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Week 3 Day 4: Character Climax – THE MATRIX
1. Please watch this scene and provide your insights/breakthroughs into what makes this character great from a writing perspective.
2. Read the other writers comments and make notes of any insights/breakthroughs you like.
3. Rethink or create a scene for your script using your new insights and rewrite that scene/character.
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4 Replies
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Where do you see the following for Cypher:
The ultimate expression of their conflict.
– he’s killing all the people he used to trust and now feels they betrayed him.
A true test of their character.
– he’s trying to manipulate Trinity
The “yes or no” moment in their journey.
He’s willing to kill everybody? I’m not sure I understand this scene and what the”yes” or “no” moment is?
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He’s clearly the model for the one who couldn’t deal with it. A good contrast for Keanu. Makes the downside danger clear. Since he dies after murdering, it’s also clearly the climax for him. A violent, crazed climax like a school shooting is for a shooter.
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Week 3 Day 4: Character Climax – THE MATRIX
Where do you see the following for Cypher:
· The ultimate expression of their conflict.
When he admits being in love with Trinity.
· A true test of their character.
When he has the chance to NOT kill his colleagues, but does it anyway, saying, “Don’t hate me, Trinity. I’m just the messenger…”
· The “yes or no” moment in their journey
The moment of truth when he is about to kill Neo and asks Trinity to tell him the truth about whether Neo is really the “one” or not. When she says, yes, it’s clear he’s going to kill him anyway. He even says, “It will take a miracle,” and he’s shocked when the miracle does occur, and he’s killed instead.
1. What makes these characters engaging?
Cypher is an incredibly engaging character. He’s utterly ruthless but does everything with a bit of wit and humor. He’s very much like Joe Pesci’s character in Good Fellows.
2. How are they expressing their profile?
Cypher is the wild card in the group. You don’t realize he’s a bit cracker barrels until he flips out in this scene and reveals his true character, killing his “friends,” following his own agenda, and challenging everyone else’s point of view.
3. Where do you see character depth in this scene?
When Cypher tells Trinity that he’s “…tired of the whole thing: the war, the ship, eating the same goop every day…,” he reveals his pain and reluctance to continue on his future journey.
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Cypher is almost the opposite of Neo. He’s cruel, selfish, jealous, self-engrossed, disloyal, uncaring, and loud. These two contrasting characters add to the dramatic interaction with the other people.
We see these traits stand out when he’s sitting on top of Morpheus, expressing his resentment for Morpheus while talking to Trinity. But, also when he kills his so-called friends with no remorse.
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