Diferencia entre revisiones de «Macguffin»
Contenido eliminado Contenido añadido
m Revertidos los cambios de 88.26.154.58 (disc.) a la última edición de 88.5.74.57 |
|||
| Línea 27: | Línea 27: | ||
=== Series y TV === |
=== Series y TV === |
||
* En [[La hora de José Mota]], programa de entretenimiento y sketches emitido en la primera de TVE, sale una parodia en la que se insta al presidente del Gobierno español [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] a encontrar una solución para la crisis económica española. El presidente comenta que tiene todo pensando, y que la solución está en "los brotes verdes". Comenta que ha dejado a su mejor espía, el agente McGuffin, la misión de encontrar los importantes brotes verdes, y a partir de ahí se desarrollan una serie de [[sketches]]. En realidad, el nombre del espía McGuffin es tal debido a que los "brotes verdes" son el desencadenante del resto de escenas, la "excusa" para seguir con la trama, ya que realmente en ningún momento se dice qué son los "brotes verdes", ni qué función tienen. Así pues, esto es un ejemplo de mcguffin, e inteligentemente se puso al espía secreto el nombre de agente McGuffin. |
* En [[La hora de José Mota]], programa de entretenimiento y sketches emitido en la primera de TVE, sale una parodia en la que se insta al presidente del Gobierno español [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]] a encontrar una solución para la crisis económica española. El presidente comenta que tiene todo pensando, y que la solución está en "los brotes verdes". Comenta que ha dejado a su mejor espía, el agente McGuffin, la misión de encontrar los importantes brotes verdes, y a partir de ahí se desarrollan una serie de [[sketches]]. En realidad, el nombre del espía McGuffin es tal debido a que los "brotes verdes" son el desencadenante del resto de escenas, la "excusa" para seguir con la trama, ya que realmente en ningún momento se dice qué son los "brotes verdes", ni qué función tienen. Así pues, esto es un ejemplo de mcguffin, e inteligentemente se puso al espía secreto el nombre de agente McGuffin. |
||
LOST |
|||
Teniendo en cuenta la definición de McGuffin, y que desde el punto de vista de la audiencia, el McGuffin no es lo importante de la historia narrada, podríamos considerar la recién concluida serie LOST (PERDIDOS) como el mayor ejemplo de McGuffin utilizados gratuitamente en toda la historia. La trama cambia de McGuffin de forma radical, desde la primera temporada hasta la sexta, ¿qué es la isla? ¿por qué viajan en el tiempo? ¿por qué deben volver? ¿quien es Jacob? ¿Qué es la luz en el corazón de la isla y por qué deben protegerla? En algún momento de la sexta temporada, el hermano de Jacob le responde a Sawer, "no hay nada que proteger", desvelando lo que muchos espectadores esperaban que se respondiera al final de la serie, en el capítulo 6x17 THE END. Pero... ¿qué hay que proteger? ¿Qué sentido tienen viajes temporales o una Organización tratando de conquistar la isla, o que un personaje hable con muertos y otro tenga visiones sobre como murieron? Ninguno. Simplemente son McGuffin para tirar de la trama y hacer temporadas y mantener a la audiencia entretenida, manteniendo el suspense tejiendo un hilo conductor que, lógicamente, al final queda "hueco". A algunos espectadores les gustará el final de la serie y este método para generar una histria, otros, y no sin motivo, se sentirán estafados por la falta de complicidad de narradores con los espectadores. Otros no se sentirán estafados porque ya se olian que esto era una cadena de McGuffin que nadie podría cerrar desde el primer momento que vieron a aquel oso polar correteando por la selva. Aunque LOST no utiliza McGuffin, si no que se ha camuflado en forma de muchos de ellos para huir de un callejón sin salida en el que se había visto acorralado al no poder concluir la base de las ideas desarrolladas en las 5 primeras temporadas, optando por tanto por la salida fácil. |
|||
<!--* The above quotation by Alfred Hitchcock regarding the tune in which information was encoded refers to ''[[The Lady Vanishes]]'' ([[1938]]). The woman carrying the melodic code is kidnapped while riding a train, though the contents of the message have no bearing on the film's plot. |
|||
* In ''[[Notorious]]'' ([[1946]]), the uranium hidden in wine bottles is a MacGuffin. It is the reason the story takes place, but could just as easily have been diamonds, gold, or rare wine. In fact, during production, there was discussion of changing it to diamonds to be more believable [http://yorty.sonoma.edu/filmfrog/reviews/n/notorious.html] [http://sc.essortment.com/alfredhitchcoc_rvhd.htm]. |
|||
* In ''[[North by Northwest]]'', the MacGuffin is the unspecified secret information known by a man for whom Roger Thornhill ([[Cary Grant]]) is mistaken. Thornhill spends the course of the movie trying to find the man, without realizing that he does not exist. |
|||
* In ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', the money that the character [[Marion Crane]] has stolen from her employer is a MacGuffin. After Marion's subsequent disappearance, her sister and boyfriend suspect [[Norman Bates]] has murdered her for the money. However, it is revealed that Bates killed Marion without even knowing the money existed. In the end, it could have been jewelry or any number of things. The money was simply a plot device to get her to the Bates' Motel. |
|||
* ''[[Ronin (film)|Ronin]]'' is an action/thriller that tells the story of a group of former intelligence agents who team up to steal a mysterious metal case which is a MacGuffin. The contents, if extant, are never shown; the entire plot is not about the contents so much as what happens because of it. [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980925/REVIEWS/809250303/1023] |
|||
*''The Double McGuffin'' (1979) and ''The McGuffin'' (1985) are noteworthy for the contextual use of the term in their titles. The 1979 film does indeed involve two MacGuffins: a briefcase full of money and a dead body, both of which subsequently disappear. |
|||
* One particularly famous early movie example of a MacGuffin is the titular statuette in ''[[The Maltese Falcon]]''. [http://www.filmsite.org/malt.html] |
|||
* In [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''[[Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction]]'', the tantalizing golden glow emanating from the briefcase retrieved for Marsellus Wallace by Jules and Vincent (Jackson and Travolta) indicates a definitive MacGuffin. The wristwatch left to Butch by his late father is another: it is the retrieval of the briefcase and the wristwatch that drives the plot, but neither item impinges on the plotline at all in any other way than that they are objects of desire and pursuit for the cast of characters. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpulpfiction.html] |
|||
* In ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' (1942), the letters of transit entrusted to [[Humphrey Bogart]] by [[Peter Lorre]] are a classic MacGuffin. The strength of these "letters of transit" derives, the film informs us, from the fact that they were signed by [[Charles de Gaulle]]. Historians are fond of pointing out that, in fact, this authority would have meant absolutely nothing to the Nazis, and would probably have marked the carrier as a sympathizer with the French Resistance. |
|||
* In ''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'', the diamonds can be considered a MacGuffin. |
|||
* In ''[[Mission Impossible 3]]'', The Rabbit's Foot is a MacGuffin. |
|||
* In his commentary for ''[[Dark City]]'', Roger Ebert analyzes Shell Beach as a MacGuffin. |
|||
* In ''[[From Russia With Love]]'', the LEKTOR decoder is considered to be a MacGuffin. |
|||
* The [[Ark of the Covenant]] in ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' doesn't fit the definition of a MacGuffin, since it has meaning outside the film and plays a role in the film's climax.[http://www.yourdictionary.com/wotd/wotd.pl?word=MacGuffin] |
|||
* In the ''[[Austin Powers]]'' movies the concept of a MacGuffin is parodied when the time-traveling Dr. Evil asks for a MacGuffin in the form of a ransom which is alternately too small ("One-MEEELIONNN Dollars") or too large ("One-hundred-BEEELION Dollars") for the time period in question, underscoring the fact that it doesn't really matter how much money Dr. Evil asks for- it only matters to the plot that he has asked for ''something''. |
|||
*In the 2005 French film ''[[Lemming (film)|Lemming]]'', the creature for which the film is titled, can be argued to be a MacGuffin. Its role is mostly a [[catalyst]] to set in motion the events in the film. It serves no obvious significance to the plot, and its strange appearance is neatly and easily explained at the end of the film. |
|||
=== Televisión === |
|||
*''[[Cheers]]'' : [[Sam Malone]]'s [[Chevrolet Corvette|Corvette]] is a MacGuffin that lasts throughout the entire television series' time. The audience rarely sees this Corvette but it is the focus of several episodes and is of the highest importance to Sam, often talked about in relation to Sam's own relationships, as it is revered by all characters, especially women in Sam's life. As far as the audience is concerned though, the fact that this object is a Corvette, or a car in general, is entirely irrelevant. |
|||
*''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' : Practically every episode of ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' is centered around a MacGuffin which the CIA and/or SD-6 is after. ([[Sydney Bristow]]: "What is that--perfume?" [[Michael Vaughn]]: "Whatever this is, we have it now, and they don't. Because of *you*." -- [[Alias episodes (Season 1)#The Box .28Part 2.29|Season 1, Episode 13, "The Box (Part 2)"]]). |
|||
*In the opening of ''[[Twin Peaks]]'', [[Laura Palmer|Laura Palmer's]] murder serves as a MacGuffin to launch the main storylines of the series, which, upon closer observation, have little to do with the murder. |
|||
*The whole premise of ''[[The Prisoner]]'' is built around a MacGuffin. The protagonist, Number Six, holds some "information". We are never told what this information is, or its significance to his captors, save that it includes the reason for Number Six's resignation (something which he claims is a matter of conscience and not open for discussion). |
|||
*The ''[[Due South]]'' episode "Chicago Holiday" revolves around a list written on a matchbook that will allegedly give the owner control of the entire west side of Chicago. It is never explained what the list includes. At one point, a cleaning woman in a hotel disposes of the matchbook. As she leaves the hotel, another cleaning woman says to her, "Goodnight, Mrs. MacGuffin." |
|||
*A n episode of the Animated series ''[[G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' was centers around G.I Joe's efforts to prevent Cobra from unleashing a weapon known as the MacGuffin Device. When activated the device appeared to induce disorientation and [[Vertigo (medical)|vertigo]], but it could have been any kind of [[super weapon]]. |
|||
*In an episode of ''[[Teen Titans]]'', Robin races for the contents of a briefcase that was stolen by him. In the end, the contents are revealed to his friends, but the viewer does not see it, as it cuts to credits upon opening. |
|||
=== Novelas === |
|||
*The contents of the letter in "[[The Purloined Letter]]" by [[Edgar Allan Poe]]. The hero must try to recover the letter before the villain can reveal its contents — but the reader never learns what the contents are. |
|||
*In ''[[Running Dog]]'', a postmodern thriller by [[Don DeLillo]], the characters are almost all in pursuit of a reputedly pornographic film shot during the last days of the [[Second World War]] in [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s búnker. The essential MacGuffin nothing-ness of this film (as noted by Hitchcock) also becomes evident. |
|||
* An episode of Sam and Max - Freelance police features a snooty health inspector banning the Chicken MacGuffin (the pair's favourite snack) from being sold. The pair then attempt to get the health inspector to eat one. |
|||
*In Jasper Fforde's "The Fourth Bear", look for the professor who likes to blow up things- Angus McGuffin. |
|||
=== Comics === |
|||
* In the ''[[Cerebus]]'' [[graphic novel]] ''[[Jaka's Story]]'', Oscar attracts a new customer to the bar by painting a statue called a Guffin. Eventually, the Guffin is also what attracts the attention of the Cirinists, which sets the stage for the story's ending. |
|||
*In ''[[Terminal City]]'', the briefcase is a MacGuffin, because it leads and confronts every character on the city, and the reader never learns what's inside it. The last page of the series shows a man opening the briefcase, which has something glowing inside, and running away, leaving it. |
|||
===Videojuegos=== |
|||
* In nearly every game of the ''Super Mario'' series [[Princess Peach]] serves as a living MacGuffin. |
|||
* In ''[[The Bard's Tale (2004)|The Bard's Tale]]'', similarly to the ''Super Mario'' case, the reluctant hero is motivated by the MacGuffin of rescuing the beautiful and very rich Princess Caleigh. |
|||
* In ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]]'', one mission has the protagonist go from a pay phone to an airport, kill a certain man there, take his briefcase and bring it back to a location. After killing the man and stealing the briefcase, the player is trailed and shot at by two black cars. Every element of this mission is a MacGuffin. The player's employer, identity of the man with the briefcase you kill, the contents of the briefcase, and who is behind the black cars chasing the player are never revealed. |
|||
* In the game ''[[Fallout (computer game)|Fallout]]'', the player is given a quest to search for a MacGuffin - a replacement part for a water processor or some other solution to the water problem of the fallout shelter. Time limit and initial difficulty obtaining the part create sense of urgency, but as the player progress with the plotline, a much greater threat is being revealed, the time limit for the original quest is extended, and the original pursuit becomes an unimportant sidequest. In fact, solving the water problem is not essential to positive ending of the game. The game's sequel, [[Fallout 2]] also utilices a McGuffin: the [[Garden of Eden Creation Kit|G.E.C.K]]. |
|||
* Many video games in the [[adventure games|adventure]] and [[computer role-playing games|RPG]] genres include simple [[Quest (gaming)#Fetch quest|fetch quest]]s, in which the object is to obtain an item for an ultimately inconsequential [[non-player character]] (or to obtain an ultimately inconsequential non-player character) in order to advance the plot. As the item in question is frequently irrelevant or unrelated to the plot, and the main characters generally have no reason to retrieve it other than to satisfy the NPC and obtain something they need, these quests serve as MacGuffins. This is often compounded when the quest to retrieve one such item encounters a roadblock in the form of another character desiring yet another item, extending into a long sequence of item trading. |
|||
* A variant on this theme is the common practice in many adventure games to include an item which the player must collect a certain number of in order to unlock more areas (containing more such items), gain new abilities (which help to collect more such items), or otherwise advance towards the actual goal of the game. Examples include the Jigsaw Pieces ("Jiggies") in ''[[Banjo-Kazooie]]'', the Power Stars in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', and the Golden Bananas in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''. These are actually closer to [[plot coupon]]s than actual MacGuffins. |
|||
==Información adicional== |
|||
===Véase también=== |
|||
* [[List of films with unexposed contents|Unexposed Content]] |
|||
* [[Quest]] |
|||
[[Categoría:Narratology]] |
|||
[[Categoría:Plot devices]] |
|||
--> |
|||
== Referencias == |
== Referencias == |
||
Revisión del 22:51 25 may 2010
Un Macguffin (también MacGuffin, McGuffin o Maguffin) es un elemento de suspense que hace que los personajes avancen en la trama, pero que no tiene mayor relevancia en la trama en sí. MacGuffin es una expresión acuñada por Alfred Hitchcock y que designa a una excusa argumental que motiva a los personajes y al desarrollo de una historia, y que en realidad carece de relevancia por sí misma.
El elemento que distingue al MacGuffin de otros tipos de excusas argumentales es que es intercambiable. Desde el punto de vista de la audiencia, el McGuffin no es lo importante de la historia narrada.
Un ejemplo de McGuffin sería la fórmula secreta que recuerda el memorista circense de 39 escalones. Hubiese sido lo mismo si hubiese sido una clave de acceso a un banco, una lista de nombres de espías o cualquier otra excusa argumental.
Hitchcock afirmó en 1939 sobre el MacGuffin: «En historias de rufianes siempre es un collar y en historias de espías siempre son los documentos».
Hitchcock explica también esta expresión en el libro-entrevista con François Truffaut 'El Cine según Hitchcock':
"La palabra procede del Music-hall. Van dos hombres en un tren y uno de ellos le dice al otro "¿Qué es ese paquete que hay en el maletero que tiene sobre su cabeza?". El otro contesta: "Ah, eso es un McGuffin". El primero insiste: "¿Qué es un McGuffin?", y su compañero de viaje le responde "Un MacGuffin es un aparato para cazar leones en los Adirondacks". "Pero si en los Adirondacks no hay leones", le espeta el primer hombre. "Entonces eso de ahí no es un MacGuffin", le responde el otro."[1]
Ejemplos
Películas
- En Ciudadano Kane, de Orson Welles, al comienzo de la cinta, Kane en su lecho de muerte pronuncia una misteriosa palabra, Rosebud, la cual nadie sabe a que se refiere, y a partir de ese misterio se recrea la vida completa de Kane. Finalmente descubrimos que Rosebud era el nombre de su trineo cuando era niño, lo cual no tiene una relevancia mayor en la trama pero sirve de hilo conductor de la misma. Rosebud ha pasado a considerarse uno de los macguffin más importantes de la historia del cine.
- En Pulp Fiction, de Quentin Tarantino, el contenido del maletín que deben recuperar Vincent Vega y Jules Winnfield para su jefe, Marsellus Wallace, nunca es revelado. De este modo, siendo imprescindible para que avance la película, que sea una u otra cosa no modifica la trama.
- En Ronin (película), varios mercenarios y ex-soldados de las fuerzas especiales, entre ellos Sam (Robert de Niro) y Vincent (Jean Reno), son contratados para robar una misteriosa caja. Nunca se da a conocer el contenido de la misma.
- En busca del arca perdida, el arqueólogo Indiana Jones es contratado por el gobierno norteamericano para encontrar el Arca de la Alianza (Macguffin) antes que los nazis para impedir que se vuelvan invencibles.
- En Misión Imposible 3, de Jeffrey Jacob Abrams, a lo largo de toda la película buscan La Pata de Conejo, pero en ningún momento se devela qué es dicho objeto.
- En Wo hu cang long, de Ang Lee, la historia comienza con la búsqueda por parte de los protagonistas de la espada Destino Verde, que ha sido robada. Este suceso, pese a que da inicio a la trama, resulta tener poca relación con lo que acontece luego en la película.
Series y TV
- En La hora de José Mota, programa de entretenimiento y sketches emitido en la primera de TVE, sale una parodia en la que se insta al presidente del Gobierno español José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero a encontrar una solución para la crisis económica española. El presidente comenta que tiene todo pensando, y que la solución está en "los brotes verdes". Comenta que ha dejado a su mejor espía, el agente McGuffin, la misión de encontrar los importantes brotes verdes, y a partir de ahí se desarrollan una serie de sketches. En realidad, el nombre del espía McGuffin es tal debido a que los "brotes verdes" son el desencadenante del resto de escenas, la "excusa" para seguir con la trama, ya que realmente en ningún momento se dice qué son los "brotes verdes", ni qué función tienen. Así pues, esto es un ejemplo de mcguffin, e inteligentemente se puso al espía secreto el nombre de agente McGuffin.
Referencias
- Francois Truffaut. El cine según Hitchcock. ISBN 0-671-60429-5.
- Slavoj Zizek. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lacan (But Were Afraid to Ask Hitchcock). ISBN 0-86091-592-1.
- Alton Brown. Good Eats. Episode EA1C14.
Enlaces externos
- A.Word.A.Day — McGuffin, from the website of an amateur linguist who edited a book (ISBN 0-471-23032-4) assembled from the site's material
- FAQs Page of the Hitchcock Scholars/'MacGuffin' website