An Introduction to Iranian Narration and Imitation of Western Narration in Iranian Cinema

Statement of the Problem:  Narratology and its various approaches in the past few decades and the expansion of this new knowledge to the theatrical and visual arts necessitates the addressing of Western scholars` views in this field and a search for the traditions of the narratives in the Iranian works and literature. Comparing these two categories from the anthropological and ontological point of view in the Iranian and Western Weltanschauung is necessary as the basis of these two types of narrations. Therefore, considering the importance and scope of this category in the visual narratives, especially the Iranian cinema, this article has focused on this subject and its causes and reasons. In order to have a rooted and original cinema, it is better to first consider the category of Iranian narration with its ancient and rich history. Considering whatever is displayed as a fictional narratives in the Iranian cinema, does it represent the Iranian philosophy and ontology in the narratives? Are the narrations of Iranian cinema an imitation of the Western narrations and the cinematographic patterns? Proposing these basic questions, the anthropological and ontological challenges of these two types of narratives have been addressed. Through implicit comparison of two types of Iranian and Western narratives, it was tried to find differences and oppositions. Moreover in the next stage, it has been tried to propose definitions regarding Iranian narratives and determine its position in the narratology. This was considered as an introduction to the Iranian narratology. Research This article has been written with a descriptive analytical approach through theoretical documentations. It seems that what is observed in Iranian cinema in the form of visual narratives is often an imitation of the western literary and visual narratives. Except for a few movie makers, most of the Iranian filmmakers have lost sight of the traditions, patterns, and styles of Iranian narratives being based on the spirit and philosophy of the Iranian narratives. In order to have a cinema with its own identity and narration of the human being and the world, the literary and narratives traditions should be recognized, so that a cinema based on the Iranian ontology that has been originated from the ancient Iranian Islamic philosophy, is resulted.