Story Conflicts Archives - Page 2 of 3

Man of Steel’s Writer Character Lois Lane and Her Compelling Conflicts: Protecting Your Subject, Falling for Your “Subject” and More

Posted on June 20, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Thanks to Man of Steel’s story, this is both a “Compelling Movie Conflicts” and a “Writer Characters in Movies” post.

The 2013 Superman reboot Man of Steel is a pleasant addition to the superhero movies with its brilliant cast (Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill), a satisfactory (back)story and some great effects that unfortunately didn’t exist in the time of Christopher Reeve (Superman from 1978).

However one of the things that made me like this Superman movie a lot more than all the other Superman movies (and this coming from a Reeve & Donner fan) and many other comic book adaptations is that there are several compelling “writer” conficts that are relatable.

Now, you can read the plot and movie review here. But I’ll provide strictly Louis Lane-related plot points (and conflicts) below:

Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is an award-winning journalist sent to a military base in Canada to observe the weird craft (ruled out as a submarine) found. There she follows one of the new workers (Clark Kent, played by Henry Cavill) there as he finds the answers to his origins. He gets to save Lois’ life and then disappears, working to improve his abilities.

But when Lois’s boss refuses to publish her story (that doesn’t sound plausible), she leaks the story other channels, and then looks for Clark herself. Up to now, including the story, he’s a mystery man whose identity and background are unknown.

When she finds him (or he lets her find him), and Clark explains her the reason for his hiding the truth, she decides to keep his secret. But then Zod, the killer of Clark’s biological father, sends a threatening message: Either humans give Clark to him, or he destroys them all.

Lois is arrested by the FBI, but she isn’t exactly willing to talk. Clark doesn’t trust Zod, but he agrees to turn himself in for the safety (and freedom) of Lois.

Then Lois and Clark find themselves on the spacecraft of Zod. He tries to persuade Clark to join their plans of recreating Krypton on earth, but Clark doesn’t want anyone to be killed. On the craft, Lois gets to “meet” Clark’s father, and learns some critical strategical information.

From then on, Lois becomes an integral part of the team determined to stop Zod from destroying everything.

The Famous Writer Character: Lois Lane

amy-adams-lois-lane-man-of-steel — Amy Adams as Lois Lane, searching for Clark. Image via flicksandbits.com.

Lois in Man of Steel is the ideal journalist. She goes to whereever her leads (and curiousity) take her, no matter how dangerous things might be. She then writes about her experiences without holding back, and gets frustrated at her boss for not giving her the green-light, even though her story sounds, quite improbable. And when she can’t make herself heard through the publication she works for, she gives her story to a guy who is famous for writing stuff like that- even though this could cost her her job.

But when she learns why Clark has been hiding who he really is, she keeps his secret- even if it eventually leads to her arrest. When Zod asks her to come on board with them, she willingly leaves; and this has nothing to do with the story.

Of course the more Clark and Lois know each other as a person, they more connected they feel. So we have a mutually protective, risk-taking and loyal relationship combined with a lot of attraction.

And as much as things got very complicated and dangerous, all ended well for both characters. But things could have gone really wrong for Lois, had she been a real person and her “subject” not a superhero.

She could have lost her job, the guy she wrote about would probably be less sweet and understanding about her story, and none of them would probably survive such dangerous situations.

But it makes for a fun and appealing story. The romance is delightful because it includes friendship, chemistry, understanding, loyalty and bravery. Lois proves to be more into her story than her career (and her life), which is really admirable (though this would probably send her parents to an early grave.) And she has the courage to step up when the world needs her.

Of course Man of Steel isn’t just for writers. But with all the Loises I have seen on both TV and big screen, Amy Adams’ is the coolest and most likeable. She is also a lot more than a damsel in distress.

How far would you go for your story? For your subject (love)?

And did your stories ever bring you real life romance?

Equilibrium: Live Numb or Die Feeling (Die Being Yourself): Most Enthralling Story Conflicts 6

Posted on June 3, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Equilibrium is a universally compelling action drama that takes place in a post- WW3 universe where all wars and crimes have been eliminated, as well as all “evil” feelings of rage, violence, greed and such.

Oh, yes, there’s a catch. A gigantic one:

Along with the negative feelings and impuses that have been eradicated are also love, passion, friendliness and such. Nobody feels anything, complements of the government-supplied, obligatory doses of a drug.

What about stimulators, you might ask. Like music. Paintings. Personal taste. All forbidden. Nothing is custom, or individualistic. Nothing is colorful, or creative.

Everyone’s only an obedient, faded clone of themselves.

Oh, of course there’d be no point in watching the movie if it was all grey.

There are rebels, of course. People who refuse to take the drug are fighting against the totalitarian regime- with whatever means they can find.

Guess what the punishment is? Death by being burned. Or death on site during combat. They are seen as enemies of peace.

But the rebels have to fight, because what else is there? In a world where everything is soulless and grey, where there is no individuality, they prefer to go down fighting and feeling, as opposed to living without feeling. And who can blame them?

Now, until here, I painted the spoiler-free picture of the story. You can move on to my Equilibrium review for more on the movie . From now on, spoilers will flow –as we’ll analyze some of the most touching and relatable conflicts ever.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have shared a lot of relatable and powerful story conflicts on this blog.

But with a lot of them, it is easy (and logical) to assume that you wouldn’t end up like that.

For instance, unless you are a tycoon, I don’t foresee you in the danger Tom Mullen was in Ransom.

We don’t live in the 18th century, so there goes A Royal Affair.

Assuming you didn’t marry a religious nut out of gratitude and then cheat on him with your next door neighbor, you don’t need to worry about being in the shoes of the characters in The Ledge.

You get my point.

But how about having ever lived in a country where the rules and regulations stifled you? The government wanting to be too involved in your private life –e.g. abortion rights? How about having been ruled by someone who wanted to empose his/her religious beliefs onto the public?

Now how much do you relate?

Granted, Equilibrium is an extreme scenario – but how extreme or fictional, apart from John Preston’s fighting skills – depends on where you live(d).

So with that in mind, let’ get back to the story, with spoilers:

John Preston (skillfully played by Christian Bale) is a priest- meaning he leads the armed forces against the rebels. He has an unique level of empathy, but he uses it to guess the hiding places and manevours of the rebels, not to understand them. He is extremely loyal, proud of his job and he is excellent at it.

One “disappointing” incident in his life has been his wife who, to his surprise, turned out to be “guilty of feeling” and was sentenced to death. As he raises his two children, this incident is the only “alarm” his life has raised and is the under “scrutiny” of the ruler.

The “second” incident makes him question everything more: His partner (Sean Bean) a great officer with a stellar record turns out to be “faking” the “not feeling.” This adds to the “scrutiny”.

However this brings up memories of his wife; and add some strange behavior from his son and some missing of the dosage; and things get very complicated as John starts to feel – overwhelmingly.

Christian Bale in Equilibrium. — Christian Bale’s Preston trying to decide whether to take the drug or not. Image via tumblr.

Everything bottled up and subdued comes out.

Now, he daily has to go through the conflict his partner went through:

Do you kill fellow “feelers” to keep up the role, protecting yourself and your family? Do you do your job?

Do you deny your impulses because it is too hard to bear?

Because in all honesty, there’s no way he can quit his job without giving himself away.

Of course after he can’t give up on feeling once he realizes what he is missing, John starts sucking at his job. And after a while, it is only fair that he joins the movement himself – especially he also has to lose another person he cares about.

So he fights.

It is a big, difficult fight but he wins in the end.

The glory feels wonderful. Things will no longer be the same, in all senses of the word.

Of course the movie is so much more. A lot of it has to do with the cast, especially Christian Bale who does a superior job of reflecting his characters’ both internal and external conflicts. You feel for him, understand him and want him to win with all your heart.

The war was fought for the right to feel, as well as the right to be whoever you want to be.

We often have to struggle in our lives when it comes to the right of being who we are. Sometimes it is against (or within) our family, friends, school, society, bosses, country….How much we win can depend on the level of authority we are fighting for.

Sometimes it is small, sometimes it is big. But we fight everyday. For some, the battle is tougher and on a much bigger scale. The key is never to give up.

So what do you think of the conflict(s) of this movie?

Can you empathize?

Your Love Sleeps With Another Guy or You Lose Your Baby: A Royal Affair-Most Enthralling Story Conflicts 5

Posted on May 16, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

a_royal_affair_mads mikkelsen — Mads Mikkelsen (the doctor) and Alicia Vikander (the queen).

Picture this: You are madly in love. It’s mutual. Together, you’re not only having fun – you’re realizing your dreams and you’re making the world a better place.

Then she gets pregnant.

Well, normally it’s great news. And his first reaction is a genuine smile. She’s really upset. Then reality sets in: She’s the QUEEN. Her husband, who she is NOT sleeping with, is the KING. And it is the 18th century.

What do you do? Run away together?

As a romantic, that’d be my vote. Even for the 18th century. It’s not like he can’t take care of them. He’s a doctor (Mads Mikkelsen).

But how does one exactly run away from servants, army, the nosiest step mother-in-law, and all the conservative council members who hate their humane ideas?

So she does the inevitable. She hates it. He hates it. But she does it.

And at least the baby is born, and she is healthy.

A Royal Affair- Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander. — Pretty much the last happy moment in the film…

But then what?

Yes, eventually they get caught.

*** (I’ve not given anything that hasn’t been shown in the trailer yet, but read on at your own peril. I’ll give away the ending.)

But the tragicomic thing? They don’t get in that much trouble because of the baby. The others just use the baby to make sure the unstable king is persuaded to get rid of the doctor and the queen.

People are so obsessed with power and money. Then there’re the hilariously misinterpreted religious beliefs (“let’s not give the king’s son a vaccination- he’s royal so he’s immune by God’s doing”)…

They could have made it, but eventually, it comes down to friends selling out friends for money or to save their own butts.

The story doesn’t have a happy ending. The queen is sent to exile, the good doctor to execution.

The funny thing? The whole affair is the king’s fault. Yes, I’m serious. For one, he treats her absolutely horribly. He sleeps around with hookers, calls her a boring cow, sends away her best friend/maid…. Oh, and he is generally mental.

The doctor is brought in to restore some sanity and common sense in the king, and it starts to work. But then the king does something mad again. He tells the doctor to make the queen fun.

Seriously.

Sure. Go ahead. Tell your hot, older, wiser, sane, free-spirited and forward-thinking doctor to spend time with the young, beautiful, neglected, free-spirited queen.

I told you it was the king’s fault.

I wish they had taken the risk, and run away. They just didn’t envision the good they did coming back to bite them in the a**.

But all is not lost. Thankfully, her children (the first one is from a horrible one and only night with the king) receive her letters when they grow up, persuade their dad and make sure they grow up in a better country.

Oh, yes, the king was upset his friend was executed. He had no idea that was going to happen. Yes, he was crazy.

So, how is that for a story conflict?

Of course the conflicts start before this. And they keep coming after. But it is one of the most frustrating, heart-breaking and challenging conflicts I have seen. And it is based on a true story.

From a writer’s, and movie-lover’s perspective, the whole story/movie is gold.

From a romantic’s perspective, it is a nightmare until the affair. The relationship between the doctor and queen, even before the affair, is amazing. It’s a nightmare again when she becomes pregnant.

Yes, the movie is absolutely recommended. I’m still disappointed it didn’t get the Oscar for Best Foreign Film this year.

What would you do in a situation like that?

Don’t forget – 1700s, it is an affair, you are the queen or the doctor. There are no easy ways out.

If it were your story, how would it end?

Spend 6 Years in a Hellish Prison or Your Best Friend Hangs:Return to Paradise-Most Enthralling Story Conflicts 4

Posted on February 16, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

return-to-paradise-movie-poster-1998-1020232526 — Return to Paradise starring Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche and Joaquin Phoenix. Image via moviepostershop.com

Would you agree to spend 3 to 6 years in a Malaysian prison to save your friend’s life, who has been serving his sentence there? He will be hanged if you don’t.

You want to say yes. You should say yes. It’s partially your fault that he’s there. But here’s another problem: He’s losing his sanity. He is horribly treated.

But if he’s that far gone, the same thing could happen to you. Is it worth it?

Don’t write me off as inhumane, or insensitive. I’m merely being honest while conveying the opinions of the friends who are in this dilemma.

Return to Paradise Story:

MAJOR CONFLICT 1: Sacrifice 3-6 years of your life to save your friend’s

3 friends, Sheriff (Vince Vaughn), Lewis (Joaquin Phoenix) and Tony (David Conrad) vacation in Malaysia and have a great time, not without the help of some weed. Later Tony and Sheriff return home while Lewis stays for a bit longer.

A couple of years later, Sheriff and Tony are contacted by Beth (Anne Heche), Lewis’ lawyer, and given some tragic news: Lewis has been locked up in prison there, having been caught with enough weed to be considered drug trafficking. He was sentenced to be hanged; having to serve the sentence for all three of them. There’s, however, a deal on the table:

If Beth can return to Malaysia with Lewis or Sheriff, her client will live, and eventually gain his freedom. The other will serve 6 years in the same prison.

If Beth returns with both of them, each will serve 3 years and will have saved their friends’ life.

And while they want to do the noble thing, leaving a semi-comfortable life for a bleak future they know is already destroying Lewis – a future they might very well not survive keeps them question their decision, sense of morality and friendship.

Granted, the first conflict is what attracted me to watch Return to Paradise. I stayed to see how the dilemma would pan out. I also liked being conflicted within myself, asking myself what I would do. Sure, you can try to dismiss the idea by rightly thinking you’d smart enough not to smoke weed in a foreign country where it is illegal and the punishment is severe.

But what if you did? Or you didn’t do anything illegal, but your friend got wrongly convicted. What if the deal remained the same? What would you do then? Still, it’s your sanity, your life at stake. But then again…could you live with yourself if you let your friend be killed?

Supporting Conflict: Can you leave your life, future and fiancée behind?

Now it is unfair to think that just because Sheriff is single and drives a limo for a living with no further career aspirations, it should be easier for him to do the right thing.

But on the other hand, you have Tony’s fiancée (Vera Farmiga), who has no fault or whatsoever to be in this situation. She doesn’t want her fiancé to leave, his life or her. And while she often comes off bitchy, you can hardly blame her. She hasn’t even met Lewis. It’s easier for her to be selfish.

But then again, what makes her future marriage more valuable than Lewis’ life? What makes Tony’s life more valuable than Lewis’? In hindsight, getting over your guy should be relatively easier than not preventing a person’s death.

MAJOR Conflict 2: Getting involved with one of the guys she has to get to prison

If there is anything that could make the situation even more complicated, and the first conflict even stronger, is falling for Sheriff. And unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view,) Sheriff falls for her too.

Doing the right thing seems even more important. He wants to prove to others that he’s a bigger person than they believe. He wants her to believe that he is not some shallow, aimless guy. He also needs to believe, for himself, that saving his friend is more important than him going through his life without a purpose.

From this point on, I’ll be showering you with spoilers, so you might want to see the movie first. I’ve seen it a couple of times, and its power on me doesn’t subside.

Major Conflict 3: Beth’s relationship with Lewis

Seeing Lewis’, and the prison’s conditions are enough to cause Tony to have second thoughts. But the turning point comes when Beth lets it slip that Lewis is not just her client. He’s her younger brother.

Both Tony and Sheriff set out to leave, but Sheriff decides to stay.

Complicated Ending:

Beth is relieved that Sheriff stayed, but is shocked when the Malaysian court breaks the deal due to the story a hungry reporter published-Lewis is to be hanged, and the sentence of Sheriff is to be decided.

Return to Paradise- Anne Heche Vince Vaughn kiss — Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche in one of the final scenes. Image via dreamagic.com.

Now Beth has to fight for Sheriff, who stayed for her. Because of her. They stay together, but we don’t see whether she was ever able to gain his freedom…

Return to Paradise (aff. link) isn’t without its flaws. It could have taken a bit longer to develop the relationship between Sheriff and Beth.

But overall, it is one of my favorite stories to portray morality, friendship, love, guilt and the struggle to do the right thing (no matter how difficult that might be.)

It also contains highly powerful conflicts that keep you questioning your own capacity to do what’s right and your tendency to do what won’t make you suffer.

Would you go back to save your friend? Could you really trust a government to hold to their end without any written agreement? Hell, could you trust them with a written agreement? Would you risk it in the name of friendship and love?

I’d like to think that I’d, but things are never as simple as deciding your hypothetical fate in front of a movie.

PS This post contains affiliate links.

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