Nguyễn Khánh Ngọc – 12A1

FORREST GUMP NARRATION ANALYSIS

As the light of the classroom flickers on and the projected credits of Forrest Gump disappears completely, I am
once again struck with the realization of how utterly lucky Forrest Gump, our main protagonist, is throughout
his entire life. It is hard to comprehend just how fortuitous Gump is; not only is he able to get through life despite
his below average intelligence and general apathy, he also becomes a millionaire, a former member of two All-
American sports team, even a veteran of the Vietnam War! Most curiously, I am amused at how similar the
narration is to a book that I had read two years ago for an English assignment, and with further research, I am
pleased that it even coincide with a philosophy which I had written about!

The movie itself utilizes Bergsonian temps (men’s time) and durée (women’s time) showcase the majority of its
plot, which is also Gump’s life story. Our character’s recollections of his past are told through a narrative by
Gump himself, who has decided to share his history with anyone who is waiting at the same bus stop as he is.
Never mind whether they are actually listening to him or not, he apathetically recounts all the major events in
his life, adding a few offhanded remarks along the way. The amount of time that Gump spent waiting at that
bus stop seems no longer than an hour, at best, yet there seems to be no haste as he tries to explain his existence
in detail within that limited time span, an incredibly Woolf-like narration that vividly reminds me of Mrs.
Dalloway. Alas, this is what constitutes the durée in Forrest Gump that corresponds with Henri Bergson’s
temporal theories which claims that “for the individual, time may speed up or slow down, whereas, for science,
it would remain the same”. Every single aspect of Gump’s life, from his namesake, to his childhood in Alabama
and later on his accolades in adulthood, is told at a very steady pace that pulls you in as if it were natural for
complete strangers to know all there is to know about one Forrest Gump, who actually doesn’t seem to fully
realize the true extent of his influence and success. He knows that his shrimp business brings him ridiculous
amounts of money, and he admits that “[Lieutenant Dan and him] have more money than Davy Crockett”, but
on the other hand, Gump cuts lawn for free for the state of Alabama, and he is under the misconception that
Apple Corp is “some kind of fruit company” when Lieutenant Dan sends him a letter telling him of their
investment. Gump is also deeply lost in his mental time during his years of running back and forth across the
width of the United States of America; he only realizes how much time he has spent on his marathons after
calculating the years, months, days and hours he wasted. This is yet another, though much more subtle display
of durée in the film, though it is less of a narrative in that respect.

As for the presence of physical time during Gump’s lengthy recollection of his past, the movie shows us short
clips of the many people who sits next to Gump at the bus stop and is forced to listen to his ramblings. The
people themselves of course are only there to wait for the bus, not listen to the past of a stranger that they have
no interest in. And so, those people get on their bus, one after the other while Gump continues his biography,
signifying the passage of temps in between plot of the film; only the very last person to sit next to him, a kind
old lady, really attentively listens to what Gump has to say and actually believe in him, stays until he dashes off,
going so far as to miss the bus she wants to take in favor of hearing more about Gump’s life. It is only when
Gump’s story arrives at the present that the film’s exploration of Bergsonian physical and mental time comes to
an end to adapt the standard narration of describing current events. The end of durée comes smooth enough
that we don’t feel that it is interupting a different experience entirely, while still capable of reminding us that
Gump’s reminiscences are finally concluding, as it transitions seamlessly without hesitation into the present
time.

In conclusion, it is obvious why one would consider there be a connection between Forrest Gump and Henri
Bergson’s temporal theories. It is very much thought provoking to me, who is interest in the inner workings of
time and the universe, and this only adds to the alure of the film. Forrest Gump, considered an anomaly in the
film industry, is without a doubt an incredible movie that is more than capable of capturing the attention of its
watchers.