Abstract
Bandersnatch, the first Black Mirror full-length movie aired by Netflix on 28 December 2018, allows viewers to choose how the actions unfold by picking one or more options at certain points using the remote control. This sets the foundation for exploring its branching narrative technique allowing the viewers to make choices that shape the story’s outcomes, creating a unique interactive experience with multiple forces at play. Understanding the postmodernist philosophy of Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault further enhances our analysis of Bandersnatch, as their concepts of deconstruction and power and control are evident throughout the episode. The non-linear narrative offers layers of meaning that derive from the allusion of the title to Lewis Carol’s, Through the Looking Glass, while travelling through a future where the protagonist realizes his reality as part of a computer game. This paper argues that Bandersnatch goes beyond traditional literary analysis and transcends the gaming schema where audiences can choose different paths for winning into choosing different paths that achieve a moral responsibility.
Presenters
Orchida Fayez IsmailLeader of Research Group, Linguistics and Translation, Prince Sultan University, Saudi Arabia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Branching Narrative, Postmodern, Deconstruction, Gamification
