Cormac McCarthy’s "No Country for Old Men": Narrative Elements in Film and Novel

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Literature review
  • Cormac McCarthy and the Coen brothers
  • Screen adaptation
  • Narratalogy: overview
  • Relationship of film and literary narrative
  • Time-space narrative
  • The western genre in text and film
• Film adaptation – re-imagining a literary narrative
  • Intertextuality
  • Fidelity of film adaptation
• Literary and film narrative as a macrostructure
  • Narration and a narrator
    • Narration in literature
    • Narration in film
• Narrative perspective
  • Focalization in literary narrative
  • Focalization in film narrative
• Time-space narrative in literature and cinema
  • Visual regime and narrative rhythm
  • On the frontiers of mise-en-scène
• History and conventions of the western genre
  • Iconographic elements of the western
  • Gender roles in the western genre
• Adaptation of the film No Country for Old Men
  • Transfer of the intertexts
  • Fidelity to the source text
• Narrative construction in No Country for Old Men – the novel and the film
  • The narration and the narrators
  • The narrative perspective and the characters
• The instance of focalization in No Country for Old Men
  • Focalization in the novel
  • Focalization in the film
• Narrative time and space in No Country for Old Men
  • Mise-en-scène at work
  • Visual regime in the film
• Genre and gender in No Country for Old Men
  • The iconographic elements of the genre
  • Gender roles in the genre

Objectives and Key Themes

This master's thesis compares the narrative structures of Cormac McCarthy's novel "No Country for Old Men" and the Coen brothers' film adaptation. The objective is to identify similarities and differences, highlighting the film's inventive departures from the source material. The study utilizes narratological concepts to analyze narrative perspective, time, space, and genre conventions.

• Comparison of narrative techniques in novel and film adaptation.
• Analysis of the film's creative liberties and deviations from the source text.
• Examination of narrative perspective and focalization in both mediums.
• Exploration of the representation of time and space in the novel and film.
• Discussion of the western genre's conventions and their adaptation in the film.

Chapter Summaries

Introduction: This chapter introduces the master's thesis, outlining its focus on comparing the narrative elements of Cormac McCarthy's novel "No Country for Old Men" and its film adaptation. It states the thesis's purpose: to highlight the significant differences in inventiveness and storytelling style between the two versions, and establishes the theoretical framework based on narratology. The introduction sets the stage for a detailed analysis, previewing the key concepts and methodologies employed throughout the study.

Literature review: This chapter provides a comprehensive review of relevant literature, covering Cormac McCarthy's work and the Coen brothers' filmography, film adaptation theory, narratology (including the concept of narrative, time, space, Bakhtin's chronotope, narrative perspective, and focalization), and the western genre's characteristics in both literature and film. It lays the groundwork for the subsequent chapters by establishing a firm theoretical foundation for analyzing the narrative elements in "No Country for Old Men". This section serves as a crucial contextualization for the comparative analysis that follows.

Film adaptation – re-imagining a literary narrative: This chapter delves into the complexities of film adaptation, exploring concepts of intertextuality and fidelity. It examines how the film version of "No Country for Old Men" engages with and departs from the source material. The discussion likely analyzes choices made by the filmmakers concerning plot points, character development, and thematic emphasis, assessing how closely the adaptation mirrors the novel and how these choices contribute to the overall effect of the film. It's likely to involve close reading of both the novel and the film.

Literary and film narrative as a macrostructure: This chapter focuses on the overarching narrative structures of both the novel and the film. It examines the different techniques employed by McCarthy in the novel and the Coen brothers in the film to construct and present their narratives. This involves detailed analyses of narration, the role of narrators (if present), and how narrative choices shape the reader/viewer's experience. The chapter aims to highlight the distinct styles of storytelling employed in both mediums.

Narrative perspective: This section focuses on the narrative perspectives in the novel and the film adaptation, specifically examining the concept of focalization. It explains how the point of view is managed differently, influencing the audience’s understanding of the story, characters' actions, and overall themes. The comparison will likely analyze shifts in focalization between the two versions and discuss how these shifts shape the narrative and influence interpretations.

Time-space narrative in literature and cinema: This chapter analyzes the construction of time and space in both the novel and film. It explores how the authors manipulate these elements to achieve different narrative effects and consider the influence of visual techniques in the film to enhance temporal and spatial experiences compared to the more descriptive approach of the novel. It is expected to use concepts like Bakhtin's chronotope to illustrate the relationship between time and space in shaping the narrative.

History and conventions of the western genre: This chapter explores the historical context and conventions of the Western genre, investigating its common iconographic elements and gender roles. It analyzes how these aspects are presented in the novel and the film, highlighting similarities and differences in their use and subversion of genre tropes. It is likely to discuss how the adaptation chooses to engage with or deviate from the established Western conventions.

Adaptation of the film No Country for Old Men: This chapter directly addresses the adaptation process, exploring how intertexts are transferred between the novel and the film and examining the degree of fidelity to the source text. It analyzes the filmmakers’ decisions regarding which aspects of the novel to emphasize, adapt, or omit. It will likely discuss the challenges and choices faced in transferring a novel's nuances to a cinematic medium.

Narrative construction in No Country for Old Men – the novel and the film: This chapter offers a detailed comparison of the narrative construction in both versions of the story, examining the narration and the role of narrators in shaping the narrative and analyzing how narrative perspective and character development differ in the novel and film. It's likely to focus on the choices made by McCarthy and the Coens to convey information and create specific effects on their respective audiences.

The instance of focalization in No Country for Old Men: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of focalization in both the novel and film, comparing how the point of view and perspective are managed. It discusses how this difference shapes the audience's understanding of the narrative, characters' actions and motivations, and overall thematic interpretations.

Narrative time and space in No Country for Old Men: This chapter focuses on how time and space are represented in both versions of the story. It explores how the authors use cinematic techniques and narrative devices to create a sense of time and place and how these choices impact the narrative and audience experience. It is likely to look at the use of mise-en-scène in the film and comparable techniques in the novel.

Genre and gender in No Country for Old Men: This chapter examines the genre and gender aspects in both the novel and film. It discusses how the Western genre conventions are used and/or subverted and analyzes the representation of gender roles in the story and how these elements might differ between the novel and the film.

Keywords

Narrative, time, space, Bakhtin's chronotope, focalization, narrative perspective, film adaptation, Western genre, Cormac McCarthy, Coen brothers, No Country for Old Men.

No Country for Old Men: A Comparative Analysis of Novel and Film - FAQ

What is the main focus of this master's thesis?

This master's thesis compares the narrative structures of Cormac McCarthy's novel "No Country for Old Men" and the Coen brothers' film adaptation. The objective is to identify similarities and differences, highlighting the film's inventive departures from the source material.

What theoretical framework is used in this analysis?

The study utilizes narratological concepts to analyze narrative perspective, time, space, and genre conventions. Key concepts include Bakhtin's chronotope, focalization, and narrative perspective.

What are the key themes explored in the thesis?

Key themes include a comparison of narrative techniques in the novel and film, an analysis of the film's creative liberties, an examination of narrative perspective and focalization, an exploration of the representation of time and space, and a discussion of the western genre's conventions and their adaptation in the film.

What topics are covered in the literature review?

The literature review covers Cormac McCarthy's work and the Coen brothers' filmography, film adaptation theory, narratology (including the concept of narrative, time, space, Bakhtin's chronotope, narrative perspective, and focalization), and the western genre's characteristics in both literature and film.

How does the thesis approach the concept of film adaptation?

The thesis explores the complexities of film adaptation, examining concepts of intertextuality and fidelity. It analyzes how the film version engages with and departs from the source material, considering plot points, character development, and thematic emphasis.

How are the macrostructures of the novel and film narratives compared?

The thesis examines the overarching narrative structures, focusing on narration, the role of narrators, and how narrative choices shape the reader/viewer's experience. It highlights the distinct styles of storytelling employed in both mediums.

What is the analysis of narrative perspective and focalization?

The analysis focuses on the narrative perspectives in the novel and film, examining focalization and how point of view influences the audience's understanding of the story. It compares shifts in focalization and their impact on narrative and interpretation.

How are time and space analyzed in the novel and film?

The thesis analyzes the construction of time and space, exploring how the authors manipulate these elements to achieve different narrative effects. It considers the influence of visual techniques in the film and the novel's descriptive approach.

How does the thesis address the Western genre?

The thesis explores the historical context and conventions of the Western genre, investigating its iconographic elements and gender roles. It analyzes how these aspects are presented in the novel and film, highlighting similarities and differences.

What aspects of the film adaptation are specifically examined?

The thesis examines how intertexts are transferred between the novel and the film and assesses the degree of fidelity to the source text. It analyzes the filmmakers' decisions regarding emphasis, adaptation, or omission of novel aspects.

How are narrative construction, focalization, time, and space compared in detail?

The thesis offers detailed comparisons of narrative construction, including narration, narrators, narrative perspective, and character development. It provides in-depth analyses of focalization, and how time and space are represented using cinematic techniques and narrative devices.

How are genre and gender explored in the context of "No Country for Old Men"?

The thesis examines the use and subversion of Western genre conventions and analyzes the representation of gender roles in both the novel and film, highlighting any differences in their portrayal.

What are the keywords associated with this thesis?

Keywords include Narrative, time, space, Bakhtin's chronotope, focalization, narrative perspective, film adaptation, Western genre, Cormac McCarthy, Coen brothers, No Country for Old Men.