"High Fidelity" A look at Structure

In Stephen Frear's, "High Fidelity" the structure of the film plays a significant role in the revealing of the storyline. One very significant element of the storyline is that it is non-linear. The main character, Rob Gordon plays as a narrator from an omnicient perspective. He tells the various stories of his bad relationships from age 14, through college, and into his adulthood. The plot unravels in such a way to reveal Rob's unsuccessful relationships through his eyes. The structure of the film appears to be linear in the beginning, but jumps into extended flashbacks when Rob starts to recall a past relationship. Another significant part of the structure is how Rob narrates because he addresses the audience directly several times by looking directly into the camera when he's talking.
The non- linear format of the film, makes it easier to understand why he has such problems in his relationships, although it is difficult for him to understand. It seems that he recalls things in his past to reflect on why his love life has become what is is at the present time. Since the story us essentially told through the perspective of Rob, it alters the perception of how the audience interprets the plot and more importantly, the other characters that are in his life. He looks at everyone through two perspectives, his conscious and his subconcious. It is through his subconscious that he addresses his real thoughts to the audience, but almost never to the other characters whom he encounters. So, there is almost a textual and contextual storyline to the film. Essentially, it suggests that his love life is unsuccessful because of the choices he makes and the way he treats the women he's with. As reflected in the structure of the film, his love life is filled with twists and turns that dont end well for him.