This month is Power of Love month, but this week takes a slight detour because of the biggest movie of the year so far- a true cultural phenomenon. Black Panther features examples of both the light and dark side of Power of Conscience, and it tackles themes of what is right and who gets to decide that issue.
Black Panther
Black Panther tells the story of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the recently coronated king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Built around the world’s rarest metal, Wakanda is the most technologically advanced nation on earth, and centuries ahead of everyone else in every respect. At its heart, it’s a story led by Power of Conscience character.
Power of Conscience Characters follow their own moral code and expect others to do the right thing. They operate on their own level of justice and think solely about what is right and what is wrong. Most importantly they are compelled to tackle in injustice and correct what they perceive as wrong-doing.
T’Challa’s Moral Dilemma
T’Challa must compromise his moral code to become the leader that his country needs. He is challenged by a Power of Conscience antagonist that is the seeming opposite of everything he stands for. He learns to become the kind of leader who makes decisions that are for the greater good, despite opposition.
I will try to avoid spoilers for those of you who haven’t seen the movie- Go see it yourself!
Too Good To Be King
“You’re a good man, with a good heart — and it’s hard for a good man to be king.”
One of the central dilemmas that faces King T’Challa in Black Panther is whether he should cooperate with the rest of the world and share with them what Wakanda has to offer. Many in the nation he now leads believe that the world is not ready to interact with Wakanda.
Throughout the film, T’Challa does the right thing no matter the cost. Members of his family and his heads of security disapprove. When he learns of his father’s dark past, and his connection to film’s lead antagonist, Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan), he sympathizes with Erik and realizes he must lead Wakanda in a different direction to his ancestors.
T’Challa’s journey is going from being an uncertain man who does not feel ready to carry out what he knows the be right, to a King who has conviction in his actions.
Mirror Image
Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) represents the dark side of Power of Conscience. Some people have already compared T’Challa and Kilmonger’s approaches to that of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X respectively. He is an outsider to Wakanda, determined to use Wakanda’s resources to benefit others. However, his vision is far more violent than T’Challa’s.
Erik takes it upon himself to take revenge for the injustices that the world has perpetrated on all his African forebearers. He believes that Wakanda has an obligation to help the oppressed outside of the nation. He is willing to shed blood to make sure that they rise up against inequality.
Erik shows how far Power of Conscience Characters will go to do what they believe is right. Although his intentions are noble, T’Challa knows that it will result in a scenario of endless bloodshed where no one truly wins. Erik is so blinded by his moral code that he becomes the kind of villain he wants to destroy.
Doing The Right Thing
Black Panther features both ends of the spectrum for Power of Conscience Characters. The film shows how far people are willing to go for the greater good, as they percieve it.
T’Challa becomes a better man when faced with constant challenges to his authority and beliefs. Erik is so blinded by rage and tragedy that he believes the ends justify the means. He goes too far in his attempt to conquer Wakanda and wage war on the world for past oppression.
Power of Conscience
Power of Conscience Characters provide plenty of opportunity for conflict in drama. They work well in serious or comedic stories. For more examples of Power of Conscience characters, check out my eBook about this Character Type at the ETB store.
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This month is Power of Conscience month, where most of the website’s content is dedicated to those who are justice seekers. They believe they know best what is right or wrong, and will go as far as they have to do ensure that wrong is punished or set right.
Today we’re looking at Whistleblowers. These are the men and women who call out injustice and conspiracy for the good of the people. In the real world, we have recent examples like Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, who were forced into exile for exposing Government wrongdoing.
Whilst it may have broken the law, sometimes laws are outdated and no longer work to protect the people. When this is the case, sometimes, you need to go outside the law in order to do what it right. This is exactly what any Power of Conscience character would do.
There are also Whistleblowers who don’t break the law but are suppressed and finally risk everything to do what is right. Most recently we saw Rose McGowan, among others, who drove the momentum after the accusations came out against Harvey Weinstein.
The movement became bigger than one predator because of Whistleblowers like Rose McGowan who were bullied into silence but spoke out because it was the right thing to do. Whistleblowers are always Power of Conscience characters.
An excellent example of a fictional Whistleblower is Captain America (Chris Evans), in the 2014 movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Captain America is frozen in time after WW2 and defrosted in the present day. A soldier with a boy scout mentality has his morality severely tested when he discovers that SHIELD, the espionage organization he works for, has been infiltrated by HYDRA, the villains he thought he defeated back in the 1940s, since the beginning. He has been working for the bad guys and decides to reveal this information to the public.
This action destabilizes national security and leaves the espionage community, and government, in chaos.
He may not have been a Whistleblower if he wasn’t a Power of Conscience character. He always does the right thing, even if it may have catastrophic results in the long term.
In this case, he was right to do so, but in the 2016 sequel he goes the other way and keeps information from his friends, and violates international law because he believes it is the right thing to do. Captain America is every bit as much as Power of Conscience character as Manning, Snowden, and McGowan.
This key speech from the film perfectly sums up Captain America’s motivations:
“The Price of Freedom is high, and it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
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This month is Power of Conscience month, where most of the website’s content is dedicated to those who are justice seekers. They believe only they know what is right or wrong, and will go as far as they have to do ensure that wrong is punished or set right.
We will start 2018 by examining these characters. I’ll be looking at some of these examples from TV, Film and the world of politics throughout the course of January.
Frank Castle, A.K.A “The Punisher”, in Netflix’s recent show of the same name, brings to life one of the most controversial and iconic characters in Comic Book history. Driven only by vengeance, he will not stop until everyone involved in the brutal murder of his wife and children is dead. This show and its central character are great recent examples of the Dark Side of Power of Conscience. In fact, the show is full of great Power of Conscience characters
Power of Conscience characters take the law into their own hands and exact their own unique brand of justice. They are fighting for what they believe is right, and never listen to anyone who suggests they may be wrong. Even when they are acting to protect others, they are oblivious to the fact that their approach may actually put people in harm’s way
Frank represents the darkest side of Power of Conscience- he has continued to go further and further to do what he believes is right, without listening to those who may curb his righteousness that he seems like a total lost cause, and many believe him to be nothing more than a psychopath. he has good reasons for what he is doing, but what he is doing will not bring him peace or ultimately resolve his inner conflict, or get rid of the inner demons that haunt him. Frank Castle is a tragic character because he cannot see beyond his mission. As many characters remind him in the show, “say you I’ll kill everyone involved in my family’s death- what then?” and Frank never has an answer.
The show also features David Lieberman, A.K.A. Micro (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a whistleblower who has to pretend to be dead in order to protect his family. He paid the price for doing the right thing, and Whistleblowers tend to be Power of Conscience characters. He is morally twisted and has no problem enabling Frank’s brutal murdering spree against those who have wronged him, but he represents the lighter side of Power of Conscience. He is one of the few to support Frank, and tolerate him. He understands that Frank is very much like him, but is able to go further than him in order to exact justice and vengeance, so he partners with Frank in order to achieve what he believes to be right.
He is doing it all for his family, both to protect them and eventually return home to them. But he is the only one stopping himself from getting his life back. He is too determined to finish what he started- being a Whistleblower and doing the right thing.
Frank only considers one person as family, and that is journalist Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). Karen has escaped death at the hands of brutal gangsters, vigilantes and even ninjas, but through it all, she has been dedicated to exposing corruption which she does through official channels. She could easily be viewed as a Power of Truth character, but her sense of right and wrong is more important to her than solving and mystery or exploring a conspiracy.
In the past, dangerous people have asked for her help and she has turned them down because it goes against her own moral code. The fact she is one of the few to constantly defend Frank, despite his brutal methods, shows she will support those who she believes to the good and pure in their actions, even if they cross the line.
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by Guest Contributor Oscar Harding
Three of the highest-grossing films of all time are The Avengers and the two most recent installments of the Fast & Furious franchise. Besides a blockbuster budget and total abandonment of reality, they have something in common- they are ensemble pieces featuring much-loved characters interacting with each other.
Audiences have made it clear they want very different characters to come together for massive summer events. On the smaller screen, the latest attempt at capitalizing on this success has been Netflix’s The Defenders, bringing together the main characters from their 4 original series so far. The ratings aren’t believed to have been stellar, but critically it has received mixed reviews. It is an excellent opportunity to examine how different character types interact with each other when forced together by extraordinary circumstances.
Daredevil – Power of Love
Daredevil, the heroic alias for blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is all-too-human, his decisions- rather ironically- blinded by his love for his friends, his city, his religion and the troublesome Elektra (Elodie Yung). He can never truly be a perfect superhero, despite his incredible skills and decades of training, because he lets affection get in the way.
Daredevil has been compared to Batman, but whilst both are motivated by justice, Batman is not held back by love (he is a Power of Truth character) and trusts few people. Matt, however, regularly ignores his calling because he knows it will put people in harm’s way. The only reason he teams up with Jessica, Luke and Danny is an entire city of innocent people is at stake.
Power of Love characters can be undone by there constant need to be relied on, indulging in self-pity as they believe they go above and beyond for those they love and their devotion is not returned. The more attached Daredevil gets, the more he sabotages himself, and in The Defenders his love for the antagonist constantly hinders the team’s efforts to save New York City.
But it is this personality that means he is equally reliable and will always protect his fellow teammates. In the dire situation that The Defenders find themselves in, Daredevil’s Power of Love traits are their greatest strength as well as their greatest weakness.
Jessica Jones – Power of Reason
Private eye Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is the polar opposite to Daredevil- the cynical alcoholic has little emotional attachment to anyone, driven only by the need to solve mysteries- it’s what she’s best at.
She is not obsessed with justice or love, and wants to defeat The Hand as soon as possible so she can be left alone. Everything but the mission at hand is a distraction.
Like all Power of Reason characters, be they detectives or not, Jessica sees the world as a series of puzzle to be solved, questions to be answers and codes to be cracked. The world has to adhere to set rules, and any deviation from that presents a problem. She also lacks the charm of other Private Eyes- Rick Deckard and Jake Gittes are Power of Truth characters who can use their charisma to achieve their objectives, but Jessica can’t rely on that.
Jessica, as reluctant as she is, is a vital part of The Defenders because … Luke is the emotional anchor, Daredevil is the defacto leader, and Iron Fist is the muscle, but Jessica is the one who drives the others to stay focused. Once she knows she has been proven right about this mystery that threatens New York, she is totally dedicated to the cause and never wavers. This cobbled-together team is an uneasy alliance, and when Jessica knows they are vital to restoring order, she is ruthless in making them stick to their objective.
Luke Cage – Power of Conscience
Bulletproof hero Luke Cage (Mike Colter) was once described by a nemesis as “Harlem’s Captain America”, and it’s an apt description. Like Captain America, Luke is a Power of Conscience character.
These characters believe they have to look out for others. They have a profound sense of right and wrong. Luke is no exception- He fights for what he believes to be moral and right. He will sacrifice everything to be Harlem’s hero, looking out for the residents of the borough because he thinks no one else will.
He encounters the rest of The Defenders whilst on a mission to deliver justice for a resident of Harlem who has been ruined by the secret organization, The Hand. The others cross paths whilst undertaking a quest or to solve a mystery- only Luke is acting out of the interest of someone else. This action speaks volumes about his character.
As part of an ensemble, he is the real anchor of the group. Jessica is reluctant to be part of the team every step of the way, Daredevil is blinded by his love for the enemy. Danny is unfocused in terms of who he is, and his mission. Luke has to remind them why they are fighting, who they are fighting for, and what is at stake. Like Jessica, he is reluctant to be part of The Defenders but understands it is necessary for them to stand to together. He is their moral compass and their steadying influence is essential with a group of such wildcards.
Iron Fist – Power of Ambition
Danny Rand (Finn Jones) refers to himself by the mouthful of a title “The Immortal Iron Fist, Protector of K’un-L’un and sworn enemy of The Hand”. It’s pretty obvious that he puts up a front to impress others.
He thinks that focusing on the mission will make him impervious to criticism, and will gain him the respect of others. Power of Ambition characters like Danny seek approval and often put on a facade to make themselves seem worthy of that approval. Whether they be ninjas with a magic hand or more pedestrian characters like Michael Scott or David Brent.
Danny has a reason for this behavior that does evoke empathy- the only survivor when his family’s plane crashed in the Far East, the young Danny was taken in by an ancient order of Monks and trained to be a weapon. He effectively has been brainwashed rather than having developed true conviction. Such a tragic childhood means he is searching for people that will accept him and give him the love he hasn’t received since his parents’ death.
Danny is the one that brings together The Defenders- since he has the most knowledge of the enemy and their evil plan. He becomes the key to The Hand’s scheme which has been centuries in the making. Danny finally becomes the center of attention for good and bad reasons. He gets what he wants but has to learn humility and realize he has found, in The Defenders, the honest acceptance he has craved since he was an orphaned child.
For more examples of all the character types, you can purchase my in-depth e-books at the ETB shop, or you can read more articles on all the “Power Of…” types including James Bond, Doctor Who, Batman and Sherlock Holmes, every Tuesday.
There are also 9 pinterest boards full of character examples online. Check them out and let us know at [email protected] if you have any other suggestions.
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This week I am busy in Copenhagen so I offer an excellent essay by Patrick H Willems. His video discusses the character problems in the latest batch of DC films.
This essay was released before Wonder Woman, which has come some way to fixing what Willems talks about. With Justice League right around the corner, audiences will be anticipating Wonder Woman’s return. There is lots of work to be done in the franchise to make the two returning characters and two brand-new characters add and not detract from the sequel.
My own take on Batman: The Dark Knight Rises can be found HERE
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Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, is a powerful portrayal of a Power of Truth character. I liked the film a lot.
Nolan’s whole Batman trilogy is remarkably consistent in its emotional and psychological characterizations. In the Emotional Toolbox method, rather than looking at genre, the essential emotional force driving the movie is analyzed. Nolan’s trilogy is a series of complex multi-layered Power of Truth stories.
These kinds of stories are driven by secrets, lies, conspiracies, or concealment. In the opening of The Dark Knight Rises a huge lie is rotting at the heart of Gotham City.
Bruce Wayne/Batman languishes in disgrace, broken and hiding in his cavernous mansion. Harvey Dent, who had become the criminally insane Two Face in the previous film, The Dark Knight, has been put on a pedestal and is revered as a hero. His crimes are concealed and even blamed on Batman.
When the terrorist villian Bane takes over Gotham he exposes the lie. Bane says: “Behind you stands a symbol of oppression; Blackgate Prison, where a thousand men have languished under the name of this man.”
Bane holds up a picture of Harvey Dent and continues, “Harvey Dent, has been held up to you as the shining example of justice …You have been supplied with a false idol to stop you from tearing down this corrupt city. Let me tell you the truth about Harvey Dent from the words of Gotham’s police commissioner, James Gordon.”
Bane quotes Gordon’s letter, “‘The Batman didn’t murder Harvey Dent, he saved my boy then took the blame for Harvey’s appalling crimes so that I could, to my shame, build a lie around this fallen idol. I praised the mad man who tried to murder my own child but I can no longer live with my lie. It is time to trust the people of Gotham with the truth and it is time for me to resign.'”
Bane asks the crowd, “And do you accept this man’s resignation? Do you accept the resignation of all these liars? Of all the corrupt?”
Police Officer John Blake watches the speech on television says to Police Commissioner Jim Gordon, “Those men were locked up for eight years in Blackgate and denied parole under the Dent Act, based on a lie?”
Gordon explains, “Gotham needed a hero …”
Blake is disgusted, “You betrayed everything you stood for.”
The Dark Knight Rises and all Power of Truth stories chronicle the most profound and personal betrayals. These stories also ask: when does betrayal look like loyalty and when does loyalty looks like betrayal? These stories’ twists, turns, treachery, and reversals, changes everything the character believes is true. All the character holds dear is destroyed.
One of the major betrayals at the heart of the film is Alfred Pennyworth’s omission in telling Bruce Wayne what happened just before Bruce’s great love, Rachel Dawes, died. Alfred argues against Bruce re-emerging as Batman, revealing the truth.
Alfred says, “I’ll get this (package) to Mr. Fox, but no more. I’ve sewn you up, I’ve set your bones, but I won’t bury you. I’ve buried enough members of the Wayne family.”
Bruce Wayne can’t believe Alfred would leave him.
Alfred explains, “You see only one end to your journey. Leaving is all I have to make you understand, you’re not Batman anymore. You have to find another way. You used to talk about finishing a life beyond that awful cape.”
Bruce argues that Rachel died believing that the two of them would be together; that was his life beyond the cape. He can’t just move on. She didn’t, she couldn’t.
Alfred reluctantly tells the truth, “What if she had? What if, before she died, she wrote a letter saying she chose Harvey Dent over you? And what if, to spare your pain, I burnt that letter?”
Bruce accuses Alfred of just using Rachel to try to stop him.
Alfred is adamant. “I am using the truth, Master Wayne. Maybe it’s time we all stop trying to outsmart the truth and let it have its day. I’m sorry.”
Bruce can’t believe his ears. “You’re sorry? You expect to destroy my world and then think we’re going to shake hands?”
Alfred sadly admits that he knows what exposing this truth means. “It means your hatred… and it also means losing someone that I have cared for since I first heard his cries echo through this house. But it might also mean saving your life. And that is more important.”
Bruce Wayne turns on Alfred and bids him an angry good-bye.
Alfred’s action precisely echoes what Batman himself does at the end of the previous film, The Dark Knight. At the end of that film, Batman takes on the burden of Two Face’s crimes to give Gotham a “hero.” Batman turns himself into someone he’s not in the eyes of the public. Like Alfred tries to “save” Bruce Wayne/Batman from the truth, Batman tries to “save” Gotham from the truth.
In Power of Truth stories, like Nolan’s Batman triology, things are never what they seem. The tangled undergrowth of human duplicity catches and pulls at every character in the film.
In The Dark Knight Rises, deep below Gotham, a secret city seethes in rebellion. The terrorist Bane rises from underground to take over Gotham. His complex subterranean lair tunnels under Gotham and undermines its very foundations. The hidden criminal enclave is a visual symbol that under the assumptions of the slick shiny city surface dark deceit and a world of pain wait– For Batman and for anyone else in Gotham City.
]]>The character moments were my favorite parts of the movie because, I confess, the 3-D gave me a splitting headache and the action scenes go on a tad long for my personal taste.
The movie begins with the premise that humanity will be annihilated if Loki, the bitter banished demigod, opens a hole in space to let in an invading mechanized army. Loki is adopted, hates his brother, Thor, and wants to destroy the earth Thor loves and protects.
This crisis brings together the reluctant Avengers teammates. Each portrays his or her Character Type with nearly pitch perfect attitude and dialogue.
Loki is a Power of Idealism demi-god villain: Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and these Character Types believe they are meant for some kind of heroic destiny.
He says: I am Loki, of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose.
These characters are “divas” and want to be seen as special, unique, and extraordinary– something out of reach for Loki, who is always in the shadow of his more perfect “brother” Thor. It was Thor who got all the glory and Loki is furious about that. A bit of dialogue says it all–
Tony Stark: Loki wants everyone to see what he’s doing.
Steve Rogers: Yeah, I caught his act at Stuttengard.
Tony Stark: That was a preview, this will be opening night. Loki’s a full-fledged diva, everything’s got to be about him. He wants a parade, flowers, anything that’ll bring in an audience. He needs someplace where everyone can see it’s him and he’s doing it, somewhere where his name is up in lights!
Thor is a Power of Love demigod: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) uses his strength and power to care for and protect the earth. Despite everything, he still is attached to his adoptive brother, Loki, as evidenced in the following exchange:
Bruce Banner: I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy’s brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him.
Thor: Have a care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother.
Natasha Romanoff: He killed eighty people in two days.
Thor: He’s adopted.
Thor is the son of Gaea, the nurturing mother earth herself. In his comic book backstory Thor is a caring doctor, Donald Black, who is willing to defy the might of Asgard for the woman he loves. Power of Love characters are incredibly strong characters and are ferociously unstoppable when something they love and care for is in threatened.
Iron Man is a Power of Excitement man-made superhero in his mechanized suit: In his own words he is Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. In addition, he’s a jokester and an agent of chaos, who loves to stir things up. He’d especially like to see the Hulk get unleashed.
He says: “Dr. Banner, your work is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”
Stark speaks frequently in the movie about escape or wanting to escape. Steve Rogers, Captain America, chides him for that saying Stark doesn’t have it in him to make the “sacrifice play” that puts others first. Tony Stark’s rakish push-the-envelop devil-may-care attitude continually presses everyone’s buttons in the story, but his charm, ready wit, and natural talent as an improvisor helps save the day.
Captain American is a Power of Conscience government laboratory experiment turned superhero: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a super-soldier who believes in following rules, following orders, and the importance of the chain of command. He can seem a little stiff and humorless at times but he is 100% reliable, trustworthy, and always puts the good of the team first. The difference between Rogers and Stark is summed up in this exchange:
Steve Rogers: We have orders, we should follow them.
Tony Stark: Following’s not really my style.
Steve Rogers: And you’re all about style, aren’t you?
Tony Stark: Of the people in this room, which one is A – wearing a spangly outfit and B – not of much use?
Stark surprises Rogers at the climax. And Rogers learns to improvise more, following Stark’s example.
The Hulk is a Power of Will gamma ray experiment gone-wrong superhero: Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), in his Hulk state, is all angry impulse. He is primitive. He’s strong. He is a mass of instinctual drives and impulses that only finds satisfaction in “Hulk smash!” In his normal human state Banner controls his anger enough to be a protector (as a doctor in remote India) rather than a destroyer. But his raw uncontrollable instinctual side is never far away.
Steve Rogers: Doc… I think now is the perfect time for you to get angry.
Bruce Banner: That’s my secret Cap, I’m always angry.
The Black Widow is a Power of Truth super-spy: Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) doesn’t have super powers per se but she is as skilled a warrior as any of her other Avengers teammates. She lives in a spy vs. spy world that is filled with hidden dangers, secretive enemies, and concealed pitfalls. With the Black Widow– “Things are never what they seem.” “Trust no one.” “Question everything.” “Watch out for secret agendas and hidden pitfalls.” Just when an adversary thinks she is most vulnerable she is actually conducting a brilliant and treacherous interrogation.
Hawkeye is a Power of Reason ultra-expert archer: Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is a loner and a bit alienated, the perfect combination for his backstory and continuing role as sniper. He is a cold and calculating and spends the first half of the movie under the mind control of Loki.
There isn’t time for very much character development in The Avengers, but what there is is spot on. Each hero is absolutely true to his or her Character Types in both word and deed. When every bit of dialogue and action has to count as character development, the Character Types will help you be as economical and on target as the characters here.
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I had an interesting email exchange with a reader and wanted to post my reply. He took issue with the muddy plot in The Dark Knight.
Several critics agree and one reviewer blasts the movie on that score saying: “Nolan’s latest exploration of the Batman mythology steeps its muddled plot in so much murk that the Joker’s maniacal nihilism comes to seem like a recurrent grace note.” The review goes on to decry the “airless complexity” of the story.
The Dark Knight is a classic example of the Emotional Toolbox premise that– “In the battle between reason (plot) and emotion (connection), emotion ALWAYS wins.”
Audiences will forgive almost anything if the emotional connection in a film is strong enough. If the emotional bond isn’t strong enough then very little else will salvage a movie.
The country seems to be in a very pessimistic mood these days. Polls are showing more people losing confidence in the economy and feeling like the country is headed in the wrong direction than any time since the Great Depression. The Dark Knight reflects the general sense of being trapped in choices, all of which are bad.
We also haven’t fully mourned our fallen in Iraq either. We never see their coffins coming home. We never see any of the funeral ceremonies. We keep putting on foot in front of the other despite the enormous personal and emotional cost. I think that is what Batman is forced to do. He even continues the fight under false assumptions– Alfred burned the note Rachel sent him.
If you’ve just come to my blog– there is a short essay about The Joker in an earlier post. His role is so pivotal in all of this. What we fear most is chaos. That’s what people sense right now– being on the edge of chaos.
The Dark Knight is hooking into emotional themes beyond the movie’s plot points. The question for any writer, not just those who write about Super Heroes, is– How does your script connect with the deeper emotions of your audience?
Mark Gill gave a powerful keynote before the NALIP Conference
He says in part:
Quality of emotional content is what matters, period. In a world with too many choices, companies are finally realizing they can’t risk the marketing money on most movies.
In the end, all of this (effort in movie-making) has to add up, seamlessly if possible, to something that moves us– to the quality of the emotional content. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about thrills, laughs, tears, or an adrenaline rush. What matters is that we are engaged and, ideally, emotionally transformed and satisfied.
In a world increasingly dominated by numbers– financial, technological and most importantly the finite number of hours in a day, our very human desire for contact, meaning and emotional transformation isn’t going away. It’s growing. Those who remember that will survive and most probably win.
That is the premise on which I founded The Emotional Toolbox and creating that emotional authenticity and connection is at the core of The Nine Character Types eBooks.
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I am still looking out over the hills and trees of the rolling area surrounding the Mississippi River, thinking about the latest Batman movie. The Dark Knight is a powerful and classic Power of Truth film.
In a Power of Truth film things are never what they seem. None of the major characters in The Dark Knight are what they seem at first glance. The tangled undergrowth of human duplicity catches and pulls at every character in the film.
In the beginning of the film, Batman tries to find out the truth about one thing: a spectacular bank robbery. Over the course of the film, he finds out the truth about a larger thing: what happens to human nature under the extreme duress of chaos. In the end, he finds out the truth about himself: he is both stronger and weaker than he imagined.
In the movie, criminal acts are just the surface. This surface, upon closer inspection, is tangled up with its own deeper undergrowth of human darkness. Once the surface of the crime is cracked, chasms open that no one could have imagined.
Batman is continually looking for answers that elude him. He is caught in the eternal Power of Truth paradox: Seeking certainty in an uncertain world only brings more uncertainty. Who is he? Does Gotham need him? Will he break his “one rule” to save the woman he loves? How “bad” is he willing to be to do “good”? How easy would it be for him to permanently cross over into the Dark Side?
Christian Bale, the actor who plays Batman says: “Now you have not just a young man in pain attempting to find some kind of an answer, you have somebody who actually has power, who is burdened by that power, and is having to recognize the difference between attaining that power and holding on to it.” What is the real truth about Batman?
Not only is Bruce Wayne not what he seems. Batman is not what he seems. At the end of the film, he takes on the burden of Two Face’s crimes to give Gotham a “hero,” turning himself into someone he’s not in the eyes of the public. Batman tries to “save” Gotham from the truth.
Lt. James Gordon speaks of Batman’s new role saying: “Because he’s the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now… and so we’ll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he’s not a hero. He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector… a dark knight.”
Batman says: “Sometimes, truth isn’t good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.” Alfred, by destroying Rachel’s final farewell letter echoes Batman sentiments and saves Batman, himself, from the awful truth that Batman had lost Rachel long before she died.
Everyone in the film is bound up in the tangled undergrowth of human duplicity.
There’s more about Power of Truth characters and stories in my forthcoming eBooks on The Nine Character Types.
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Today I’m sitting on a screened porch in Wisconsin, on vacation, and taking a closer look at another Character Type in The Dark Knight. Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s long-time friend, confident and butler, is a classic Power of Love character.
A character driven by the Power of Love is often someone who tirelessly pushes another forward in a story. Although typically developed as a female character, a Power of Love character can also be a compelling male ensemble player (or even lead). These characters— often soft-spoken, gentle and compliant on the outside— are made of strong, even steely, stuff on the inside. They believe the best place to be is the “power behind the throne.”
All these qualities are very evident with Alfred. His courtesy and refined manners mask a steely determination and protectiveness on Bruce Wayne/Batman’s behalf. Alfred stands just behind Batman’s power and is a subtle but strong presence in the story.
Alfred: I suppose they’ll lock me up as well. As your accomplice…
Bruce/Batman: Accomplice? I’m going to tell them the whole thing was your idea.
In a large part the whole concept of Batman is Alfred’s idea. Bruce/Batman’s continuing story hinges on a key action Alfred takes.
Power of Love characters are defined by their determination. They will not give up on whatever goal, scheme or objective they have in mind for the object of their attention. These characters sincerely do believe they know what is best for others. They can be very cunning in controlling and manipulating others (always for the other person’s own welfare).
Alfred advises, consoles and prods Bruce/Batman through-out the film. Rachel entrusts Alfred with the note that, ironically, are her last words. Alfred first delivers Rachel’s farewell note and then surreptitiously takes it and burns it. He does so out of love for Bruce/Batman, and he sincerely believes he (Alfred) knows what is best. Maybe so, but Alfred also deprives Bruce/Batman of the truth and the last words of the woman he loves.
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