|
Conflict is an essential element in all forms of storytelling. It provides a powerful dynamic when conflict occurs between characters, and it provides stress and anxiety when conflict occurs between nature and man.
There are four stages of conflict:
- Stalking - when one character secretly pursues another
- Pursuit - when one character openly pursues another
- Confrontation - when two characters face each other in combat. This could be an actual physical confrontation or a verbal altercation or perhaps something more subtle such as the conflict between a witness and a prosecutor.
- Resolution - at the end of every confrontation there is resolution, a 'sigh' if you will, that allows the audience to take a breath and relax before the cycle of the seven moments continues.
Now that you know the four stages of conflict, it will be easy for you to spot each phase the next time you watch a movie. Not all movies use all four stages, but the best movies do.
|
