Tzvetan Todorov (1977) stated that every film follows a certain structure having an equilibrium, disruption, the recognition of the disruption, an attempt to restore the equilibrium, and finally, the restoration of the equilibrium.
Equilibrium
Todorov says that in a state of equilibrium, everything is normal and as it should be - two opposing forces are balanced.
An example of an equilibrium within a popular film is in Captain Phillips. In this film, the state of equilibrium is when the crew of the Maersk Alabama are sailing across the ocean with their cargo and everything is going as planned. At this point there is no evidence of a possible equilibrium, other than general warnings the captain receives via email. These emails give us an indication that there is going to be a disruption of the equilibrium.
Disruption of the equilibrium
The theory states that there is always a disruption of the equilibrium. During this there is an inciting incident of some sort. Examples of such incidents include murders, bank heists, and girl breaks up with boy. In Captain Phillips, the disruption of the equilibrium comes in the form of four Somali Pirates catching up to the ship in their skiff, and storming the ships. As they have automatic weapons, the ship's crew are unable to stop them and the disruption of the equilibrium can be complete. However, there is a further incident after this initial incident because the crew tries to get the pirates into the lifeboat but the pirates trick Cpt. Phillips into getting into coming with them by getting him to show them how the boat works. They then shut the door and slide down the ramp into the sea.
Recognition of the disruption
The recognition of the equilibrium is pretty self explanatory as it is literally recognising that there is a problem of something bad has already happened and it needs to be resolved. This tends to happen at the same time as the disruption of the equilibrium. This is certainly the case in Captain Phillips as the crew are left with almost no doubt that the ship will be boarded by the pirates because they do not really have any way of protecting themselves and the ship. Also, the later disruption and recognition are realised at the same time because they see it happen.
Attempt to restore the equilibrium
There is almost always an attempt to restore normality to the situation within the narrative. As an example, in a typical 'boy meets girl' film, if they have separated, one of them will try to get the other back - sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not. An example of the attempt being made but being unsuccessful is the lifeboat scene in Captain Phillips which I have already mentioned. Here, the attempt to resolve the situation and restore the equilibrium was made by the ship's crew, however, the pirates tricked them and the situation worsened. In this film, the severity of the situation stays the same for most of the film until the end as the Navy arrive to attempt to resolve the situation again by using Navy SEALs and numerous war ships.
Restoration of the equilibrium
The majority of films have a happy ending where the equilibrium has been successfully restored and there is now a state of normality again. This could be conveyed by a boy and girl getting back together at the end of a rom-com, or the hostages being freed and the hostage-takers being killed/arrested, in a bank heist thriller. In Captain Phillips, the restoration of the equilibrium comes when the Navy SEALs shoot dead three of the four pirates as they persuaded the leader to board the warship to negotiate a ransom, however, this was just a ploy to make the other three weaker, and also make it easier for the Navy SEALs to take them out with snipers. As the three are shot dead, the leader is arrested immediately, and Cpt. Phillips is rescued. This concludes the narrative and the equilibrium is restored.
