We need to talk about Lynne: Modular structure as a reflection of the traumatized psyche in We Need to Talk about Kevin

Neilan, Chris

Abstract

Conventional linear three-act structure has become the dominant form in anglophone screen industries and creates a particular meaning and viewing experience. Modular structure, a feature of the puzzle film, uses radical non-linearity and complex plot articulations to create a very different viewing experience, and while some films use this approach to create a distanced, analytical effect, and still others seem designed to present a challenge to the viewer in the manner of a mind game, some narratives, such as Lynne Ramsay’s We Need to Talk about Kevin, have been able to leverage this breaking down of linear temporality to expressionist effect, representing the workings of a traumatized mind. This article examines the techniques which Ramsay and co-writer Rory Kinnear used to create that expressionistic effect, focusing on the use of three distinct timelines from different points in the protagonist’s life reordered around a traumatic event and the use of sensory fragments of the trauma in transitions and foreshadowing.

Citation

Neilan, C. (2024). We need to talk about Lynne: Modular structure as a reflection of the traumatized psyche in We Need to Talk about Kevin. Journal of Screenwriting, 15(3), 257-271. https://doi.org/10.1386/josc_00162_1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 12, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 31, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-11
• Deposit Date: Feb 3, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 1, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Screenwriting
• Print ISSN: 1759-7137
• Publisher: Intellect
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 257-271
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/josc_00162_1
• Keywords: narrative structure; non-linear; plot; story; trauma; unconventional
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/4104022