# Good Movies w/ Protagonist Narrating Throughout The Entire Movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [April 3, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333 "2021-04-03T17:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/1 "2021-04-03T17:43:55Z")
I’ve noticed these kinds of movies get real deep into a character. But they also display the external disparity between what’s said verbally to other characters, and what truths the protagonist tells the audience through narration. “Leon Morin, Priest” is a good example. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/2 "2021-04-03T17:55:10Z")
A Christmas Story is the first one that comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/3 "2021-04-03T18:02:06Z")
Are you talking Shawshank Redemtion? How 'throughout" must the narration be? ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/4 "2021-04-03T18:09:59Z")
I imagine _Goodfellas_ has to be the champ of that category. “As far back as I can remember… I always wanted to be a gangster.” ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/5 "2021-04-03T18:11:49Z")
Come to think of it, this is sort of a hallmark of Martin Scorsese in general. _Taxi Driver, Gangs of New York, Casino and The Irishman_ all make use of this style. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/6 "2021-04-03T18:58:18Z")
When I saw the title of this thread I tried to come up with some titles before opening it. ACS didn’t cross my mind, which might indicate that it is so well done and integral to the story that it doesn’t feel like narration. It also might mean my memory sucks. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/7 "2021-04-03T19:39:26Z")
The best moment is in _Casino_, when Joe Pesci’s narration is interrupted by him unexpectedly [getting hit with a bat (NSFW).](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNqL-6yBcDQ#t=20s) ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/8 "2021-04-03T20:42:15Z")
I haven’t seen that movie in a LONG time, but I’m not picky 🙂 I just notice these kinds of movies being pretty good. I can’t think of an awful movie with narration… “A Clockwork Orange” is another one. It was one of my very favorites, but I haven’t seen this in almost 20 years, but I feel awful when I re-review a movie after so many years, and then it not being as great as I remembered. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/9 "2021-04-03T21:01:14Z")
_Days of Heaven_ was narrated by Linda, one of the trio of wanderers. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/10 "2021-04-03T21:53:47Z")
Saigon… (do I really need to elaborate?) _Snatch_ and _Sexy Beast_ were peppered with good narration bits. For TV - best thing Ron Howard ever did was narrating _Arrested Development_. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/11 "2021-04-03T22:06:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > _Days of Heaven_ was narrated by Linda, one of the trio of wanderers. What a great start to a movie… > “…Lookin’ fuh t’ings, searchin’ fuh t’ings, goin’ on a’venchahs…\*” Which is what I say when my wife asks me where I’m going… since it’s her favorite movie, how can she object? … \*(adventures, if you’re wondering) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/12 "2021-04-03T22:20:49Z")
I loved the way she said “advenchas,” too. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/13 "2021-04-03T22:21:33Z")
_Forrest Gump_ ? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/14 "2021-04-03T22:21:56Z")
“Fight Club”? ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/15 "2021-04-03T22:35:24Z")
Tin Drum - by film’s end you wanted to smash little Oscar’s face in. Limey - unique way of using narration by sliding in lots of dialogue over unfolding and concluding scenes. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/16 "2021-04-04T02:47:52Z")
_Sunset Boulevard_ – Joe Gillis narrates his story _Little Big Man_ ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/17 "2021-04-04T03:00:38Z")
These are all great films with varying amounts of narration: _La Jetée_ (1962, France, dir. Chris Marker) _(500) Days of Summer_ (2009, U.S., dir. Marc Webb) _Moonrise Kingdom_ (2012, U.S., dir. Wes Anderson) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/18 "2021-04-04T03:11:27Z")
_Apocalypse Now_ _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/19 "2021-04-04T08:17:12Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Apocalypse Now > [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Saigon… > > (do I really need to elaborate?) (heh - maybe I did) 😉 Not necessarily the protagonists, but I like how snippets of narration were provided throughout _Broadway Danny Rose_ through Danny anecdotes from all the Borstch Belt comics hanging out in the restaurant. William Hurt narrating fantasy scenes with the hot Sonia Braga in _Kiss of The Spider Woman_. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333/20 "2021-04-04T08:58:30Z")
_Kiss Kiss Bang Bang_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-movies-w-protagonist-narrating-throughout-the-entire-movie/939333.md?page=2)