ANALYSIS OF NARRATIVE STRUCTURES IN THAI AND CHINESE TEEN MOVIES

Abstract

        This research aimed to analyze the narrative techniques of Thai and Chinese movies depicting teenagers’ life. The research focused on six movies including First Love, Suddenly Twenty, Bad Genius, You Are the Apple of My Eye, Miss Granny, and The Ark of Mr. Chow. The movies were analyzed based on theories of teen movies and narration.   

        The results revealed that 1) all the movies embraced the three-act structure with the five-act structure: the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. 2) All the movies shared the themes of teenagers’ life. 3) The research found two character types: round and flat. 4) The movies had three conflict types: character vs. character, character vs. self, and character vs. society. 5) Most of the scenes depicted characters’ life mainly in urban cities and in different periods based on the stories of the movies. 6) First-person and third-person points of view were mostly found.    

        Both Thai and Chinese movies shared some similarities. 1) Both Thai and Chines movies had the three-act structure. 2) Both shared the themes of teenagers ’dreams and life. 3) Female characters in both Thai and Chinese movies were high schoolers. 4) Most scenes were houses and schools. 5) The frequently found conflict type was character vs. character. 6) First-person and third-person points of view were mostly found.     

        Thai and Chinese movies were different in some aspects.1) The Chinese movies presented a variety of plots which were simpler and less complicated than Thai movies. 2) The themes of both groups were influenced by their cultures. 3) The Chinese movies put more emphasis on the changing moods and emotions of the characters while The Thai movies did more on characters’ personalities. 4) The Chinese movies mainly presented conflicts in families, especially between parents and children, which were not found in the Thai movies. 5) In Thai movies, big cities, e.g. Bangkok, were used as the scenes while the Chinese ones had more varieties. 6) The point of view from male characters was mainly used in Thai movies while the Chinese movies focused mainly on female characters’ point of view.