- Chronology
- Hierarchy
- Primal order
- Causality
- Immersion
- Memory
- Flashbacks/flashforwards
What about Godard’s famous quote: “I agree that a film should have a beginning, a middle and an end but not necessarily in that order.” It reminds me of the Latin term in medias res – which translates to ‘in the midst of things’ – which refers to the act of starting in the middle rather than the beginning.
I think Woody Allen’s Annie Hall (1977) is a good starting point for me to think of non-linear film. Or even the more modern Inception (2010) or Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (2004).
However, I’m not sure that there are any popularised versions of a multi-linear work that I can as easily relate to. Obviously, I have the exposure I’ve had to K-films and interactive documentaries in IM1 so far, but I wonder how it would translate in a more ‘mainstream’ media society.
I asked a few friends of mine, what does multilinear mean to you? Some of the things they said were:
I think it means when many story lines are all going on at the same time.
Another agreed with the above, but went on to say:
I think it’s also when those multiple stories intersect and interact with each other finally. Like in Love Actually or something.
I think that this way of thinking may be too time-based, and instead, how we should conceive of multi-linearity is more akin to ‘multi-tasking’. Essentially, it’s asking the brain to keep track of a few things at once, and possibly retain the information in case you need it later on to help make connections and relations. What do you reckon?