The non-linear narrative trajectories : a theoretical model

Bibliogr. s. 101

The article presents the concept of the non-linear narrative trajectory in the feature film, discussed by the Hungarian film historian András Bálint Kovács. The author describes it in the context of the specific narrative practice of European modernist films of the 60s and the 70s, proposing an alternative approach to the traditional narratological works which treat non-linearity as a result of non-continuous chronological order. Contrary to this tradition, Kovács emphasizes the question of the cause-and-effect relationships, rather than the chronology of the film itself. The author illustrates the concept with appropriate film examples and juxtapose sit with the views of American scholars, David Bordwell and Edward Branigan, who constructed the model of classical narrative and narrative structure, which serves as a reference to Kovács's theory.