Elements of Film:
Conflict:
All films MUST have conflict – it is a device used for expressing a struggle between the protagonist
and antagonist within the story. Without conflict, there are only events, no story. The conflict is a
discord that can have external aggressors or can even arise from within the mind of the main
characters. Conflict can occur as a metaphor when the protagonist is battling his/her own inner
discord.
Types of Conflict
External vs. Internal
An external conflict is a physical obstacle that prevents a character from achieving a goal, such as
your computer crashing minutes before a paper’s deadline.
In Little Miss Sunshine (2006), one external conflict the family has to overcome is the distance. They
have to travel from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, California. If you’ve seen this
film, you’ll remember that the screenwriter throws endless obstacles or external conflicts their way
to build suspense and to drive character development:
Internal conflict is a psychological barrier or doubt that exists inside the character’s head that
also prevents him or her from comfortably achieving a goal: We all suffer internal conflicts. So, to
make characters real, they should have them as well. It is worth noting that an internal conflict is
NOT a mental issue (though it certainly can be). Internal conflicts don’t have to be overdramatized -All you need is a character torn between two impulses.
Source of Conflict
From where does the conflict stem? Does it come from nature, society, a villain, or the protagonist
himself? The writer has to know this from the get-go because the answer will be the primary driving
conflict of the movie.
A good example might be Steve Carell’s “Crazy, Stupid, Love”.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK68Y3oMEk8) There are 2 concomitant stories—the conflict
between Steve and his wife and the conflict between his new friend and the friend’s own inner
demons. The secondary conflict is necessary to bring resolution to the primary conflict faced by
Carell. However, when the conflict is more overt, ex: a good/evil story perhaps, there usually needs
to be several secondary conflicts within their own sub-plots or stories to add nuance to the
characters.
Other Examples:
The Pianst: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIRLLPa-j9o
The protagonist is a Polish Jew who is hiding from the Germans during the Holocaust in an
abandoned building. He faces conflict through his survival, finding food, and staying hidden.
This conflict makes him the initial protagonist. However, a new conflict arises as a German
captain finds him and spares his life. Because the audience sees a twist, where the antagonist
(Germans) become a secondary protagonist, the audience is no longer clear who is “good” and
who is “evil.” The conflict here is also interesting because it becomes non-human—taking the
form of anticipation and uncertainty.
he Dark Knight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ5U8suTUw0
i. Main Conflict: Batman vs. Joker (this is an “archetypal” conflict of good vs.
evil)
ii. Secondary Conflicts
1. Love Interest w/ Rachel and Harvey Dent
2. Batman vs. Two-Face
Examples within categories:

Man against Man (or a Monster/Villain)
o High Noon
o Any James Bond film
o The Mummy
o Silence of the Lambs



Man against Society:
o The People vs. Larry Flynt
o The Shawshank Redemption
o 12 Angry Men
o Gladiator
Man against Nature:
o Jaws
o Dante’s Peak
o The Perfect Storm
o Titanic
o Gravity
Man against Himself
o A Beautiful Mind
o Good Will Hunting
o The Lost Weekend
Compounded Conflict:
Most good movies have more than 1 conflict.
It’s these combinations that produce richly dramatic situations.
For example, the main conflict in Jaws is killing the shark (Man Against Nature). But how does that
goal come about? Sheriff Brody merely wants to protect the citizens in his town. The easy solution
would be to simply close the beach, but the Mayor is worried that reports of a shark attack would
ruin the summer tourist season, so the Mayor overrules the Sheriff (Man Against Society and
Another Man). Brody still wants to protect the townspeople, but the solution to hunt the beast
himself is not an easy decision because he’s aqua-phobic (Man Against Himself). When his son
nearly escapes a shark attack, Brody finally decides to take matters in his own hand, finally placing
the Man Against Nature conflict front and center.
Thread:
A thread is a symbol that shows up repeatedly throughout the film. It serves as a metaphor for the
conflict. The thread also provides foreshadowing for future events—either as a physical symbol or
an implied or metaphorical foreshadowing. The thread should tie the various storylines/sub-plots
together. Ex. Do you remember the movie Borat? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_I3tIjztj8) -The main character’s ongoing use of “mis-translated” English was a thread throughout the film and,
it was that thread that set Borat on his Odyssey and which eventually tied together all his “glorious”
sub-plots.
Further Examples
1. Zoolander - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG0VyjZyO7Y
- The hyperbolic stupidity of models in this movie is the thread that drives the larger
commentary on beauty and popular culture in society. Derek and the other models’
excessive ignorance leads to the main conflict and resolution of the movie.
2. Sixth Sense - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG9AGf66tXM
- The color red reoccurs as a thread throughout the movie, tying together the scenes
in which dead people are present. This thread subtly foreshadows the surprise
ending that Bruce Willis’ character is actually dead.
3. Fight Club – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sAeCVm3unw
- Throughout the movie there are quick flashes of Brad Pitt whenever Edward
Norton is faced with a conflict that he can react to in two different ways. This
thread connects the sub-plot that leads up to the twist ending where the audience
finds out Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are the same person.
4. Darkness Falls - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfvAF-UdS_o
- The light protecting the characters from the tooth fairy throughout the movie
appears as a more overt thread, as it foreshadows the main conflict and resolution
of the movie. The light as “thread” also serves as foreshadowing by being the tool
in which the main character kills the tooth fairy.
5. V for Vendetta- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rRn8kM4-ds
-
Roses reappear as a thread throughout the movie. The rose connects the people
that V kills and eventually reveals itself as a symbol for V’s vendetta against the
government and his will to live.
"Storyline" versus “plot” or (events versus causation):
The story is no more than the unfolding of events. A chronology (sometimes linear—sometimes
non-linear) of occurrences—think “what” happens in the movie. In truth, there exists but a few
storylines—think: “The rogue cop”, “the killer alien”, “the boy who looses the girl that he must get
back”, -- each is a retelling of the same storyline--the modern Odyssey”…The concept of plot is
much more complicated and necessitates much more thought. The plot usually necessitates some
form of a pattern, unintended or intentional, that threads the story together. If the storyline equals
“what” occurred, the plot is the “how”. The plot allows the conflict faced by the protagonist to end
in some sort of resolution. It’s also the causation that allows the antagonist to fall. Well conceived
plots usually consider: a) how characters come in conflict with one another b) how characters come
in conflict with their surroundings and c) how characters come in conflict with themselves. W/o a
realistic plot, your story will seem overly contrived and quite predictable. When I think of twisted
plots, I always go back to “The Matrix”---( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8e-FF8MsqU) -remember the first in the series—nothing was real—who saw that plot twist coming—not me….
Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rl1TJG17Wk – Project X
Storyline: A group of high school outcasts throw a house party in attempt to become popular
Plot: parents leave for the night, friend convinces protagonist to throw a party, word spreads quick
and party escalates, neighborhood burns down, punishments ensue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL-SxArNcGk – Rocky
Storyline: Underdog overcomes great odds to go the distance with the world champion Apollo
Creed
Plot: begins fighting under poor conditions and barely wins against a nobody, starts training hard,
odds are against him, movie glamorizes Appolo as protagonist, fight begins, getting beat bad looks
like he will get knocked out quick, rocky the underdog disproves everyone by going the distance,
becomes hero as plot twists antagonist into protagonist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyVEHIO6jZ0 – Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Storyline: Boy gets heart broken by girl, finds new, better girl in the end
Plot: girl breaks up with boy, boy morns and tries to win her back, boy finds new girl, old girl then
wants him back, new girl gets mad at him looks like he might end up alone, boy wins new girl back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cnoM8EiGGU – Brave heart
Storyline: Man defies a tyrannous king and battles for his countries freedom
Plot: unfair treatment by king, Scottish poor living conditions and minimal training, leader rises and
takes control of army, leads army into battle for freedom, outnumbered and looks like they will lose,
hero dies for country’s freedom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kzcwcQA1Q Warrior
The story of two brothers who were separated and both started MMA fighting again. The major turn
in the plot was when these brothers met and fight in the championship. Raises complex questions
about WHO is the protagonist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VnyXEWrSD4 Wedding Crashers
Wedding Crashers is the simple story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy does everything to
get girl back. The event that was important to twisting the plot was when John and Jeremy are
caught for crashing weddings. Now John has to do everything he can to get the girl of his dreams
back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GokKUqLcvD8 Batman the Dark Night Rises
This is the story of good vs evil. The plot twists when Batman is exiled to jail and has to train and
regain his strength to escape and save Gotham. I.e. protagonists turns into antagonists and then
turns back into a protagonist (emblematic of the epic tale).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zl7S1LaPMU Lawless
This is another story of good vs evil. Good being a group of illegal moonshiners in Virginia and evil
being the police. The twist in plot would be when the Bondurants' best friend Cricket gets killed by
the police and sets Jack on a rampage and the other brothers have to join in—bringing their
characters’ “character” into question.
Arc:
In any effective story, both plots and characters must arc (i.e. transition) toward or away from
something. As an example, a seemingly evil character might arc slowly toward being the hero by
movie’s end. If not, predictability will result and likely bore the audience. As you evaluate the arc of a
character or storyline, consider (a) the predictability of the arc; (b) how the arc creates suspense,
develops characters, and extends plot; and (c) how the arc treats conventional themes (i.e. the
rogue cop who takes justice into his own hands) and makes them appear either unique or even more
formulaic. As an example, in the film, The Godfather, Michael Corleone’s character—once despising
his father’s crime syndicate is seen initially as a hero character. However, when his father is
attacked, and Corleone seeks retribution, his actions set him up as the future leader of the crime
family. In this way, his character arcs toward evil.
Good Examples:
The Sixth Sense: Link
The movie depicts the relationship of a child physiologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis), and one
of his patient’s nine-year-old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who “sees dead people”. Throughout
the movie, Crowe helps Cole discover the purpose of his gift as well as how to cope. With the
conclusion of the film, viewers realize that Crowe was in fact dead and was unknowingly killed at the
beginning of the film. The movie has arced from the direction of Cole’s conflict with ghosts to
Crowe’s value as a ghost.
The Village: Link
The Village community members are initially portrayed as victims to the creatures of the
surrounding forest. It is forbidden for the individuals of the community to enter the forest, however,
due to the need for medicine, Ivy Elizabeth Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard), ventures into the forest
where she (surprisingly) meets no creatures. Until this point in the film, the movie has arced towards
the stressors of survival with these fearful creatures. The arc twists and shifts immediately once she
discovers that the Village was actually a community established in the late 1970s by Edward Walker,
a professor of American History at the University of Pennsylvania.
The Prestige: Link
The Prestige depicts two magicians who are competing for popularity. At first they obtain relatively
even status but then, Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), in an attempt to arc his character, comes up
with an unexplainable trick involving teleportation that Robert Angler (Hugh Jackman) can’t
replicate. Robert Angler obsesses over this until he is able to replicate the trick using science, by
cloning himself. In the end, it is revealed that Alfred has a hidden twin brother that he uses to
“replicate” himself, thereby arcing his character downward.
Shutter Island: Link
There are a series of unexplained occurrences at a mental institution that Leonardo DiCaprio is
investigating. Through his investigation it is revealed that he is actually a patient of the institution
and is living out a fantasy, designed by the institution. As such, DiCaprios character shifts arc
(protagonist to antagonist) throughout the film.
Black Swan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntb6Kbh3NI8
It seems that Lily is out to get Nina from the start, eager to ruin her and to steal her role
as the Black Swan. She is presented as the antagonist, and the entire movie leads up to
their final conflict. Nina stabs Lily with broken glass, and believes that she has killed
her. Upon seeing Lily moments later, however, Nina realizes that she had imagined all
of it- the conflict with Lily had been a hallucination. In reality, she stabbed herself,
believing it to be Nina. The arc of this story ends with a role reversal- in reality, Nina
was her own worst enemy.
-
Titanic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJIQDBWQkZE
The story seems to be leading to Jack and Rose leaving the Titanic and starting a life
together. Rose has chosen to give up her riches and her fiancé, and has chosen Jack, her
one true love. They overcome Jack’s arrest, Rose’s attempted suicide, and several other
obstacles throughout the film, and it seems that the story is arcing to their happy
ending. Jack dies to save Rose while the ship is sinking, however, leaving Rose alone
without her family or anything to her name.
-
The Others
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_WiVEBST6I
Nicole Kidman’s character believes that her house is haunted, and that she is the victim
of all kinds of strange visits by ghosts. She does her best to rid her family of them
throughout the movie. She is presented as the protagonist, but at the end of the movie
it is revealed that she is in fact one of the ghosts that inhabits and haunts the house.
The arc, and the direction that the story is going, changes completely from the line it
has been on.
Resolution:
In virtually every action-adventure film, good triumphs over evil. From The Hunger Games to Harry
Potter, the central conflict between good and evil is always met with a resolution by the film’s end.
As an example, did you ever watch a movie with a plot that goes something like this ---- “boy meets
girl, boy looses girl, boy gets girl back—(why does this theme persist)? Isn’t it totally predictable at
this point? Why do we keep spending our $ on these films? We know that invariably, there will be
resolution b/t the central characters (the cliché “happy ending”—trust me, the boy will do something
ennobled to win the girl back—in the rare cases when he doesn’t, there’s always a secondary leading
man who steps in as Prince Charming) While these films are a “fait du complet”, the moment of
“resolution” (if hidden, covert, or twisted) will make the story seem wholly unexpected. This is why
each new incarnation of the same theme still attracts new audiences. Simply, the plot remains
static while the point of resolution remains indeterminate. The events that lead to this resolution
must also present the antagonist with a moment for redemption. Be careful of films that try to do
this in overtly simply ways. Ex. Have you ever heard of the term “Deus ex Machina”? This is an often
criticized form of bringing resolution. It refers to the film’s use of an implausible twist, concept, or
character to bring resolution. Deus ex Machina is brought into the story in order to make the
conflict in the story resolve and to bring about a pleasing solution w/o having to think through real
causation. Did you ever watch the show Rosanne (Roseanne Barr—ABC- 1988-’97) that ran for a
decade. They couldn’t think of how to pull together all the subplots as the series ended so, the
writers used Deus ex Machina by saying, in the last episode, that the entire series was just a dream.
(The use of Deus ex Machina is not recommended as it is seen to be one marker of a poor plot where
the writer needs to resort to random, insupportable and unbelievable twists and turns to reach the
end (i.e. resolution)
of the story. Another good example of a bad resolution is the “Authorial Intrusion”—think “Being
John Malkovich” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icysehz-OVc )—This device is where a
character, steps out of character, and speaks out to the viewer directly. Typically considered uncool.
Woody Allen does this a lot too. Authorial Intrusion establishes a “one to one” relationship between
the writer and the viewer –it’s oftentimes considered a sloppy or lazy way to create or forward a
resolution.
Examples:
National Treasure
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHCGwPPOTG8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnHiF6VqogU
The resolution of this movie is when Benjamin Gates (Nicholas Cage) and his
crew find the hidden treasure and a way out of the treasure room. At the end of
the movie, other treasure hunters are following Gates and his team. However,
the Gates family knows the secret of where the treasure is and they are able to
trick the other treasure hunters by giving them a false clue so the antagonists
will leave. After being followed, threatened, and abandoned by other greedy
treasure hunters, the team suddenly finds the treasure in an unexpected twist,
allowing for a dramatic resolution .
Back to the Future (Part I)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM5EYO5wWMA
In Back to the Future Part I, Marty McFly (the wonderful Michael J. Fox) is
trapped in 1955 due to a time traveling experiment. Once in 1955, the
DeLorean that Marty must use in order to get back to 1985 needs repair.
However, the electricity/plutonium needed in order to generate this act is not
available in 1955. The conflict is resolved (creating resolution) when Dr.
Emmett Brown helps Marty get back to 1985 by harnessing a lighting strike
into the flux capacitor. Also, another part of the resolution includes Marty
being able to save Doc from being shot by the Libyan terrorists.
The Blind Side
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13G-1-qMG4Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA8H4sshwS0
The resolution of The Blind Side is established when Michael (Big Mike) decides
to return to his “foster family” and play football for Ole Miss. The choice to play
football at Ole Miss shows Michael’s insertion into the family unit and also his
triumph over the conflict with the NCAA (one of the film’s antagonists)
allegations.
Other Examples within specific genres:
Drama: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – Slumdog Millionaire’s resolution occurs when the main
character wins “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and reunites with his lost love. Because the
resolution effectively solves the main conflict, the audience leaves feeling like they just saw a
happy movie, despite the depressing elements.
Action: Argo (2012) – Argo’s is a good example of how, even with an expected resolution (the
audience knows that the American hostages get out of Iran), the audience is still on the edge of
their seats wondering “under what circumstances” the conflict will be resolved. It’s a high
intensity action movie that effectively builds up to the freeing of the hostages.
Science Fiction: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) –After three movies, the
journey of the Fellowship of the Ring is finally resolved – the ring gets destroyed, the army of
Mordor is defeated, and Aragorn becomes King. All of the factors throughout the trilogy are
resolved in this film.
Animated: The Lion King (1994) – By defeating Scar, the film’s antagonist, Simba asserts
himself as the protagonist –taking over the pride lands, enfing the conflict, and thereby
restoring power to the rightful king.
Romantic Comedy: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) – This film follows a very typical story
line – boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy makes girl angry, boy must confess his love to girl and
they live happily ever after. Even though this story line is cliché and archetypal, it is the way the
story is resolved that keeps the audience interested.
Protagonist/antagonist struggle:
Every storyline, in order to develop a plot, needs a good guy and a bad guy. Without these, there is
no plot, no arc, no resolution and no conflict—just a series of otherwise unconnected events. Every
story needs someone to root for and someone to hate. This is why we see the same themes: (i.e.
“the rogue cop” or “the killer alien”) over and over again. Early films started with “cowboys versus
Indians”. The entire 80’s were about American democracy versus Russian Communism (just take a
look at Rocky IV). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-SShi58cI)
*Note the American and Russian shorts!!
Other Examples:
Fight club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zGeS8OFjEs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
In the film "fight club" Edward Norton and Brad Pitt's characters are the protagonist and antagonist,
respectively. However, since Pitt's character 'Tyler Durden' is merely an alter ego or creation of
Norton's character's mind (which we don’t know until MUCH later in the film), we discover ONLY in
the resolution that the protagonist and antagonist in the film are actually one in the same, just two
parts of one mind; essentially a man vs. his mind. Who saw that coming? NO ONE! And that’s what
made it great!
Megamind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmFXEcI_AA4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
In the film "Megamind" Megamind, (although initially the villain) is the protagonist (as made clear
by the title of the film). His antagonist begins as Metroman, his arch nemesis, the 'good guy' to his
'bad boy', but as the story progresses, his antagonist becomes a true evil villain of his own creation,
'Titan', and with the help of his newfound love Roxanne Richie, he becomes a hero protagonist,
defeating Titan.
A Beautiful Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3G9lnyXJGU
This is an excellent example of the protagonist/antagonist dichotomy framed within the conflict of
person vs. self. One could say that John Nash, the brilliant mathematician, is the protagonist, and
his mental illness (schizophrenia) is the antagonist of the film. Nash is an excellent protagonist
because the arc of character appears sympathetic to the audience.
Milk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufhZ2yUHj9Y
Milk is an example of the conflict of person vs. society. Harvey Milk is the protagonist, and he is
fighting to become the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. The
homophobic mainstream in society is the antagonist. These attitudes are personified by Milk’s
political opponents, his father, and other characters, representative of the larger “antagonisms” of
society at that time.
Blow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8lGHQn_n9Y
This movie is interesting because the protagonist is not your traditional "good guy." In fact, most
would argue that George Jung was an incredibly selfish and dangerous cocaine dealer. However, the
audience is made to care about Jung, and thereby see his journey as reflecting perhaps our own.
Cinematography (film techniques and effects):
These might include lighting, sound, camera angles, and other elements that help to create the
mood and emotions that drive the story. For example, your favorite horror movie would certainly
seem less frightening without the sound. When composing a film review, consider these questions:
How do sound, light, camera angles, and other aspects of cinematography evoke emotion or belief?
How do camera angles and distance from the actors (e.g., close-up shot) alter both mood and
message?
These elements create the tenor and emotions that drive the story. Take a few minutes and rewatch the scariest segment of your favorite horror movie without the sound---no chills… Why?
Imagine Jack Nicholas in “The Shining” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cb3ik6zP2I ) w/o the
creepy camera angles---any heart-pounding effect? Watch a love story without the music—no
emotion….nothing…… How does sound, light, camera angles, etc tell its own story and evoke
emotion/belief? How does cinematography form its own manipulative “argument”? How does a
scene’s “composition” or the “framing” of images alter both mood and message?
Examples:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Scene: the boat ride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTfU0UPM7ME
In this scene the use of dark lighting and the “oompa loompa’s” playing of rhythmically fast and
then slow beating of the drum creates an intense feeling of impending doom. If you took the
lights and drums out, it would simply be a scene of people riding in a boat.
Crazy Stupid Love: Kissing Scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDjz2jU2oAg
The dark lighting in the bar and the direct angle of the camera on the kiss between Emma Stone
and Ryan Gosling made the scene more intimate. The music that was added as she stomps up
to kiss him adds a sense of power and confidence to her character. The rain also adds a
cinematographic effect that serves as a metaphor for the protagonist’s sense of determination
The Gangster Squad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRVvEHk7xOs
Each scene has dim and pulsing lights indicating suspense and terror. The sounds of gunshots
indicate a foreshadowing of violence. If you watched this trailer with regular light and no music
to transition into every action scene, it wouldn't be as intense and exciting to watch.
Titanic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1odYJyKBKLI
Titanic is a film with astonishing visuals and numerous examples of expert cinematography, such as
the wide camera angles showing the massive ship in its entirety and the dim/dark lighting used for
more personal/secretive scenes. The soundtrack itself, including Céline Dion's iconic song "My Heart
Will Go On," expresses the inner feelings of the characters towards each other to the audience, and
has become very popular for it's ability to do so.
Shawshank Redemption: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hB3S9bIaco
Shawshank Redemption uses basic camera angles and faded colors in order to represent the
simplicity of the prison system. The lack of music in the movie also represents the hopelessness the
prison system brings, however as the movie progresses, an increase in music symbolizes an increase
in hope for the prisoners.
Foreshadowing:
Foreshadowing: In the James Bond series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95WLwwc-OV0 ),
the character Q always provides gadgets, weapons, and cars that will prove essential to Bond’s
survival. The introduction of these gadgets anticipates, or foreshadows, the dramatic events in
which they will each be needed. If Bond used one of these tools in the film without them being first
foreshadowed, the audience would be confused and might ask: “Where did that exploding pen
suddenly come from, just in time?” Think of foreshadowing as clues or hints about what’s to come.
As you evaluate foreshadowing, consider (a) how obvious or hidden the clues are and (b) whether
foreshadowing gives away the plot.
For example, in The Wizard of Oz: http://youtu.be/VNugTWHnSfw, Dorothy meets a parallel of each
of the major characters from Oz during the first few minutes of the movie, in Kansas. The
farmhands Hunk, Zeke, and Hickory are the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man, respectively.
Miss Gulch is the Wicked Witch. Each of these characters uses lines at the beginning of the movie
that relate to some aspect of their Oz parallels (brains, courage, being a statue, and so forth).
Also, one typically ineffective way that foreshadowing might occur is in the dreaded “jump cut”
where an abrupt transition from one scene to another occurs. These cuts, “fill in the blanks” for the
viewer without having to rely on plot or character development.
Examples:
Fight Club:
There are numerous examples of foreshadowing in Fight Club that serve as evidence to support
the ending (that Jack and Tyler are the same person), thus making it more believable. One
example is when Jack beats himself up and says it reminds him of his first fight with Tyler.
http://youtu.be/SUXWAEX2jlg
The Wizard of Oz:
Dorothy meets a parallel of each of the major characters from Oz during the first few minutes of
the movie in Kansas. Hunk is The Scarecrow, Zeke is The Cowardly Lion, Hickory is the Tin Man,
and Miss Gulch is the Wicked Witch. Each of these characters uses lines that relate to some
aspect of their Oz parallels (brains, courage, being a statue…). Watch again and you’ll see.
http://youtu.be/VNugTWHnSfw
The Dark Knight: http://youtu.be/yQ5U8suTUw0
Harvey Dent says "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the
villain." In fact, he lives long enough to see himself become the villain (Two Face), but also dies
a hero because of Batman's cover up. Also, when Harvey Dent reveals the coin with two heads
before his transformation, it foreshadows him becoming Two Face.
Here are some more examples of foreshadowing.
1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnE8RitIN4s
Star wars- characters say this before something bad happens
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQIpLBLLQoQ
Inception- things aren't going as smoothly as they planned, just the start of their problems
3.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcemNhlqyA
Batman- Harvey Dent says you either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. Harvey
ends up becoming a villain
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i6mGEeKLE4
iron man - in the end tony stark receives a visitor who just so happens to be the guy who brings
together the avengers
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4kiXh8YOzk
wizard of oz- before Dorthy goes to oz you see miss gulch who is equivalent to the wicked witch
and miss gulch threatens her dog.. just like the witch does
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGeE0EqsEgo
lord of the rings- frodo says its a pity that bilbo didn't kill gollum and Gandalf says that his heart
tells him gollum has a part to play. Gollum ends up leading frodo to Mordor.
7. Lion King. Simba's comments foreshadow that something may happen to his father.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gv9sLZaA3Q
8. Star Wars characters say "I've got a bad feeling about this" before something bad occurs in
the movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Drkh0YLF8rI
9. When Maximus says "he will have his vengeance in this life or the next," the viewer may
foreshadow that there will be conflict between him and the King in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1UmHfWCw-4
10. The music in the movie clip leads viewers to foreshadow Captain Jack Sparrows importance
and prestige. Then to realize seconds later that he may also be clumsy or not as prestigious. The
viewer may also foreshadow future conflict between the authorities and Captain Jack upon his
arrival because of the unwelcome warning to pirates that is shown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7m5Int1hAA
11. The dramatic music and gun shots cause viewers to foreshadow that Bambi or Bambi's mom
might get shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eHr-9_6hCg
Allusions:
In film, an allusion can take the form of an image, piece of dialogue, or scarcely noticeable event.
The allusion is an element of foreshadowing whereby the movie refers to a well-known subject
matter such as a place, event, biblical reference, or literary work by way of a passing reference. This
reference is always intentional and offers clues or false leads into the film’s future events. When
these allusions are overt, they become predictable. Careful, the writer may actually be presenting a
false lead. If not, they can threaten the quality of the film by being too overt. The more covert the
better (up to a point of course). No one likes a film that is too thought intensive with allusions too
obscure or minutia. It is up to the viewer to draw these connections. In weaker films, cliché and
overt “archetypes” are usually employed as easy allusions. As an example of weaker, cliché, or overt
allusions, Shrek is a movie that has many. These allusions are very direct and include the three blind
mice, little red riding hood, snow white and the seven dwarfs, the gingerbread man and many other
fairy tales. Each of these tales has it’s own “moral” that the audience is overly acquainted with. This
is sloppy movie-making b/c the arc of the story is overly established by the work of other stories that
hold very particular and prior meanings to us, the viewer.
Other Examples:
Wizard of Oz
Glinda appears in a bubble filled with light. Light vs Dark is a common archetype so Glinda
appearing in a bubble filled with light alludes to her being good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33XHKS1QdBM
The Day After Tomorrow trailer
The Day After Tomorrow movie is an allusion to the many stories from religious traditions about the
world ending. Specifically this is a New Testament allusion to the book of Luke that says the end of
the world will be marked by drastic weather changes and many natural disasters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2d3OwAQGec
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone trailer
This Harry Potter movie had Fluffy (the three headed dog) in it. Fluffy was guarding the chamber
where the sorcerers’s stone was being kept. Fluffy is an allusion to the Greek mythological creature
of Cerberus. Cerberus was a three-headed dog that guarded the doors to the underworld.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W37DlG1i61s
Archetypes:
Archetypes are familiar characters or “types” that appear in many stories. Examples of archetypes
that you may recognize include:
The Hero or Heroine: Superman, Jamal (Slumdog Millionaire), Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
The Mentor/Teacher: Dumbledore (the Harry Potter series), Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)
The Devil Figure: Voldemort (the Harry Potter series), Cruella De Ville (101 Dalmatians), The Joker
(The Dark Knight)
The Star-Crossed Lovers: Romeo and Juliet, Jack and Rose (Titanic) The Damsel in Distress- Vivian
Ward (Pretty woman), Leticia Musgrove (Monsters Ball), Latika (Slumdog Millionaire
The Star Crossed Lovers- Danny and Sandy (Grease), Ian and Daphne (What a Girl Wants), Patrick
and Kat (10 things I hate about you),
The Monsters from our Childhood Dreams- Freddy Krueger (The Nightmare on Elm Street), The
Eye/ Sauron (Lord of the Rings), Poltergeist (Poltergeist)
Archetypes are immediately identifiable by film viewers, yet they run the risk of being overused.
When composing a film review, consider whether or not the archetypes hold your interest or makes
the story too predictable.
Archetypes can be an image (e.g., “the color black” representing evil), character (e.g., Mr. Miyagi in
the Karate kid representing, “the classic mentor”), or set of circumstances (e.g., the redemption
quest –think “The Lord of the Rings”) that recurs throughout history as a cultural universal. Critics
adopted the term from Carl Gustav Jung's theory of the collective unconscious.
SITUATION ARCHETYPES
1.The Quest – This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found
and brought back, will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a
leader’s illness and disability.
2.The Task – This refers to a possibly superhuman feat that must be accomplished in order to fulfill
the ultimate goal.
3.The Journey – The journey sends the hero in search for some truth of information necessary to
restore fertility, justice, and/or harmony to a land or kingdom. The journey includes the series of
trials and tribulations the hero faces along the way. Usually the hero descends into a real or
psychological hell and is forced to discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his faults.
Once the hero is at this lowest level, he must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of
the living.
4.The Initiation – This situation refers to a moment, usually psychological, in which an individual
comes into maturity. He or she gains a new awareness into the nature of circumstances and
problems and understands his or her responsibility for trying to resolve the dilemma. Typically, a
hero receives a calling, a message or signal that he or she must make sacrifices
and become responsible for getting involved in the problem. Often a hero will deny and question
the calling and ultimately, in the initiation, will accept responsibility.
5.The Ritual – Not to be confused with the initiation, the ritual refers to an organized ceremony that
involves honored members of a given community and an Initiate. This situation officially brings the
young man or woman into the realm of the community’s adult world.
6.The Fall – Not to be confused with the awareness in the initiation, this archetype describes a
descent in action from a higher to a lower state of being, an experience which might involve
defilement, moral imperfection, and/or loss of innocence. This fall is often accompanied by
expulsion from a kind of paradise as penalty for disobedience and/or moral transgression.
7.Death and Rebirth – The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the
parallel between the cycle of nature and the cycle of life. It refers to those situations in which
someone or something, concrete and/or metaphysical dies, yet is accompanied by some sign of
birth or rebirth.
8.Nature vs. Mechanistic World – Expressed in its simplest form, this refers to situations which
suggest that nature is good whereas the forces of technology are bad.
9.Battle Between Good and Evil – These situations pit obvious forces which represent good and evil
against one another. Typically, good ultimately triumphs over evil despite great odds.
10. The Unhealable Wound – This wound, physical or psychological, cannot be healed fully. This
would also indicate a loss of innocence or purity. Often the wounds’ pain drives the sufferer to
desperate measures of madness.
11. The Magic Weapon – Sometimes connected with the task, this refers to a skilled individual
hero’s ability to use a piece of technology in order to combat evil, continue a journey, or to prove his
or her identity as a chosen individual.
12. Father-Son Conflict – Tension often results from separation during childhood or from an
external source when the individuals meet as men and where the mentor often has a higher place in
the affections of the hero than the natural parent. Sometimes the conflict is resolved in atonement.
13. Innate Wisdom vs. Educated Stupidity – Some characters exhibit wisdom and understanding
intuitively as opposed to those supposedly in charge.
SYMBOLIC ARCHETYPES
1. Light vs. Darkness – Light usually suggests hope, renewal, OR intellectual illumination; darkness
implies the unknown, ignorance, or despair.
2. Water vs. Desert – Because water is necessary to life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth
or rebirth symbol. Water is used in baptism services, which solemnizes spiritual births. Similarly, the
appearance of rain in a film can suggest a character’s spiritual birth.
3. Heaven vs. Hell – Humanity has traditionally associated parts of the universe not accessible to it
with the dwelling places of the forces that govern its world. The skies and mountaintops house its
gods; the bowels of the earth contain the diabolic forces that inhabit its universe.
5. Supernatural Intervention – The gods intervene on the side of the hero or sometimes against
him.
6. Fire vs. Ice – Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth while ice like desert represents
ignorance, darkness, sterility, and death.
CHARACTER ARCHETYPES
1. The Hero – In its simplest form, this character is the one ultimately who may fulfill a necessary
task and who will restore fertility, harmony, and/or justice to a community. The hero character is the
one who typically experiences an initiation, confronts the community’s ritual (s), et cetera. Often he
or she will embody characteristics of “YOUNG PERSON FROM THE PROVINCES”, INITIATE,
INNATE WISDOM, PUPIL, and SON.
2. Young Person from the Provinces – This hero is taken away as an infant or youth and raised by
strangers. He or she later returns home as a stranger and is able to recognize new problems and new
solutions.
3. The Initiates – These are young heroes who, prior to the quest, must endure some training and
ritual. They are usually innocent at this stage.
4. Mentors – These individuals serve as teachers or counselors to the initiates. Sometimes they
work as role models and often serve as father or mother figure. They teach by example the skills
necessary to survive the journey and quest.
5. Hunting Group of Companions – These loyal companions are willing to face any number of perils
in order to be together.
6. Loyal Retainers – These individuals are like the noble sidekicks to the hero. Their duty is to
protect the hero. Often the retainer reflects the hero’s nobility.
7. Friendly Beast –These animals assist the hero and reflect that nature is on the hero’s side.
8. The Devil Figure – This character represents evil incarnate. He or she may offer worldly goods,
fame, or knowledge to the protagonist in exchange for possession of the soul or integrity. This
figure’s main aim is to oppose the hero in his or her quest.
9. The Evil Figure with the Ultimately Good Heart – This redeemable devil figure (or servant to the
devil figure) is saved by the hero’s nobility or good heart.
10. The Scapegoat – An animal or more usually a human whose death, often in a public ceremony,
excuses some taint or sin that has been visited upon the community.
11. The Outcast – This figure is banished from a community for some crime (real or imagined). The
outcast is usually destined to become a wanderer and then hero.
13. The Temptress – Characterized by sensuous beauty, she is one whose physical attraction may
bring about the hero’s downfall.
14. The Platonic Ideal – This source of inspiration often is a physical and spiritual ideal for whom the
hero has an intellectual rather than physical attraction.
15. The Unfaithful Wife – This woman, married to a man she sees as dull or distant, is attracted to a
more virile or interesting man.
16. The Damsel in Distress – This vulnerable woman must be rescued by the hero. She also may be
used as a trap, by an evil figure, to ensnare the hero.
17. The Star-Crossed Lovers – These two character are engaged in a love affair that is fated to end
in tragedy for one or both due to the disapproval of society, friends, family, or the gods.
18. The Creature of Nightmare – This monster, physical or abstract, is summoned from the
deepest, darkest parts of the human psyche to threaten the lives of the hero/heroine. Often it is a
perversion or desecration of the human body.
Archetypes are immediately identifiable by film viewers yet, they run the risk of being overused or
cliché. When composing a film review, consider whether or not the archetypes hold your interest or
make the story too predictable. Archetypes employ the use of a famous/popular concepts, persons
or objects to convey a wealth of social meaning.
Be CAREFUL class! Archetypes are immediately identifiable and run the risk of being overused.
Moral or Social Commentary
Some films seek to project social commentary or moralize as a call to political, social, or other
action. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Gregory Peck plays a lawyer in a small Alabama town in
the 1930s. By standing up for his beliefs, the protagonist offers a clear message about the need to
resist the racism pervasive in the South at the time. What makes the message strong is that his
character’s (Atticus’) morality is embodied in his actions, not openly scripted in the dialogue. Other
examples of films that offer social commentary or calls to action include Al Gore’s An Inconvenient
Truth and Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me which comments on the health risks and social ills of fast
food.
As you evaluate a film’s moral or social commentary, consider how overt that commentary is and
how it challenges, engages, or marginalizes audiences. THAT IS, No one likes a moralist or an “in
your face” messenger. Think Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAK8Cd4t0WA )
or
Spurlock’s “SuperSize Me”. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Lkyb6SU5U )
One way that “morality” or “social commentary” can be conveyed is through what’s termed
“Bildungsroman” --- This is a very popular form of storytelling whereby the author bases the plot on
the overall growth of the central character throughout the timeline of the story. As the story
progresses, the subject (main character) undergoes noticeable mental, physical, social, emotional,
moral, and often spiritual advancement and strengthening before the viewers’ eyes. This method of
offer a moral is more covert and often establishes a clear protagonist as that character fights his or
her way through some conflict (either external or internal). Typically, this arc is all in the name of
some greater “moral” to be achieved. Be careful here—like any story that seeks to create a
moral/lesson, it’s very easy to be both cliché and gauche. Being too overt here can ruin a film by
creating what’s termed a “conversion narrative”. Do you remember these movies listed below—
they each have the same “overt” morality story and all offer the same cliché message. That is,
“appreciate what you have before you lose it”.
Examples:
“Click” with Adam Sandler
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2a8k2BGxlQ&feature=player_embedded )—
“The Family Man” with Nicholas Cage
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pBb8jPGUT4&feature=player_embedded )
and
The many many many many many versions of , “A Chrisman Carol”—here’s my personal favorite
“Scrooged”—with Bill Murray. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5s-xArZvjo ) also, if you’re a
Murray fan, “Groundhog Day” is basically the same moralizing theme
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSVeDx9fk60 ). Wicked funny but, his character’s arc is wholly
predictable.
Other Examples:
Friday Night Lights
The reason Friday Night Lights is effective is presenting a moral is that it sets two messages at the
same time. First, the cliché message that winning isn’t everything and the underdog always
prevails. However, it doesn’t end there, but instead reverses our expectations in the end by showing
something a little more real--that even if you give it your all, you won’t necessarily be able to take
down Goliath. This message typically rings more true to an audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3BvhKzE-04
The Town
This movie addresses a clear moral (right versus wrong) but when it comes to the end of the movie,
the main character disregards this lesson and thereby challenges the viewers assumptions and
expectations within the story. The larger moral presented is: “no matter what you do with your life,
there is a line that you do not cross”. Interestingly, the main characters in this movie are bank
robbers—creating moral ambiguity and a more covert message on “right versus wrong”..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcXt9aUMbBk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGR4SFOimlk
- The Devils Advocate
The Devil's Advocate is a movie wherein a small town lawyer, Keanu Reeves, is visited by a highprofile lawyer from New York, Al Pacino. Throughout the movie, Reeves is mentored by Pacino on
ways to become a more effective lawyer, but is continuously faced with moral dilemmas based on
love, money, and power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMN5uQhF-Ro
- Pulp Fiction
In Pulp Fiction, Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta are two hit men who work to do the bidding of
their boss, Marcellus Wallace. The movie has multiple interweaving storylines, including a good bit
with Bruce Willis, but the above scene is one of the most memorable in the film. The falsified bible
verse is very chilling and serves to show the morality of Jackson, as a hit man, and the man robbing
the diner. Both have a moment of realization where they understand the wrongfulness of their
actions and move on from it. What makes the message strong is that “morality” is embodied in the
actions of the characters, not the dialogue.