With the emergence of the Hollywood Blockbuster movie some people fear that the narrative is being ignored and the spectacle and special effects of the film are being considered the more important.
According to Buckland "narrative complexity is sacrificed on the altar of spectacle"
It is suggested that in a blockbuster film the narrative becomes thinner, the characters end up being one dimensional and stereotypical and the action is based around loosely linked sequences built around spectacular stunts, stars and special effects.
This is not necessarily true. The plot in a blockbuster may not be complex or challenging but it is not automatically absent from the film just because it has a lot of special effects in it.
The narrative integrity of the old classical Hollywood films is a thing of the past. There is a new kind of narrative which has been created through the use of special effects and action.
In order for a Hollywood film to make a lot of money it needs to be successful overseas as well as in the United States. This is done by making something that will transcend cultural differences. Hollywood studios will make a formulaic blockbuster which is full of spectacle which will be watched the same way all over the world. They will usually include a big star who is easily recognizable.
Blockbusters are concerned with creating an artificial real world that will get the viewers attention, The effects allow the viewer to get more into the film and into the diegetic world being shown on screen if they are realistic enough.
Blockbuster films are sold on their special effects rather than on their plot. People go to see blockbusters
Concerns over the loss of narrative integrity have been discussed during many different periods as Hollywood moves away from the...