Narrative Theory in relation to 'The Crazies'

1. Does 'The Crazies' follow the CHN? Why or why not?

In my opinion, I do not believe that 'The Crazies' follows the standard CHN (Classical Hollywood Narrative). The reason why I think this is because of how it never technically reaches the third structure which most narrative stories follow e.g. when equilibrium is restored after the resolution of the disruption. This refers to how, despite two of the main characters surviving the nuking of Ogden Marsh, it later reveals that a military satellite is watching them and the city they are heading for, hinting that Cedar Rapids will soon suffer the same fate. Because of this, the disruption is never truly resolved and has only been postponed until the next "Containment Protocol".



2. How many of Propp's character types can be identified in the film?

'The Crazies' features a few different examples of Propp's character types which can be very easy to spot. First, the character David Dutton falls under the category of the Hero due to his role as the protector of the survivors. This role is even relevant to his career as the local Sheriff, to help and protect the citizens in his care. His wife Judy would come under the category of the Princess. This is due to the fact that she is revealed later on to be pregnant, making her one of the main reasons why David has to escape Ogden Marsh alive. The character of Russell however tends to switch back and forth between character types because of his infection near the end of the film. In the beginning he was seen as the Helper, assisting David as he tried to rescue Judy. But after his infection, he slowly became more demented and angry, becoming more of a sub-villain in the film. However, he proves himself to be a Helper again during the last moments of the film by distracting the soldiers so David and Judy could escape.

3. List five examples of binary oppositions in the film and explain them briefly.

1. Good/Evil: The overall theme of the film is the battle between good and evil, based around the main characters and their struggle to escape their infected community.

2. War/Peace: This pair of binary opposites can be related to the fact that the main cause of the outbreak was a biological weapon created by the Government. And it ironically relates to how a nation trying to create peace is being destroyed by a weapon they themselves created.

3. Life/Death: An obvious pair of opposites which can be applied to a majority of horror films. This can related to how the community is now a literal war zone and people have to do whatever it takes to survive. This can also relate to how the military are willing to destroy an entire town in an attempt to stop the outbreak, showing how they are capable of murdering hundreds of people.

4. Reason /Insanity: This can be applied to the film mostly due to the effects of the "biological weapon" released into the water supply of Ogden Marsh. This can also be applied to Russell and how he fights back against the virus long enough to hold on to his sanity and assist David in his escape.

5. Order/Anarchy: As I mentioned earlier with Life/Death, it shows how the military are willing to do anything to keep order and cover up the mess they made in the first place. They will even abandon patients to avoid getting attacked themselves.

4. Identify the three 'durations' and give an estimate of the time each duration covers.

1. Screen Duration: 92 Minutes = The time the film takes to show.

2. Plot Duration: Over 4 days = The length of time the plot covers.

3. Story Duration: 4 days+ = The length of time the story covers (including all the inferred events we bring to it e.g. the mid-credits scene).

5. Give two examples of events that cause later events in the film but which occur before the film 'starts'.

1. The Plane Crash: The significant event which causes the eventual infection of Ogden Marsh. It is because of the "biological weapon" stored on board that the water supply gets infected, causing the town's residents to become hostile and much more aggressive.

2. The Pilot landing in the swamp: If it had not been for the discovery of the pilot's body, David and Russell would not have gone out into the swamp and they would not have found the plane which caused the outbreak.

6. List two events from the 92 minute film that happen in a different time and space to the one we are shown.

1. The nuking of Ogden Marsh: The event which was supposed to officially end the outbreak. Despite this event causing David and Judy’s truck to crash, the explosion in question happens far away with announcements being made about the countdown being heard over the radio they took from a dead soldier.

2. The attempted Containment of Cedar Rapids: As I mentioned earlier, a mid-credits scene depicts a new report of the explosion which destroyed Ogden Marsh, with the screen occasionally cutting to scenes of destruction and soldiers. But it eventually ends with the face of an infected individual appearing behind a pane of glass as the reports cuts to ‘Signal Lost’. This strongly hints the Containment has failed and that a larger population has now succumbed to the effects of the “chemical weapon”.