Classic Film Narrative vs. Alternative Film Narratives Presented in Monsoon Wedding and Daughters of The Dust

Daughters of the Dust and Monsoon Wedding have very different narrative structures than classic Hollywood films. One major way in which Monsoon Wedding deviates from this tradition is the fact that there is not really one main character or one single plot line, rather the movie is made up of an assortment of different stories each having their own central characters. There is the story of the bride deciding to tell her husband to be about her recent involvement with her ex-boyfriend, there is the budding love between the housekeeper and the party planner, and there is light shed on the uncle's abuse of children, just to name a few of the simultaneous plots. Each of the characters in the movie seem to be part of their own story line in which they are the main character, while they also act as supporting characters in the other stories taking place. Even though Monsoon Wedding does not fit within the classical film narrative, it is still understandable. This films ability to work without following the classic conventions shows that those conventions are not necessary aspects of a film, they are just one way to present a story, but not the only way.

Daughters of The Dust also does not have one central plot line or character, but unlike Monsoon Wedding it does not have a linear plot structure. From watching Monsoon Wedding I realized that one central character or plot is not necessary for a film to work, but for me Daughters of The Dust did not work. In Daughters of the Dust there seems to be no concrete time frame in which the events are taking place. It was difficult for me to follow what was going on in the movie because I was never sure when things were happening or how much time had passed. Since this made the film difficult to understand, I think that a linear plot is necessary for a film to work.