Elements of Film:
Character 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.