Les Revenants - initial discussion 2024

Key terms related to narrative

• Linear narrative - a sequence of events in chronological order
• Ellipsis - is where events are left out for narrative impact
• Non-linear narrative - a sequence of events in non-chronological order
• Cyclical narrative - where a narrative loops, starting and ending at the same point
• Flexi-narrative - a series of intertwining narratives
• Equilibria - states of balance
• Character arcs - a character’s individual narrative, often sustained over multiple episodes, and driven by desires and motivations
• Hermeneutics - mysteries, questions posed by media language

 Les Revenants - initial discussion

• Les Revenants - the name of the show! Please refer to it as this or Les Revs.
• The majority of the first episode of Les Revs is a linear narrative. However ultimately it is non-linear, with an extensive and confusing flashback at the end.
• A cyclical narrative - the start and the end are the same scene. The final shot of the bus swerving to avoid Victor constructs a complex hermeneutic code
• Entirely based on hermeneutics and often confusing codes. Mr Costa murdering his wife, the bartender being stabbed in the subway, the twin thing, and how and why have these people come back to life?
• Clearly belongs to the horror genre with a number of paradigmatic features.Creepy children, the overall aesthetic of dark gloomy depression, the cliched soundtrack, screaming and terror. However ,the utilisation of these conventions is highly unconventional. 
• Big themes : mourning, death, grief and the inevitability of death. Some reactions to grief include, screaming and crying, disbelief and panic, terror and hatred, and mental instability 
• Shocking scenes and silence. The stabbing in the underpass is very violent. It is reminiscent of The French New Extreme. Films such as Irreversible, Inside, Martyrs, Raw, Switchblade Romance etc. Very stylish, very violent French films. 
• Very little of the narrative makes sense at this point in the proceedings. Certain plot points are deliberately hidden then revealed by a twist/hermeneutic code. However the final sequence introduces lts more confusing hermeneutic codes, and ends on a literal cliffhanger
• Victor as a symbolic code. Perhaps he symbolises revenge, threat, horror
• The butterfly could be symbolic of coming back to life, new beginnings, death and rebirth 
• The setting is modern, peaceful, beautiful. The French Alps setting is highly unconventional. The show was partly funded by the French Alps tourist board
• The narrative of Les Revs is extremely confusing and complicated, however it forms both a non-linear and cyclical narrative
• A flexi narrative, that sees many stories wrapping around each other, or not.
• Certain scenes repeat, most notably the coach crash ant the beginning and the end. However, the ending asks far more questions than it answers. The final shot of the coach swerving to avoid victor is a profound hermeneutic code, that positions the audience to actively figure out the mystery. 
• The motif of the butterfly presents a profound element of MES to the target audience, as it symbolises reincarnation. While the narrative is extremely unclear, with no character ever explaining explicitly what is going on, there are a number of symbols which help explain the narrative to the audience. However, this is highly unconventional 
• One hermeneutic mystery which may position the audience in different ways is the confusing ‘rules’ about returning. Why does only Camille return? Why not anyone else? What is the twin thing all about!? 
• A show about grief and moving on from loss, and death. In life, death is one of the few certainties. However, in Les Revs, this certainty is removes. The reactions to the returned are confusing to the audience - Claire is shocked and horrified by Camille’s return, Lena screams at Camille, Adele screaming at Simon, and Mr Costa killing and burning his wife to death. 
• Addresses different ways of grieving. Moving on, coming to terms with death. 
• Genre conventions - psychological horror, zombie horror 
• Aesthetic - the look and feel of the show: Colour grading: bleak, dull, and high contrast . The colours selected are dull and bleak, constructing a bleak and hostile vibe. However, the setting is quaint, small town, with lots of shots the French Alps