Definition: The third-person omniscient point of view is like having a god-like narrator with a full understanding of the story. This narrator knows everything about everyone—their thoughts, feelings, and secrets—and can share any character’s perspective with the audience.
In cinema, the third-person omniscient viewpoint can sometimes manifest through a narrative voice-over or sequences that cut between different character perspectives, moments in time, and locations.
A classic example is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), where the film’s narration and editing choices allow audiences to know things that individual characters do not.
Key Characteristics
A hallmark of the third-person omniscient voice is its unrestricted knowledge and versatility. Authors, screenwriters, and directors using this point of view can move freely between settings, peer into the minds of multiple characters, and impart information that the characters themselves might not know.
This can create dramatic irony (like Hitchcock’s famous example of the bomb under the table), where the audience knows more than the characters in the story, which can lead to suspense.
Examples of the How Third-person Omniscient PoV is seen in Film
Unlike literature, where this perspective can be conveyed through narrative exposition, films must use visual and auditory techniques to achieve a similar effect.
Voice-over narration
One common method is voice-over narration, directly communicating characters’ thoughts or story details to the audience.
For example, in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), the narrator (Alec Baldwin) offers insights into the characters’ inner feelings and histories that aren’t expressed through dialogue or action.
Read more on Voice Over in Film.
Non-diegetic elements
Another technique involves using non-diegetic elements, such as music or sound effects, that characters in the movie can’t hear but convey information or emotional subtext to the audience.
For example, in The Godfather (1972), non-diegetic music often foreshadows upcoming conflict or tragedy, cluing the audience into the emotional trajectory of a scene before the characters themselves are aware.
Editing
By intercutting between scenes and perspectives no single character can access, editors can construct a narrative that provides a more comprehensive understanding of the story than any character could possess.
Sometimes editors simultaneously show what happens in different locations through cross-cutting or parallel editing, which no single character might know. Again, The Godfather (1972) is a good example: the baptism scene is intercut with Michael Corleone’s brutal acts. This juxtaposition lets the audience understand Michael’s power and calculated ruthlessness, which were unknown to other characters then.
Another example is the editing in Magnolia (1999), which interconnects various characters and their stories and provides a god-like overview of their interconnectedness and the underlying causes of their behaviors.
Cinematography and Camera Angles
Cinematography plays a key role as well. Various camera angles and shots can provide an omniscient view of the scene. For instance, high-angle shots often give a ‘god-like’ perspective, looking down on the character and suggesting vulnerability or detachment.
In this case, the “omniscient camera” takes on the role of the god and is actively used by the director and cinematographer to anticipate what will happen next in the movie by changing camera distance, angle, and movement or making focus adjustments.
A good example is Amélie (2001), in which director Jean-Pierre Jeunet uses a combination of voice-over narration (by André Dussollier), CGI, fast-forwards, flashbacks, and a camera that has a god’s-eye view of not only the story but also Amélie’s thoughts and rich fantasies.
Using Symbolism and Motifs
Directors might employ symbolic imagery or motifs to suggest themes or emotions that resonate with the narrative but are not explicitly articulated by characters.
In American Beauty (1999), the repeated motif of roses symbolizes desire and unattainable ideals, themes that permeate the characters’ experiences.
Non-linear Storytelling
Additionally, flashbacks and nonlinear storytelling can reveal past events unknown to other characters or the audience, providing a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations.
This is seen in Citizen Kane (1941), where the narrative unfolds through various flashbacks that piece together the life of Charles Foster Kane from multiple perspectives, none of which have complete knowledge.
Summing Up
The third-person omniscient point of view is like having a bird’s eye view of a story. It allows the narrator to share the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters, providing a comprehensive understanding of the narrative. It’s like being an all-knowing observer.
For instance, films The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Amélie (2001), and Magnolia (1999) use this style. They give viewers insight into various characters’ thoughts, feelings, and interconnected stories.
Up Next: Overview of the various Point-of-views in film.
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