Week 2: Day 5 – Protag/Antag Relationship Scene — THE DARK KNIGHT

[Anis Taylor]

The Protag/Antag scene in The Dark Knight was powerful and old school detective writing. I noticed it’s like having a hot potato in each of their hands and bounce off conflict in each bounce.

For example, Batman comes in as the light turns on which is a cool entrance. He then slams the joker head to the table. This kicks off the conflict. The conflict then progresses from verbal to physical, all the way until Batman gets what he wants. But like in all good writing there’s a plot twist. He can only save one.

In my rewrite, I will create physical, verbal, and mental conflict between my Protag/Antag right from the start. Climaxing it to a resolution, then ending with a plot twist.

[Anna Burroughs-Merrill]

Scene Arc: Batman interrogates the Joker to find out where he is holding Rachel and Arthur Dent. The Joker mocks Batman’s attempts to act intimidating, and tells him that he’ll make him break his one rule (to not kill). Batman shoves a chair under the door so the police can’t intervene, and then beats the Joker, but Joker tells Batman that rules are useless, there is nothing he can threaten him with because he has nothing to lose. He then tells Batman that he must choose which person he wants to save, and gives him two separate addresses on opposite ends of Gotham.

• Situation: The Joker has taken Rachel and Harvey Dent hostage and is threatening to kill them.
• Conflict: Lawful good vs. chaotic evil.
• Entertainment value: We want to see Batman beat the Joker to a bloody pulp so he can save Rachel.
• Moving the story forward: This scene sets up the “choice” Batman makes between love and hope for a better future for the city.
• Setup/payoffs: Sets up the choice of saving either Rachel or Harvey Dent, but not both.
• What makes this scene great? Heath Ledger. That serpent-like “tongue” thing he does, and the weird mouth-popping noises, plus the Tourette’s-like head shakes and inappropriate giggles really accentuate how utterly INSANE the Joker is. My lord, this role literally killed him. 🙁
• How these two enemies are similar and how they are different: Both wear costumes, hide their identities, and act outside the law, but the Joker wants to see the world burn down, whereas Batman wants a better world where predators don’t prey upon the weak (as he once was).
• What are their motivations for being in this relationship? The Joker has been wreaking utter chaos in the city, whereas Batman wants law and order.
• Interesting action and dialogue. Batman is threatening and intimidating, but his “gig” is useless against an enemy who doesn’t care about anything than causing chaos.

Rethink or create a scene showing the relationship between your protagonist and antagonist using your new insights and rewrite the scene.

• My screenplay: SOTG Archangel, Season 5 – the final showdown
• While my primary villain isn’t as batshit crazy as the Joker, he’s a vengeful old god, and he wants to see the world burn down in much the same way (literally). My villain is more like if Adolf Hitler and Hannibal Lecter had a baby. Since I’m dealing with an entire 8-episode season of a proposed television series, I really need to think on what “mannerisms” I can add to accentuate his evil.

“What I learned rewriting my scene…?” is that mannerisms matter.

[Vincent Ovalle]

Week 2: Day 5 – Protag/Antag Relationship Scene — THE DARK KNIGHT

The scene plays out in a interview room behind a hidden mirror with other law enforcement on the other side of the hidden mirror. The battle of witss tarts Batman is trying to get the whereabouts of two lndiviuals as theJoker tried to recruit Batman .This is the scene arc can the joker recruit Batman to join forces against a powerful organization? The showdown continued. The Joker started by immediately trying to slowdown Batman’s physical assault by interjecting commentary on his strong tactics(that’s cold).Batmans goal is for specific information of the two he two indivuals.The Joker expanded Batman’s worldview by pitting Batman against the powerful organization .He told him their motivations. They wanted Batman gone so they can return to the way things use to be.This is the theme of the scene in life as one gets older and notice all the changes in society we all long to return to a simpler ,easier time.Batman revealed his one rule, but every chance the Joker gets to ridicule Batman he does it with his laughter. Batman then accused the Joker with the question Why do you want to kill me? “The joker objected, and continued his con by downplaying the differences and instead appeared to be more similar than different. The Batman andthe Joker against the world. A defiant Batman called him garbage and explains why the he killed for money. The Joker responded with the organization opinion of him as a freak. This is the climax of the scene. The Joker pitched to Batman and said” I need you right now”, and added the organization will cast him out like a leper. The then the Joker interjected morality and code to the conversation to appear regulated, and gave Batman a glimpse into the strategy they can used against the org’s vulnerability.”They are only as good as the world lets them be.”He handled any objections with the prediction of the outcome.” When chips are down” the powerful organization will eat each other . This is the (the oldest trick in the book to divide and conquer .After the pitch and glimpse of the strategy the Joker started to downplay himself to appear in a better light.He told Batman “I’m just ahead of the cuvre” This is the cliffhanger Batman is about to explode into a brutal assault with all the tremendous amount of built- up anger , but the Joker kept interrupting him with visions of the truth,but Batman continued his brutal assault. Now from this point on we have subtext every time Batman answered.For example when Batman answered “I’m considering it ” it could mean this current question and the Joker’s efforts. The exit cliffhanger at the end of the scene is when the Joker gave Batman the whereabouts of the two individuals (batman’s goal) ,and the ultimatum”you have to choose”.

The battle of wits was entertaining to watch as well as revealing a unknown aspect of both Batman and the Joker as they tried to outdo each other .Both are similar and different,but the scene goals were more important .I have to say Batman’s action was shocking to me I never saw Batman as brutal.

[Rice Rice]

In essence, the scene is the classic pitting of good against evil, with the twist being that the unfolding relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist demonstrates that human beings possess both good and evil qualities.

While watching THE DARK KNIGHT episode, I observed that the motivations of the two main characters are polar opposites. The protagonist wants to save the city, while the antagonist wants to destroy it.

They are similar in that they are predisposed to use violence to achieve their goals. They also want to function with the cloak of anonymity, so their real selves will not have to suffer the consequences of their violent actions.

The scene is entertaining because it shows that both the protagonist and the antagonist are, in their own ways, “Dark Knights,” one committed to doing evil and one bent on doing good.

As I crafted a rewrite of my scene that focuses on depicting the evolving relationship between my protagonist and antagonist, I noticed that my descriptions of my protagonist amplify her good qualities and my antagonist’s profile depicts the personification of evil.

By adding a bit more balance, I made my characters more interesting and established a better foundation for their evolving relationship.

[Courtney Hill]

Seriously one of the greatest scenes to ever exist.

The relationship between the Joker and Batman is love/hate. Batman hates it, and the Joker loves it. The are both extreme figures in their town and that are used for gain. Batman wants to know where people are. The Joker taunts Batman, even while knowing he is going to answer him. Joker is testing Batman. He has the upper hand and it shows. Batman can literally beat him, and Joker is like, “meh”.

[Courtney Hill]

I learned to create a scene that shows they dynamic of their relationship. To show what both of them want, and what they are willing to do to get it. I also thought of similarities between the two, which can add for a better cat and mouse game.

[Susan Willard]

Week 2 Day 5: Protagonist/Antagonist Relationship Scene – The Dark Knight:

Scene: Heath Ledger – Incredible Acting

• Basic Scene Components:

 The scene escalates as Batman asks the Joker about why he was sent for. Joker through progressive dialogue and twisted logic tries to persuade that the two of them complete each other. Without each other they both are out of a job. The scene’s climax is when Joker shows his last hand in control over Batman by giving both locations, but one of the missing persons will surely die, because Batman can’t be in two locations at once.

 With two missing people, Harvey Dent and his daughter, Joker wants to see Batman. The authorities allow Batman in to talk with Joker and find out where to find the missing people.

 While Batman and Joker both share being outsiders in normal society, their conflict lies in the set of rules, values, and morals they each live by. Batman saves people, while Joker kills people.

 The entertainment value for the viewer is the intricate and twisted logic in the dialogue of Joker to Batman. Batman has one interest but doesn’t disagree with Joker’s logic until Joker takes the upper hand of control indicating that only one missing person will live.

 Dialogue and action move this scene forward. Batman stays true to character and so does Joker, but they both have a steady relationship of duty, no matter what their relationship may be.

 The scene sets up the next scene for the payoff of what will happen next.

• The mental and physical struggles of this scene makes it great. Notice Batman is operating from a physical threat, while the Joker is operating from a mental threat. Both understand each other’s motive and actions. No matter what Batman does he still has to play, at this moment, by the rules for the lives of the two people abducted, as put in play by Joker. But Joker is in jail.

• Both Batman and Joker are outsiders, almost freakish, strange to normal society, just different, used when needed. However, Batman operates from a moral grounding to save and help people. Whereas the Joker kills, destroys, and acts only by his own immoral will.

• For Joker, his only competition is Batman. For Batman, his only purpose is to stop the Joker. Without each other, they both would be out of a job.

• Batman communicated by actions of harm towards Joker. Joker spoke in twisted logic and persuasive lies to influence Batman, with such lines as, “You complete me.” And “You have nothing to threaten me with.” Joker played a metal game, while Batman was playing a physical game, both for the life or death of the two-missing people.

[Randy Hines]

two sides of the same coin. their relationship relates to the overall themes of the movie – the darkness and the light. dark knight versus white knight. and which does Gotham need most in the final analysis. Joker compels Batman to be the dark knight to pretty much go against his own creed of not killing people to best him which is anathema to Batman. In this way the Joker wins…almost. as a chaos agent who just wants to watch the world burn, the Joker is defeated in a way by what happens on the ship. he expects humans to turn on each other for self-serving reasons but they don’t. in this scenario, the light wins and, along with Batman, defeats the Joker. for all Batman’s strength, he can’t compel a genius-level psychopath with nothing to lose, or gain, to capitulate to him and certainly not the law. Joker knows Batman on some level will have to stoop to the same level as everyone else…at what cost? His very soul. There’s more to mine in this relationship which is why it’s so compelling. Yin and Yang, if you will.

[jay miracle]

This scene is powerful because: Great banter and progression in the dialogue: “you complete me” “don’t talk like them, you’re not”, “freaks like us”, the only sensible way to live in this world is to break the rules” – a great culmination with “having to choose” between his friend or his bride to be:

The entire premise for my script examines how thin the line can be between a vengeful protagonist and an antagonist who is a murderer and sociopath. Throughout their encounters, the General alternates between charming banter and complete manipulation of the kid. I am re-examining how I can further push the darker recesses of their psyches.

[Zev Ledman]

What makes this scene great from a writing
perspective? Such unusual conflict between 2 people. The masked Protagonist despises the bizarre-looking (his mask)antagonist, whereas the Antagonist sees the Protagonist as a Comrade in Arms. Both skirt the laws of their environment. Batman will go outside the law to achieve his goal and save Gotham. Joker goes outside the norms of criminal behavior, ie. no concern for money; even though in jail, his dialogue shows confidence that he’s in control.

The Joker’s bizarre bantering to Batman in an attempt to get him to understand that they’re not that dissimilar. Batman controls Joker through physical violence. In the end, we see Joker is the puppeteer and because of Batman’s need for critical information, Batman has no choice but to be manipulated by him.

“What I learned rewriting my scene…?” Protagonist
can be both good and evil, while seeking a good outcome. An Antagonist can
be evil and still draw the audience in to want to see more of him and watch
what actions he will take to achieve his goals.

Basic scene components — Scene
arc – When Batman realizes he is not having the effect he seeks through
physical violence, situation, conflict – Joker is in jail but in control,
entertainment value – the bantering of a bizarre painted Joker is so
unexpected and interesting., moving the story forward – we see by this
that the antagonist has plans for everything he does, making us want to
see what else he has up his sleeve. and setup/payoffs.

What makes this scene great? It
is the most unusual interaction between a masked protagonist/antagonist I
have ever seen. In one way they are opposites. In another, they’re the
same. Batman wants a good outcome. Joker doesn’t. Both will do whatever it
takes to achieve their goal. A highly intelligent, manipulative psychopath
(along the lines of Hannibal) sparing against a highly intelligent,
do-gooder who wants to save his city. Both are willing to go outside of
accepted norms to achieve the results they seek.

[Mary Emmick]

Protag/Antag Relationship scene – The Dark Knight

This scene opens with Batman interrogating the Joker to find out where he is hiding D.A. Dent and Batman’s fiance. The Joker mocks Batman and tells him he’ll make him break his one rule (to not kill). Batman proceeds to pound the Joker and then the Joker tells Batman he must choose which person he wants to save and gives him two different addresses.

Batman wants to save the city while the Joker wants to destroy it. The Joker tells Batman “You’re just a freak, like me.” This interrogation scene suggests that the Joker knew Batman was Bruce Wayne as he admitted they were more alike than he thought.

In my rewrite I will create physical, verbal, and mental conflict between my protag/antag from the beginning and throughout my script.