Fictional film
Encyclopedia
Fictional film or narrative film is film that tells a fictional story or narrative
. Narrative cinema is usually contrasted to films that present information, such as a nature documentary
, as well as to some experimental film
s (works such as Wavelength
by Michael Snow
, Man with a Movie Camera
by Dziga Vertov
, or films by Chantal Akerman
). In some instances documentary films, while nonfiction, may nonetheless recount a story.
Unlike literary fiction, which is typically based on characters, situations and events that are entirely imaginary, cinema always has a real referent, called the "pro-filmic," which encompasses everything existing and done in front of the camera.
Since the emergence of classical Hollywood
style in the early 20th century, narrative, usually in the form of the feature film
, has held dominance in commercial cinema and has become popularly synonymous with "the movies." Classical, invisible filmmaking (what is often called realist
fiction) is central to this popular definition. This key element of this invisible filmmaking lies in continuity editing
. In this style, narrative and characters are foregrounded, helping the audience to lose themselves in the unfolding fiction.
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
. Narrative cinema is usually contrasted to films that present information, such as a nature documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, as well as to some experimental film
Experimental film
Experimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians...
s (works such as Wavelength
Wavelength (1966 film)
Wavelength is a forty-five minute film that made the reputation of Canadian experimental filmmaker and artist Michael Snow. Considered a landmark of avant-garde cinema, it was filmed over one week in December 1966 and edited in 1967 and is an example of what film theorist P...
by Michael Snow
Michael Snow
Michael Snow, CC is a Canadian artist working in painting, sculpture, video, films, photography, holography, drawing, books and music.-Life:...
, Man with a Movie Camera
Man with a Movie Camera
Man with a Movie Camera , sometimes called The Man with the Movie Camera, The Man with a Camera, The Man With the Kinocamera, or Living Russia is an experimental 1929 silent documentary film, with no story and no actors, by Russian director Dziga Vertov, edited by his wife Elizaveta...
by Dziga Vertov
Dziga Vertov
David Abelevich Kaufman , better known by his pseudonym Dziga Vertov , was a Soviet pioneer documentary film, newsreel director and cinema theorist...
, or films by Chantal Akerman
Chantal Akerman
Chantal Anne Akerman is a Belgian film director, artist, and professor of film at the European Graduate School. Akerman's best-known film, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles , exemplifies a dedication to the ellipses of conventional narrative cinema.-Early life:Akerman was born to...
). In some instances documentary films, while nonfiction, may nonetheless recount a story.
Unlike literary fiction, which is typically based on characters, situations and events that are entirely imaginary, cinema always has a real referent, called the "pro-filmic," which encompasses everything existing and done in front of the camera.
Since the emergence of classical Hollywood
Classical Hollywood cinema
Classical Hollywood cinema or the classical Hollywood narrative, are terms used in film history which designates both a visual and sound style for making motion pictures and a mode of production used in the American film industry between roughly the 1910s and the early 1960s.Classical style is...
style in the early 20th century, narrative, usually in the form of the feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
, has held dominance in commercial cinema and has become popularly synonymous with "the movies." Classical, invisible filmmaking (what is often called realist
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
fiction) is central to this popular definition. This key element of this invisible filmmaking lies in continuity editing
Continuity editing
Continuity editing is the predominant style of film editing and video editing in the post-production process of filmmaking of narrative films and television programs...
. In this style, narrative and characters are foregrounded, helping the audience to lose themselves in the unfolding fiction.