Film Language Tag: character
A character is an imagined human being inflected into a particular narrative position - or character-space - within the larger character-system of a story. Different characters place distinctive and competing demands on our narrative attention. These characters include major characters or protagonists, minor characters, and an undifferentiated mass that lacks the individuation major and minor characters receive. Characters are central to the causal development of narratives. (adapted from Alex Woloch, One v. Many and Bordwell et al, Film Art)
Avalyn and Brian Discover Dead Deer , Mysterious Skin
After meeting to discuss shared memories of alien abduction and violation, Brian (Brady Corbet) and Avalyn (Mary Lynn Rajskub) encounter a dead deer she says was experimented on by aliens and then left in the field near her home. When she presses Brian to insert his hand into an incision in the body, he experiences flashbacks of past alien abduction and violation -- with a young Neil (Chase Ellison) appearing in them alongside his own past self (George Webster)
Avalyn and Brian Discuss Memories of Abductions, Mysterious Skin
On a walk shortly after meeting, Avalyn (Mary Lynn Rajskub) and Brian (Brady Corbet) discuss the relationship between dreams and alien abduction. She shows him a scar on her leg she considers evidence of an alien tracking device, inviting him to touch it; he tells her about his history of nosebleeds after memory lapses.
Celie Leaves Albert, The Color Purple
Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) has her last dinner with the family and tells Albert (Danny Glover) she's going with Shug to Memphis.
CT questions God, Bright Road
CT (Philip Hepburn) questions Ms.Richards (Dorothy Dandridge) about God and race at Sunday School in front of the class.
Final Battle, Perfect Blue
Mima is confronted by her roommate Rumi, who has adopted Mima's pop idol persona and seeks to kill and replace her.
Good Days and Bad Days, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Marcel (Jenny Slate) takes care of his grandmother, Nana Connie (Isabella Rossellini), and observes the attention they are getting. After ensuring privacy in his home, he goes on to "ice-skate" on a dusty table before he notices a squirrel in the house.
Katherine Demands Michael’s Prognosis, An Early Frost
Katherine Pierson (Gena Rowlands) confronts her son's doctor (Don Hood) in a hospital hallway, demanding to know his prospects after a recent AIDS diagnosis and a seizure that same night.
Klan vs Ron vs Police, BlacKkKlansman
Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) runs to stop Connie Kendrickson (Ashlie Atkinson) from bombing Patrice Dumas's (Laura Harrier) home. Ron gets stopped by the police for catching Connie and unknowingly, Felix kills himself, Ivanhoe, and Walker by pressing the button to the bomb while parked right next to the car.
Kwame Ture Speech, BlacKkKlansman
Civil Rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) recites a speech at a local rally hosted by the Black Student Union. Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) attends, going in undercover on behalf of the police as Philip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) and Jimmy Creek (Michael Buscemi) listen in. Ture speaks on the need to embrace Blackness and Black beauty, police brutality, opposition to the Vietnam war, and the fight for racial equality.
Little League Coach Abuses Neil, Mysterious Skin
Recollecting a past trauma, Neil (Joseph Gordon-Levitt voicing, played by Chase Ellison in childhood flashback) recalls a time when, after a game, his little league coach (Bill Sage) flatters, plays with, and finally sexually abuses him.
Lynching of Jesse Washington Story x Klan Induction Ceremony, BlacKkKlansman
Jerome Turner (Harry Belafonte) recounts the lynching of Jesse Washington at a Civil Rights rally as it is cross cut with Philip Zimmerman's (Adam Driver) - posing as a white version of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) - induction into the KKK. Turner describes in detail the murder and we go back and forth between this and David Duke's (Topher Grace) white nationalist speech. All the while, Stallworth is watching the induction ceremony happen from a window.
Micah and Jo Wake Up Together, Medicine for Melancholy
After an apparent one-night stand, Micah (Wyatt Cenac) and Jo (Tracey Heggins) quietly observe each other while getting ready to leave their host (John Thurgood)'s now largely empty loft apartment. The party host invites them to stay for breakfast on their way out but they leave anyway.
Michael Attempts Suicide, An Early Frost
Despairing at his prognosis, Michael Pierson (Aidan Quinn) attempts in his parents' garage. His father, Nick (Ben Gazzara) discovers and stops him; after a brief interjection from Katherine, Nick's mother (Gena Rowlands) the two have a lengthy confrontation.
Michael Suffers a Seizure, An Early Frost
Following a recent diagnosis with AIDS, Michael experiences a seizure. His parents wake up and rush to help him, calling an ambulance which swiftly arrives.
Mima's Performance, Perfect Blue
Rumi and the rest of the staff watch and choreograph Mima throughout multiple takes of a rape scene.
Prognosis, Fruitvale Station
Wanda (Octavia Spencer) waits at the hospital to hear of her son Oscar's (Michael B. Jordan) prognosis after being shot by a BART police officer. A doctor informs her and other loved ones that Oscar is not responding well to treatment, prompting Wanda to lead a prayer for him. However, Oscar dies.
Ringing in the New Year, Fruitvale Station
As Oscar (Michael B. Jordan) and Sophina (Melonie Diaz) ride the BART into San Francisco, the train gets delayed, forcing them to stay on the train when midnight strikes. The passengers respond by putting on music and throwing an impromptu party.
Sam Cooke's Boston Performance, One Night in Miami...
Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Anir) recounts the story of Sam Cooke's (Leslie Odom Jr.) performance for an angry crowd in Boston.
Staging a Deception, The Wedding Banquet
After hearing of their tenant Wei-Wei (May Chin)'s immigration troubles, Wai-Tung Gao (Winston Chao) and his partner Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein) decide to stage a marriage to solve her immigration problems and satisfy Wai-Tung's parents. They re-decorate Simon and Wai-Tung's apartment to appease Mr. and Mrs. Gao, removing signs of their relationship.
Stalker Attack, Perfect Blue
A strange-looking Mima superfan attempts to rape and murder Mima as per his instructions in emails from "the real Mima."
Verbal's secret smile, The Usual Suspects
Kujan (Chazz Paliminteri) guesses that Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) is using Verbal (Kevin Spacey) but at the same time Verbal is secretly laughing at him - the officer believed in his story.
Wai-Tung Checks on His Father at the Hospital, The Wedding Banquet
After his father suffered a stroke, Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) rushes to the hospital to find his mother, Mrs. Gao (Gua Ah-Leh). When Mrs. Gao notes Wei-Wei's pregnancy, Wai-Tung spontaneously comes out to her as gay, while Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein) and Wei-Wei (May Chin) overhear the conversation.
Wei-Wei's Tenancy, The Wedding Banquet
Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) confronts his tenant, Wei-Wei (May Chin), about overdue rent payments. Wei-Wei confronts him about maintenance issues, crying to him and finally flirting with him before he leaves.
Who is Keyser Soze, The Usual Suspects
Verbal (Kevin Spacey) tells the tale of Keyser Soze.
