My Main Character

What make a good character?

The main factors for me in what makes a real character are if they are 'three dimensional' and the audience feels as if they can connect with them. If they have flaws in their character or background then so if they bring this 'baggage' with them to the film.

For example...
Ewan McGregor's character - Oliver Fields, who has to deal with the death of his mother and his father, who after many years of marriage, has come out to be gay. He also has to 'deal' with the complicated relationship with his girlfriend. As he struggles with all his emotions. Though on the outside he comes across as neutral.

He could draw, and did this for a living in the film. This was the only way in which he expressed his thoughts and emotions. For instance at one point in the film he attempts to create a lyric booklet for a band about the Evolution Of Sadness. He thinks its great, the band do not like it - too much emotion!

In the opening two minutes you can sense his unhappiness though he does not show much emotion.
The film starts with some shot still shots of a flower in a vase on a window, a shot of an empty room and then it moves to Oliver who is packing boxes of old clothes, and throwing things out - this is obviously painful for him. Clearly someone has died, but as yet we do not know who.

 I will use a similar metaphor with a red balloon in my film as it symbolises letting someone go. The girl in my film will let go of the red balloon in my opening sequence. I hope to create the same effect.


In contrast, George Valentin in The Artist, I film I saw last week and enjoyed greatly, is a less rounded character. Though his character is less realistic, his characteristics come across very strongly. He is shown admiring himself on film in the opening of The Artist illustrating that he's very proud. He is shown watching himself on screen and smiling at everyone synthetically which is really covering up or not revealing his true emotions.

As the film progresses we learn more about him, and his pride in particular and that in the end, his pride is his downfall.


Another example of a strong character is Maddy Ross in the Coen Brother's True Grit.
The film opens with her trying to find a gunman to kill the man who murdered her father. The residents of the town try to dissuade and ridicule her though she is determined to get revenge and get what she wants. The audience is intrigued as to why she is so determined, what has happened to her for her to be in the situation?

As well as will she be able to get her own way? She finds herself in a man's world, and because of this she needs to show 'masculine' characteristics to gain respect in this situation, throughout the film she holds everyone together and keeps everyone going, ultimately earning their respect and showing true grit.
 Though she is grieving but sees her life as just a journey to kill this man.





My main character will be more like Oliver in Beginners.