When reading Bordwell about Narration and their relation to Time and Space i kept wondering, what was it about these readings that made them so dull? I realised that i was taking apart a film in such a way that the pieces ceased to make sense. I think here in college I am very aware of both, they play an important role in my life because i have to constantly be hopping from one building to another keeping my appointments, class, etc. For me screentime, syuzhet, and fabula are all one chimera and i don’t want it any other way.

What i was left thinking about after the (very slow) read is that fabula and syuzhet are like mushrooms (magic ones) and orange juice in your stomach; your stomach is time itself, fabula would be the mushrooms (of course), and finally syuzhet would be the orange juice. The toxins in mushrooms are a natural adaptation to being eaten. It’s basically poison that teaches an animal to not eat the mushroom again, but I’m using this whole allegory for the visuals.

The orange juice’s citric acid  (we’ll call them the formal elements used to tell the tale) is tantamount to the body. The liver must breakdown and flush this out and so the effect of the mushrooms lasts longer because the body is busy breaking down the acid and hence your trip is longer. Why am i going on about this? because all his categories on Duration make sense except when the fabula is shorter than the syuzhet. Yes, yes, i did read the essay but he uses the example of battleship potemkin’s plate-breaking. But this section is a drop in the ocean that Potemkin floats in. I understand syuzhet to be only part of the ‘true story’ so i can’t really wrap my head around this particular instance.

xoxo waylon