I’ve been catching up on so many shows and movies since the break began and I noticed that my taste has changed lately.
I’m not a big movie goer. I watch in the theaters mostly as a social activity and there aren’t many films I would go out of my own way for, save for a wuxia epic or a political thriller — films I can potentially use in class.
Yet I couldn’t forget three of the latest films I caught — Gran Torino, The Wrestler, and Doubt. I realize now that the films that captivate me are all character-driven.
There are too many movies that make us think of what we would do if we were in that character’s place. Just think back to all those disaster movies in the late 90′s — Who would you run to if the Earth ends tomorrow? Or all those superhero movies (which I enjoy too, by the way) — What would you do if you had those powers too? These big, epic movies are often plot-driven: Something happens, then people react.
On the contrary, I define character-driven as this: people are who they are, so things happen. I like films where I can have a conversation with myself. And when we talk, it’s not about what ifs but whens and whys. When did I feel like I have nothing else to live for? What did I do to get to back from that edge? Why (From Gran Torino and The Wrestler)? When did I allow my belief in virtue trump my sense of compassion (a major thinking point in Doubt).
Moreover, I love it that when these movies end, I am forced to be honest with myself. I appreciate looking into the arc of my own life, but not to see how it will end but how each moment is a possible beginning. I suppose that this reflects my general attitude towards people and society: we are who we are, so things happen. These character-driven films are also studies and metaphors into the human condition. I like ending a film taking away a sense that there are other ways to be human.
Perhaps this is why — if I may deviate a bit — I am fascinated by one of my new favorite heroes, Jack Bauer. I am aware that 24 is hardly character-driven, and yet the format of the show allows us to know Jack so well. I confess: my favorite moments of a season of 24 are not when Jack is in action against the bad guys, but when he has a quiet moment alone, pondering the events of the day. I thought that him breaking down in his car in the final minutes of season 3 was the only way to end it.
It’s all about character for me. Now I realize that this extends into everything else: the books I read, the comics I collect, the shows I watch; case in point: Heroes is terrible because of poor character development in the 2nd and 3rd volumes; Lost is awesome because despite the rich science fiction tapestry, the characters are strong.
So how about you? Character or plot?
And if character, any you can recommend?
P.S. I can consider Slumdog Millionaire a character piece, though if it is then it isn’t a really good one. I find the character distant — somehow I can’t relate — and him winning that contest makes the film feel more plot-driven than anything else.
