Film Language Tag: narration
The telling of a story or description of a situation; the emotional, physical, or intellectual perspective through which the characters, events, and action of the plot are conveyed. In film, narration is most explicit when provided as asynchronous verbal commentary on the action or images, but it can also designate the storytelling function of the camera, the editing, and verbal and other soundtracks. Using David Bordwell on narration and film form as a guide, at Kinolab, when we are tagging for narration, we are looking for distinctive examples of how a film’s “style” (its specific and systematic uses of cinematic devices) works to construct the film’s plot. Often, this tag signals an interesting relationship between the film’s story and how it is presented in the film’s plot.
"From Her to Eternity", Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) finds Marion (Solveig Dommartin) at bar during a Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds concert.
"Why Am I Me and Not You?", Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) watches Marion (Solveig Dommartin) dance alone at a Crime & the City Solution concert.
A Friendship, Jules and Jim
Jules (Oskar Werner), an Austrian, and Jim (Henri Serre), a Frenchman, become fast friends in Paris.
A Robot That Can Love, A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Cybertronics presents the idea of a robot child that will have the capacity for love and dreaming.
A Trip to the Seashore, Jules and Jim
Jules (Oskar Werner), Jim (Henri Serre) and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) take a trip to the seashore, where Jules asks Catherine to marry him.
A Weird Dream, Wild Strawberries
Professor Isak Borg faces his own dead body in a nightmare.
An Epic of Peace, Wings of Desire
Cassiel (Otto Sander) follows Homer (Curt Bois) in the library and at the Berlin Wall.
Anna and Katerina, Eternity and a Day
Alexandre (Bruno Ganz) visits his daughter Katerina (Iris Chatziantoniou) and gives her letters from her mother Anna (Isabelle Renauld). Katerina reveals she has sold the old family home.
Austrian Immigration, The Dust of Time
A terrorist attack diverts A's (Willem Dafoe) plans in Berlin. Eleni (Irène Jacob) and Jacob (Bruno Ganz) cross the border into Austria on New Year's Eve 1973.
Bedtime For All Good Children, Frances Ha
Frances welcomes a drunk and distraught Sophie into her dorm room, and they talk about the recent trouble and secrets of their friendship.
Behind the World, Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) discuss their immortal existence and Damiel's desire to become human.
Bucharest, Ulysses' Gaze
A (Harvey Keitel) and Kali (Maia Morgenstern) arrive in Romania, and A addresses a woman as his mother (Mania Papadimitriou).
Buddy Deeds Ain't On Board, Lone Star
Mayor Hollins (Clifton James) tells the story of when Sheriff Charlie Wade (Kris Kristofferson) tried to get Buddy Deeds (Matthew McConaughey) into his business.
Call and Response (German-Language Version), Nosferatu the Vampyre
After discovering that Count Dracula (Klaus Kinski) is plaguing the town, Lucy (Isabelle Adjani) attempts to kill the vampire.
Catherine, Jules and Jim
Jules (Oskar Werner) and Jim (Henri Serre) meet a woman who looks similar to the smiling statue, Catherine (Jeanne Moreau).
Circus Alekan, Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) watches a trapeze artist named Marion (Solveig Dommartin), who learns her group Circus Alekan will be closing.
Closing Scene, Ready Player One
The High Five team inherit Halliday's stocks in Gregarious Games and get ownership of the OASIS.
Closing Sequence, Jules and Jim
Jim (Henri Serre) meets up with Jules (Oskar Werner) and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) for one last time.
Closing Sequence, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) presents her research on the Watermelon Woman (Lisa Marie Bronson).
Closing Sequence, Alphaville
Lemmy (Eddie Constantine) and Natacha (Anna Karina) escape Alphaville.
Closing Sequence, Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) lives with Marion (Solvieg Dommartin), and Cassiel (Otto Sander) watches over.
Closing Sequence, The Dust of Time
On New Year's Day 2000, Eleni (Irène Jacob) dies. Spyros (Michel Piccoli) and Eleni (Tiziana Pfiffner) look out of the window.
Compañero, Wings of Desire
Peter Falk (Peter Falk) senses Damiel's (Bruno Ganz) presence and offers his friendship.
Crossed Letters, Jules and Jim
When Jim (Henri Serre) and Catherine's (Jeanne Moreau) relationship sours after they fail to make a baby together, a letter correspondence complicates the matter.
Destroy Me, Hiroshima Mon Amour
He (Eiji Okada) asks her (Emmanuelle Riva) to stay in Hiroshima. They walk around the city.
Dime-Store Romance, Hiroshima Mon Amour
He (Eiji Okada) and her (Emmanuelle Riva) walk to the Hiroshima train station.
Eleni's Lost Letter, The Dust of Time
Eleni (Irène Jacob) and Spyros (Michel Piccoli) have an intimate encounter and are separated. Someone trashes A's (Willem Dafoe) hotel.
Ending Sequence: The Aftermath of Siras’ death, Aligarh
Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) has died overnight, and Deepu (Rajkummar Rao) comes to his apartment to see his dead body. Deepu runs away visibly upset. It ends with a flashback of Siras hearing a noise before he dies.
Equisapiens, Sorry to Bother You
Steve Lift, CEO of WorryFree, gives Cassius a proposition.
Eugene and Vincent, Gattaca
Vincent steals Eugene's identity to work at the Gattaca space corporation.
Extra People, Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) observe actor Peter Falk (Peter Falk) on a WWII-era film set.
Face-to-Face, Jules and Jim
During his stay at Jules (Oskar Werner) and Catherine's (Jeanne Moreau) chalet in the Rhineland, Jim (Henri Serre) finds himself drawn to Catherine as her marriage with Jules falls apart.
Faye Richards, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) discovers the Watermelon Woman (Lisa Marie Bronson)'s name.
Feelings Unspoken, Nostalgia
Andrei (Oleg Yankovsky) talks with a little girl named Angela.
Grow and Advance, Transcendence
Max speculates on Will's plans and ambitions.
Her Forgetting, Hiroshima Mon Amour
She (Emmanuelle Riva) tells him (Eiji Okada) about recovering from her German lover's (Bernard Fresson) death.
Hospital Hallucination, All That Jazz
Audrey, Katie, and Michelle are joined by women from Joe's past in a spectacular variety show that Joe imagines as he gets closer to death.
How Long Does Tomorrow Last?, Eternity and a Day
Alexandre (Bruno Ganz) revisits the empty family home and recalls Anna's (Isabelle Renauld) letter.
I Want You to Hit Me, Fight Club
Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) encourages The Narrator (Edward Norton) to stay over at his place. Once that's settled he asks him to hit him. The Narrator then gives us a backstory for Durden. It flashes back to the present and The Narrator hits Durden, starting the first fight of the movie and the beginning of fight club.
In-Yun, Past Lives
Nora (Greta Lee) meets and becomes close with Arthur (John Magaro). Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) moves to China.
June Walker, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) schedules a lunch with June Walker (Cheryl Clark).
Letters in the Wind, The Earrings of Madame de...
Donati (Vittorio De Sica) writes Louise (Danielle Darrieux) letters while she is on vacation.
Little League Coach Abuses Neil, Mysterious Skin
Recollecting a past trauma, Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt voicing, played by Chase Ellison in childhood flashback) recalls a time when, after a game, his little league coach (Bill Sage) flatters, plays with, and finally sexually abuses him.
Moraldo's Father Catches the Thieves, I Vitelloni
Over dinner, Moraldo's father (Enrico Viarisio) finds out that his son and son-in-law have stolen a statue. Through this outburst, Sandra (Leonora Ruffo) finds out an important secret about her husband.
Not That Kind of Woman, The Watermelon Woman
Cheryl (Cheryl Dunye) and Diana (Guinevere Turner) visit Martha Page's sister (Patricia Ellis).
Old Man River, Show Boat
Joe (Paul Robeson) sings about the Mississippi River.
Ontario Bar, The Dust of Time
A (Willem Dafoe) drives Spyros (Michel Piccoli) to an Ontario bar where he proposes to Eleni (Irène Jacob).
Opening Scene, Cheyenne Autumn
The opening sequence of the film, narrated by James Stewart, depicts life on the Cheyenne reservation in 1964.
Opening Sequence, The Seventh Seal
After returning from the Crusades, Antonious Block (Max von Sydow) begins a game of chess with Death (Bengt Ekerot).
Opening Sequence, The Red Ball Express
The narrator opens the film with a description of the state of the war in France during WW2.
Opening Sequence, In the Heights
Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) introduces el barrio.
Opening Sequence, Chungking Express
He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is struggling with a breakup when he first bumps into a woman in a blonde wig.
Opening Sequence, The Weeping Meadow
A group of Greek refugees from Bolshevik-run Odessa, led by Spyros (Vasilis Kolovos), settle near a river.
Opening Sequence , The Dust of Time
In 1999 A (Willem Dafoe) receives a call at Cinecetta Studios. In 1953 Eleni (Irène Jacob) and Jacob (Bruno Ganz) watch a newsreel in Temirtau.
Opening Sequence 1, Ghost in the Shell
Major Motoko Kusanagi (Atsuko Tanaka) assassinates a political target.
Papal Election, We Have a Pope
At the Papal Conclave, the cardinals gather and begin the Papal selection process. Slowly, we are shown various cardinals struggling with their decisions; some are peeking at their neighbors' votes, while others begin fidgeting uncontrollably. Eventually, the restless cardinals begin clicking their pens in anticipation, suggesting that they are eager to proceed. However, various cardinals begin chanting "Lord, not me" and demonstrate the anxiety associated with the papacy.
Post Internet, Transcendence
Max Waters reminisces about his friends Will and Evelyn Caster in a post-internet world.
Pure Observer, Wings of Desire
Cassiel (Otto Sander) leaves Homer (Curt Bois) and finds a young man (Sigurd Rachman) about to commit suicide.
Sam Cooke's Boston Performance, One Night in Miami...
Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Anir) recounts the story of Sam Cooke's (Leslie Odom Jr.) performance for an angry crowd in Boston.
Siberia 1956, The Dust of Time
In 1956, Eleni (Irène Jacob) sends off her son on train from Siberia to Moscow. Jacob (Bruno Ganz) is sought by an organ specialist (Ivan Nemtsev).
The Besieged Free, Eternity and a Day
Alexandre (Bruno Ganz) tells the boy (Achileas Skevis) about the poet Dionysios Solomos (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) and his poem "The Besieged Free."
The Bully in the Cage, Dogman
Marcello tricks his bully, Simone, by putting him in a cage. When Simone realizes that he tricked him, he becomes out of control like a dog.
The Cellar and the Tea Room, Hiroshima Mon Amour
At a tea room, he (Eiji Okada) learns about the aftermath of her (Emmanuelle Riva) love affair spent locked by her parents (Pierre Barbaud, Stella Dassas) in a cellar.
The Drive West (Closing Sequence), 25th Hour
Monty (Edward Norton) is driven by his father (Brian Cox) to prison. His father gives Monty a vision of a future where he avoids imprisonment.
The End of Our Cinema, Ulysses' Gaze
A (Harvey Keitel) visits Monastir, where the Manaki brothers set up their first cinema.
The Heavens Over Berlin (Opening Sequence), Wings of Desire
Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander), two angels, observe the lives and listen to the thoughts of Berliners.
The Right Kind of Man, Nostalgia
Eugenia (Domiziana Giordano) grows frustrated with Andrei (Oleg Yankovsky) for not becoming intimate with her.
The Smile of a Statue, Jules and Jim
Jules (Oskar Werner) and Jim (Henri Serre) become entranced by a staue of a smiling woman shown to them by a friend, Albert (Serge Rezvani).
The Source of the River (Closing Sequence), The Weeping Meadow
Eleni (Alexandra Aidini) finds Yorgis' body in the remnants of Spyros' (Vasilis Kolovos) house in New Odessa.
The Three Lunatics, Jules and Jim
Jim (Henri Serre) moves into the chalet officially as Catherine's (Jeanne Moreau) lover with Jules' (Oskar Werner) blessing, and the three live happily for a while.
The War, Jules and Jim
Shortly after Jules (Oskar Werner) and Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) get married, Jules and Jim (Henri Serre) are sent to serve during the Great War on opposing sides.
This is America?, The Weeping Meadow
Eleni (Alexandra Aidini) and the twins say goodbye to Alexis (Nikos Poursanidis) as he joins Markos to play in America.
Tower of Babel, Metropolis
Maria tells the story of the Tower of Babel.
Vincent Bests Anton, Gattaca
Vincent plays chicken with his genetically superior brother.
Vincent Makes His Flight, Gattaca
Vincent gets help from Dr. Lamar and Eugene finishes his journey.
Voices of the Gods, In the Heights
Vanessa (Melissa Barrera) shows Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) her work and Usnavi decides to stay in Washington Heights.
Wade Explains the OASIS, Ready Player One
Wade, in voiceover, explains how the virtual world of the OASIS works.
Wakanda Origins, Black Panther
N'Jobu tells his son about their homeland, Wakanda. Later, N'Jobu is confronted by T'Chaka for giving information on Wakanda to arms dealer Ulysses Klaue.
What's Past is Prologue, Daughters of the Dust
Mary (Barbara O. Jones) and Viola (Cheryl Lynn Bruce) Peazant travel home to Ibo Landing in anticipation of the family moving North.
Where's the Opportunity?, Contagion
Blogger Alan Krumwiede consults a hedge fund manager about Forsythia, the supplement he believes is a miracle cure.
Yesterday They Were Still Here, Eternity and a Day
Alexandre (Bruno Ganz) goes to the hospital to see his mother (Despina Bebedelli).