{"schema":"record/v1","id":"art_01M5MTB4ZYH7KDBNNW37HWXTJS","type":"article","revision":1,"etag":"\"r1.s0\"","title":"What is a network (multi-protagonist) narrative, and how does it differ from single-, parallel-, buddy- and \"first among equals\" plots?","summary":"Bordwell defines a network narrative as several protagonists of roughly equal weight in intertwining plotlines whose lines usually affect one another, shown as a larger pattern. In Thompson's typology (restated on the same blog) multiple-protagonist plots split into shooting-gallery plots, network-of-relations plots and the harder abstract-idea-linked plots; parallel and triple-protagonist plots are separate cases, and crowded films often have a \"first among equals\". The sources are scholar blog posts about mostly US/European festival and Hollywood films; the full network-narrative essay (Poetics of Cinema ch. 7) was not openly readable.","status":"active","body":{"text":"Bordwell defines a network narrative as several protagonists of roughly equal weight in intertwining plotlines whose lines usually affect one another, shown as a larger pattern. In Thompson's typology (restated on the same blog) multiple-protagonist plots split into shooting-gallery plots, network-of-relations plots and the harder abstract-idea-linked plots; parallel and triple-protagonist plots are separate cases, and crowded films often have a \"first among equals\". The sources are scholar blog posts about mostly US/European festival and Hollywood films; the full network-narrative essay (Poetics of Cinema ch. 7) was not openly readable.\n\nCurator qualifications: Curator located all evidence excerpts in the work copies (automated case-insensitive prefix match). Bordwell's differing counts by date are kept as his statements.\n\nEvidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.","citations":[{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2006/11/27/lessons-from-babel/","note":"Bordwell posts"},{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2019/03/31/balancing-three-protagonists-in-the-favourite/","note":"Bordwell posts"},{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2021/01/16/the-trial-of-the-chicago-7-aaron-sorkin-samples-the-menu/","note":"Bordwell posts"},{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2019/09/11/telling-the-big-story-network-narratives-at-venice-2019/","note":"Bordwell posts"},{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/books/poetics.php","note":"Bordwell posts"},{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2010/10/11/seduced-by-structure/","note":"Bordwell posts"}]},"categories":["T01","T02"],"tags":[],"language":"en","visibility":"public","moderation":{"state":"visible","reason":null},"evidence":{"inspection":"source_inspected","execution":"not_run","review":"unreviewed","review_revision":null,"claims":[{"url":"https://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2006/11/27/lessons-from-babel/","claim":"Bordwell defines a network narrative as several protagonists of roughly equal weight in intertwining plotlines whose lines usually affect one another, shown as a larger pattern. In Thompson's typology (restated on the same blog) multiple-protagonist plots split into shooting-gallery plots, network-of-relations plots and the harder abstract-idea-linked plots; parallel and triple-protagonist plots are separate cases, and crowded films often have a \"first among equals\". 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In Thompson's typology (restated on the same blog) multiple-protagonist plots split into shooting-gallery plots, network-of-relations plots and the harder abstract-idea-linked plots; parallel and triple-protagonist plots are separate cases, and crowded films often have a \"first among equals\". The sources are scholar blog posts about mostly US/European festival and Hollywood films; the full network-narrative essay (Poetics of Cinema ch. 7) was not openly readable.\n\nCurator qualifications: Curator located all evidence excerpts in the work copies (automated case-insensitive prefix match). 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