mlerules: (tools)
mlerules ([personal profile] mlerules) wrote2009-11-15 08:06 pm

Dear Creative LazyWeb-sters:

A friend is currently mulling over an idea for a film with a completely off-stage main villain. This is what he says and I'm spreading the question further w/this post:

I can think of a couple of examples of this that, in my opinion, don't work well (Blair Witch Project springs to mind, as does one horrific Enterprise episode), but I'm at a loss for examples of people who've done it well. As a general rule, if the audience doesn't ultimately confront the villain (vicariously through the main characters, of course) they're left feeling unsatisfied with the narrative. But for every rule there's an exception, so I'm sure they must be out there.

So, can anyone out there come up with an example (preferably on screen, but also in prose, and preferably in science fiction, comedy, or drama and not horror) where the non-appearance of the antagonist is either not a hinderance or actually an enhancement to the storytelling?

[identity profile] evilgerbil.livejournal.com 2009-11-16 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
I know I've seen this before but the first and only thing that comes to mind is the movie "Jarhead" about Operation Desert Storm. The marine are all pumped up to go shoot some bad guys, but they get to Iraq and battle with frustration, boredom and isolation instead. A lot of people didn't like, but I found it very different, and good. Definitely shows what happens when characters are groomed to meet the opposing forces, and no antagonist(s) ever show.

[identity profile] jimkeller.livejournal.com 2009-11-16 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Interesting. I wouldn't have thought of the docudramas (and documentaries for that matter), but now that you mention it, they do often lack an antagonist (as is often the case in real life). I'll have to rent it. I do love Jake Gyllenhaal.