A Reality in Question: Negotiating Realism and Storyworld Construction in James Ward Byrkit's Coherence
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Date
2015
Authors
Leinonen, Valtteri
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This paper examines how the film Coherence (2013), directed by James Ward Byrkit,
challenges foundational conceptions of its diegetic reality as held by the film’s viewer.
The discussion centers around a cognitive narratological analysis of the events that help
define the storyworld constructed for the film. Included in the analysis is consideration
of Coherence’s realist aesthetic which is used as a contrasting plane to the film’s
unfurling science-fiction premise of parallel universes. It is posited that realism is a mode
which can be applied in a variety of ways, regardless of a film’s genre, subject matter,
or sociopolitical motivation. In Coherence’s case, the mode is used to complicate
storyworld construction for the viewer and thus engage him/her more closely in the
viewing experience. The paper’s principal contention involves cognitive frame systems
which the viewer uses to process Coherence’s diegetic reality. By negotiating opposing
theories of Manfred Jahn and Marina Grishakova, the paper argues for a frame system
which is defined by a single primary frame, allows multiple conflicting frames, and is
generally respectful of the comprehension needs of a narrative. Agreement in frame
systems and the basics of narrative comprehension, it is concluded, grounds
interpretation and discussion of film altogether in a necessary way.
Description
16 pages
Keywords
James Ward Byrkit, Framing, Coherence (2013), Realism, Film analysis