as he breaks with the

more conventional story telling techniques (a sole protagonist, linear narrative

structure), he winds up with an intelligible, unified whole (Cowgill 1999, pg.

124). Linking each protagonist this way in some kind of shared experience is,

Cowgill argues, what enables the audience to understand a parallel narrative

films overall meaning (1999, pg. 125).

Cowgills words, although first published more than ten years ago, continue

to resonate today, and have become possibly more important in contemporary

Hollywood filmmaking than she may have anticipated. In todays developing

forms such as fractured tandem, theme is even more of a consideration than

in the more established, much older ensemble plots. Because the plotlines in

fractured tandem are frequently isolated from one another, the writer needs to

create a common denominator between the characters and their problems

(Cowgill 1999, pg. 125) so that the audience understands why these stories

have been chosen and how they relate. For the moment, stories in fractured

tandem films tend to have the same theme and subject matter, namely tragic

accidents or coincidental connections between strangers and chain reactions

(Aronson 2010a, pg. 382). What creates a sense of unity in these films is the

context in which such themes are explored. Each fractured tandem film I have

mentioned so far in this chapter looks at accidents and consequences in a


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different context; for example, in Crash, the context of race and racism, in Three

Burials, the context of loneliness, friendship and justice (Aronson 2010a, pg.

382). Arriaga too, who is obsessed with the impact of death on the living

(Aronson 2010a, pg. 379), draws parallels between his characters through their

experiences of death, which, in his work, is almost always the reason behind the

tragic ways they intersect.

In parallel narratives in which central figures do not physically intersect, writers

must use thematic relations in order to achieve unity and overall coherence.

When protagonists do not cross paths, thematic explorations rather than

causal links are most often used as a means of drawing parallels between the

separate story lines. Bordwell uses The Hoursas an example of how a uniform

theme, or themes, can create a sense of intimacy between isolated plot strands,

expressing The Hours(2002) undercuts three women in three eras (1921, 1951,

and 2001), and although slender causal connections among them are eventually

revealed, the dominant impression is of thematic parallels the temptation of

suicide and the difficulty of accepting life and love (2006c, pg. 94). Roger Ebert

similarly demonstrates howMagnolia, in which the array of main protagonists

are linked by blood, coincidence and by the way their lives seem parallel (Ebert

2000), rests heavily on the central ideas of the deaths of fathers, the resentments

of children, the failure of early promise, the way all plans and ambitions can be

undermined by sudden and astonishing events (2000). The main characters in

Magnoliado not need to physically encounter one another, and often dont, for

the audience to understand the connections they share, as these are exploredvia the films themes.

Suspense and surprise: the essential ingredients

According to Aronson, the most challenging aspects of writing a parallel

narrative film are a) the difficulty of maintaining suspense when jumping

between stories b) the need to create several very powerful and unusual stories

c) the pay off the final ending which will surprise yet seem absolutely fitting

(2010b). Cowgill similarly asserts that the main difficulties in writing such

narratives are how to focus the story and keep audience attention; how to

shift from one plot to another; and how to create a synthesis which holds all the

plotlines together (1999, pg. 124). According to Aronson, it is very much the

maintenance of suspense and the effective use of surprise in parallel narrative

that creates and fosters audience engagement. In a comment she posted on my


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student honours blog, she expresses that the use of these story elements are

crucial in preventing a script with several protagonists from deviating from its

main points of action, advising I be very careful to maintain suspense, indeed,

cold-bloodedly plot it in (2010b). In addition, Aronson consistently reiterates in

her discussions on parallel narrative that [s]urprises are the key (2010a, pg.

196) and that suspense is the magic ingredient (2010a, pg. 190) in maintainingaudience engagement.

Surprise is an important device in any good fi lm script, both conventional

and unconventional. According to Cowgill, [s]urprise is a key element of

successful screenwriting, as it plays a part in maintaining suspense (1997, pg.

107). Cowgill argues that surprise is required in order to keep the audiences

attention, and that if we are not surprised, the film will not hold us (1997,

pg. 107). Similarly, Paul Kooperman contends every story must surprise and

enlighten to keep an audience engaged and interested (2009, pg. 29). Cowgill

highlights that surprise is often achieved [w]hen a plot takes a sudden turn in

an unexpected direction [or] When a character behaves in a startling way or

does something seemingly explicable (1997, pg. 107). Surprise is therefore just

as crucial to more traditional forms of cinematic storytelling as it is to parallel

narrative.

Consecutive-stories film Pulp Fictionis an outstanding piece of writing because

it uses surprise as a means of maintaining pace (Aronson 2001, p. 199) and

ends climactically. It is through the device surprise thatPulp Fiction manages to

captivate audiences worldwide, despite sporting no distinct resolution. Aronson

explains the phenomenal popularity of this tradition-breaking film in her

statement that audiences seem to be seeking, effectively, a moral, even if that

moral is bizarrely surprising (as inPulp Fiction) (2001, p. 187).

Alongside surprise operates suspense, the key element in reducing

1 an exploration of parallel narrative - jasmine roth

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