A Quick and Easy Fabula Film Definition

The terms fabula and syuzhet are frequently used in Russian filmmaking to describe narratology in which the narrative construction of a film is defined. Furthermore, if you’re wondering what a fabula of the film is, or what it means? This quick and easy fabula film definition will help you fully understand what this means. However, know that fabula is a Russian context that can be challenging to understand, despite it having industry relativity.

What is a Fabula?

In order to help you fully understand we’re going to first break down exactly what the term fabula means. In film, fabula is the chronological order of events that are contained within the story.

The fabula coincides with the employment of narrative which is technically called the Syuzhet, another Russian term that originates from Russian formalism. 

Fabula, a film definition, essentially means “the raw material of the story” and is represented as the essential chronological order of events which makeup the story itself.

Together, through flashbacks, flash forwards, and various other practices, the fabula is achieved.

Fabula Film Definition #2

So, there are technically two definitions of fabula. In Film, Fabula represents the plot of a story.

Which has a linear and temporal relation to the overall complexity of the presentation representing a complete narrative. This is the film, the play, or the book in chronological order.

Fabula, in film, by definition, also represents the separation of plot from narration or the story from the telling of the story.

Unstructured

When the Fabula is represented as the raw material of a story, it represents an unformed and unstructured narration. The fabula is like the understanding of the story based on how it is told.

The audience creates the fabula as their understanding of the story not based on any precise moment, action or word that took place. But rather based on the personal and shared understanding of the story itself.

What it Represents 

By definition, Fabula is conceived by the filmmaker through a range of options that exist in constructing the story.

However the fabula is also a potential set of possibilities which may be converted into a particular narrative. 

Most of the time, fabula represents a linear plot which is carried out as a set of actions that are represented by central characters within the setting. 

In Summation

As you can see, when it comes to defining the term fabula in film? By definition there are multiple meanings and ways of describing this non-linear narrative outcome.

Fabule is unformed, raw and open ended. In which the audience or the filmmaker both have the right to dictate the outcome.