So the FTC group presentation on Wednesday got me thinking about the different types and functions of voiceover narration. There is a huge difference between the type of voiceover in the beginning of Little Women and the type used in Amelie. There seem to be two basic types of voiceover narration: narration by a character in the film itself and narration by an anonymous outside person. (Much like first-person vs. third-person narration in a novel.) So far so good. But what about function? Voiceovers can be used for any (or all) of these things:
-exposition/establish setting
-imparting information that wouldn’t otherwise be apparent
-plot advancement
-passage of time
-details about characters
There are other possible functions, of course, and filmmakers are constantly inventing new ones. I mentioned Amelie earlier, but the function of the voiceover narration in Amelie is actually extremely unconventional. Personal information about the characters, their habits, and even their thoughts is relayed to the audience through the narration. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another film that’s used narration in quite this way. And this is just one example of an unusual application of voiceover narration, but it obviously has remarkable flexibility as a film device. I think it’d be interesting to examine other films that contain unusual voiceover function. Can anyone think of more of these? I’d love to compile a list and see how and in what direction this aspect of film is developing. Perhaps we can even invent new ways to apply it. So…anyone? Ideas?