April’s Buzz:

HOW TO INCREASE THE CONFLICT
(Copyright 2007)
by
Kathryn McCullough

In January’s essay, we discussed ten ways to increase the tension in your screenplay. One of the best ways is to increase the conflict. Conflict can come from many different sources:

1. Opposing Goals. This is the most common and most fundamental type of interpersonal conflict. One character wants one thing, while the other character wants the opposite, and a battle (physical and/or verbal) ensues. The fight could be over an object, a person or even an idea. This type of conflict should be present in some form in every major scene, even if it is in the subtext of the characters’ interactions.

2. Misunderstanding. Misinterpretations of actions or words, mistaken identity and missed connections are all fundamental elements of most comedies. In BRIDGET JONES’ DIARY, we know that Colin Firth likes Renee Zellwegger, but she continually misinterprets his comments as slights. This creates discomfort and therefore tension in nearly every scene that Zellwegger and Firth have together. However, misunderstandings can fuel more serious stories as well. For instance, a man might be wrongly suspected of a crime due to a case of mistaken identity, or a protagonist may unwittingly seek out the wrong target for revenge.

3. Betrayal. The lover who cheats on his spouse, the work colleague who claims credit for the hero’s idea, and the criminal who rats on his partner are all examples of traitorous behavior. These situations create conflict between the characters involved and intensify the drama in any story.

4. Deception. A close relative of betrayal, deception is when a character is untruthful, whether it is about an affair, a secret from her past, a crime, or even good news that the protagonist desires to keep to herself for some reason. Conflict arises when the deceiver works to prevent other characters from discovering the truth.

5. Character transformation. This can be a physical transformation, such as Jim Carrey’s metamorphosis from a meek bank clerk to a partying madman in THE MASK, or a less spectacular but just as dramatic emotional transformation, as in WORKING GIRL, when Melanie Griffith develops self-confidence while posing as her boss and becomes more assertive as a result. In both cases, the character’s change causes friction with the world and people around him or her.

6. Unexpected traits. Here a character does not change, but instead simply reveals skills or knowledge that were not previously visible. For instance, Anne Hathaway’s discovery of her inner “material girl” in THE DEVIL WORE PRADA creates tension in her relationships with her friends and boyfriend, and intensifies her rivalry with her fellow assistant.

7. A character tries to push another character beyond his capabilities. This is the classic conflict in the buddy movie formula. Two opposites are thrown together and one tries to bully the other into conforming to his attitude toward the world, or they bully each other. In LES COMPERES, for example, macho Gerard Depardieu drags meek Pierre Richard along on a hunt for the boy they each believe is their son. Richard tries to lure out Depardieu’s sensitive side, while Depardieu pressures Richard to be tougher.

8. Information withheld. This could fall under “opposing goals,” as when a cop is grilling a subject but the subject refuses to answer his questions. However, a protagonist may also be seeking information from a source other than a human being. There have been many films where a character attempts to solve a puzzle or break a spell, and the obstacles she faces in pursuing this knowledge creates suspense.

9. Inner conflict. Conflict is not always manifested externally, as a battle between the protagonist and antagonist or other opposing force. Conflict may also involve just the character alone. A character may feel moral resistance to an action he is being asked or compelled to carry out. A character may also simply be out of his emotional or mental depth when attempting to solve a problem. Insecurity, intellectual inferiority and even physical limitations may cause a character to resist taking action. This internal conflict does need to be shown visually, however. The screenwriter must demonstrate, via dialogue and/or behavior, how and why the character is struggling inside.

10. Lack of conflict. Ironically, there are occasions where the absence of conflict can create conflict. This happens, for instance, when the protagonist attempts to engage another character and the other character refuses to be engaged. For example, a wife may try to initiate a discussion with her husband about their relationship and the husband ignores her. This escalates the tension in the scene, because we can sense the increasing hostility beneath the surface of both characters.

11. A resolved problem recurs. This could be thought of as “Part Two” of “Things are going too well” discussed in January’s essay. For example, in a romantic comedy, the hero may have vanquished his romantic rival and won the girl, only to have the rival reappear with a new plan to woo the object of the man’s affection. In a crime drama, the cop’s arrest of the criminal could be followed by either the criminal’s escape or the perpetration of another crime that indicates the cop has arrested the wrong man.

Conflict and tension go hand in hand in a screenplay and are key elements of any good story. Without conflict there is no drama, and without tension it is impossible for a reader or viewer to become engaged by the film’s story. For scenes in your script that seem flat or unfocussed, try applying one or more of the suggestions in this or the previous essay. Once you have introduced some tension and/or conflict into the action, you will be surprised by how the energy picks up. The result will be a screenplay that will grip agents and producers from the start, and more importantly keep them reading all the way to the last page of your screenplay.