Narrative Theory - Opening/Final scene of Stay Alive

 Narrative Theory 

Opening scene of Stay Alive

 Propp 

Loomis Crowley (Victim) - A young man with black hair and big glasses who looks terrified and freaked out through out.

Couple (Friends) - A couple who are friends with Loomis. They don't survive long enough in the film to talk about, there only purpose is to die. 

Hutch ( Main character/Hero) - Man with light hair and  not in the scene long enough but he's chilled out  

Elizabeth Bathory (Villain) -  Scary pale face, pitch black eyes with a bright red dress spotted in the game and also in reality. 

Barthes

There is a puzzle at the start of the film. It makes you think, what has the game got to do with the film? Why is he playing it? 

The audience soon find out the characters in the film are living the game. 

In the game

In reality

Throughout the film you realise the characters are dying the same way they die in the game which means if 'you die in the game you die for real'.

Establishing Mood

The mood is established through the dark colours and creepy music followed by the deserted location and the gloomy weather. There is a slightly surreal feeling because the opening is a computer generated game. There is dramatic sound in the beginning and also sounds of footsteps in a quiet place which makes it more thrilling.

Loomis the gamer has played and died in the game, you can tell he is quite terrified as he gulps and stares at the computer screen, well he should be because he is about to become the first victim to be killed the exact way in the game.

It is completely dark in the house with loud sounds of thunder and the bright flashes of lightning through the window it makes the scene more intense and dramatic. The creepy sound used throughout is the vibration of the game console which is only played when Elizabeth Bathory is near.

Credits/Event signifiers

Stay Alive implies that people are going to be struggling to do just that. 

Pace

The pace of the beginning is edited and shot extremely well, as it is computer generated and then goes back straight to reality. This way you know when your in the game or when it's actually happening. The editing includes some quick cuts for example when the player in the game is trying to escape the house, and some slower pace sections when Loomis is slowly moving around the house while he's scared.

The Final Scene

Propp

Elizabeth Bathory (Villain) - Her extremely pale/white face and pitch black eyes are clearly spotted while she is on fire as she hits the floor and burns to ashes.

Main character/Hero (Hutch) - A terrified angry man who is shown as a a little boy constantly crying and screaming with anger as this reminds him of a bad childhood memory when he's mother was also burnt in a fire.

Abigail (Girlfriend/Helper) - Pretty girl with messy blonde hair reaching out to help Hutch while she is injured and petrified.

Swink - His bright blue eyes which stand out through the blazing fire also covered in dust and ash as he kicks the door open and also reaches out to help Hutch .

Game seller - Man with scruffy brown hair and painted nails looks very interested and excited to launch and play the game in his store.

Todorov

In the closing scene of Stay Alive Hutch finally finds Elizabeth Bathory in the tower and sets the whole room on fire. Elizabeth catches fire and burns while Hutch and his two friends Abigail & Swink pull him out the tower and escape the mausoleum. 

In the very last scene the computer game Stay Alive has been launched in a game store as the seller himself begins to play the game. This means he and anybody else who purchases and plays the game are on the road to death.

Barthes

The puzzles are resolved as the villain is found in the actual tower/mausoleum from the game and she dies as she is burned to death. There is also a very good action sequence involved here which symbolises evil being consumed by the powerful element of fire. It also symbolises the power of friendship.

Levi - Strauss

In the opening scene oppositions are established. A fight between good and evil, real and the unreal, life and death. For example Loomis is a normal guy doing he's thing but he is killed by an evil woman.