Learning Journey - Character Status

 On this blog, I will analyze my learning journey throughout the unit “Directing Actors for the Screen” as well as demonstrating how I have applied my learning through my directorial projects.

 We started by learning about "Status". “Status” is the power each character has in relation to the rest of the characters in a scene. They are marked by numbers from one to three, one being the strongest and dominating character, and three being the weakest character.

An example of this can be seen in Se7en (D.Fincher, 1995), when detectives Mills and Somerset drive the villain Jon Doe to the location of the two victims. At the beginning of the scene, we see Jon Doe trapped behind a grid that separates the detectives sitting in the car's front seats and the criminal sitting in the back, cuffed.

   (Jon Doe behind bars, weakened)

The visual language of the scene propels the feeling that the character who has spent most of the film in control, is now weakened by both the detectives. This leaves Jon Doe with the weak status of a three and  attributes full control of the scene and status of a one to the detectives.

However, as the scene progresses both the detective's status begin to lose power as Jon Doe explains what led him to commit his crimes. Detective Sommerset's eyes changes from a confident look into a serious expression that hints insecurity.

(Sommerset is calm)

(Sommerset begins to be suspicious)

 Detective Mills in the other hand resumes mocking Jon Doe’s words by saying: “I seem to remember us knocking on your door…” therefore implying that they had been able to track Doe to his lair.

 However, Mill's begins to lose power, as not only he is interrupted by Doe's comments, but also his responses are clearly frustrated by the criminal's words, calling him a "movie of the week".

 Towards the end of his speech, Jon takes the control as he says: "The only reason I am here right now is that I intended to be." The room goes quiet as Mill's eyes reveal confusion.

(Mills, now also framed behind bars, starts losing confidence)

 The characters who once were seen to be in control of the scene are now being controlled by the villain behind bars. This is reinforced by the shot at 01:48:52, where we see Sommerset's POV as he looks at the rearview mirror framing Jon Doe in Shallow Depth of Field while he confronts Detective Mills. This creates the illusion that Jon is actually free, as the grid that separated him from the detective is nothing but physical. The real line that separates them is in fact blurred as Doe takes control of the scene, which is reinforced by the Shallow Depth of Field.

(Doe takes control of the scene)

This scene shows how Fincher plays with Status and visuals in order to construct a scene and build tension.

 The meaning of Status is inherent to the character's Objective. It is the character's goals that drive them throughout the scene leading them to either show or hide their real intentions. During one class exercise, we were asked to put this notion into practice. We were given the same script and were tasked with developing the character's objectives and status with our actors. The script consisted of three characters, two of which had been on a relationship, and now we're just friends, talking. One of which regretted what he had done in his past and was trying to apologize to his ex-girlfriend. There is also a third character, which is now in a relationship with the girlfriend.  We decided that the main characters would be the ex-couple, as the third character had little influence on the scene since his sole objective consisted of accompanying his girlfriend. For the character of the ex-boyfriend, his goal was to show to his ex-girlfriend that he is now a changed man who regrets his past. Therefore he has the status of a two since it is the ex-girlfriend who held the power of forgiveness that he craved for. The last character's goal was to try and give a last chance to be friends with her ex-boyfriend. Even though she does not have much dialogue, the power of decision is in her hands, giving her character a higher status in this scene. Doing this exercise helped to better understand how to play with levels by steering them through each character’s goals.