Screenwriting insights I wish I’d had 25 years ago by Allen Palmer THE SECRET TO CHARACTER IS CONTRADICTION In our first class of Dramatic Storytelling in the Grad Cert last week, we watched the opening scene of The Godfather and I asked my writers, why do we find the Don engaging and one of the first things someone said was, “The cat”. Spot on. The mafia boss is stroking a cat. Now, antagonists in James Bond and Austin Powers films have given cat-stroking a bad rap, but what was the intention of the writer here with this touch of domesticity? To provide a counterpoint to the expectations of the stereotype. It’s a contradiction and it’s the key to great characterisation. Think about Indiana Jones. Dashing, brave, handsome, fearless. Well, not quite. He’s not too keen on snakes. Contradiction. Tony Soprano. Brutal, murderous, brothel-keeping, drug running mafioso? Yes. But in episode 1 his character crisis is triggered because a family of ducks no longer comes to his backyard swimming pool. Contradiction.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 22:00:01 +0000
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