DAF at 2011-08-31 12:51:07:

This post also made me think about how experienced screenwriters who have internalized the rules get to bend if not entirely break them. Take the first 10 pp of Dark Knight. Our protagonist, Batman doesn't even appear until the 10th page. We hear others talk about him. But the hero himself isn't physically present until that 10th page nth hour. Meanwhile, most of the early pages are devoted instead to setting up the Antagonist, the wonderfully colorful and terrifyingly anarchic Joker. We see the Joker at his craziest, disobeying every rule of loyalty in the gangster book. He's tricked his associates into killing each other off one-by-one. The target of the robbery is itself verboten territory, a Mafia (!) bank. Meanwhile we get the first taste of the Joker's philosophy (one that will have even more meaning in light of what happens to Harvey down the line): "what doesn't kill you only makes you stranger."

Focusing the early pages on this extreme and extremely entertaining Antagonist turns out to be a brilliant way to increase our attachment to the absent protagonist. Rather than forming an immediate emotional connection to our hero, our main attachment is to our fear. Fear of the anarchy the Joker has loosed upon the world. Fear of this man whose only attachment seems to be to the game of chance, win or lose, kill or be killed. By the time Batman shows we know almost nothing about the ostensible protagonist of our story. But our expectations of encountering a saviour who will come to our rescue have been raised to fever pitch. By focusing on its absence, the restoration of order in the universe becomes the primary plot and story conceit. We aren't "emotionally close" to our protagonist in the usual sense, but by page 10 our innate sense of justice demands that a Batman exist. Our antagonist prepares the way for our protagonist. [A point of irony, btw, that this film is more than happy to continue to exploit.]

It's not the conventional first ten pages. But it's a brilliant turning of the usual rules on their head.

Scott at 2011-08-31 13:59:38:

@Chris: It goes back to what you think a Trickster's function is. In my view, they exist to do one thing: To test the Protagonist as a form of preparing them for their Final Struggle. The way they typically do this is by switching allegiances - from ally to enemy, enemy to ally, back and forth. They are tricky that way, hence Trickster.

Here is a copy/paste of my analysis from this post about True Grit in which I detail my take on the story's primary character archetypes including the trickster:

Trickster: Mattie's Father

Why is he a Trickster:

* He's an ally in that he fathered Mattie, both into this life and as part of their family
* He's an enemy in that his death creates a burden on Mattie -- to gain revenge for his death
* He tests Mattie by causing her to go on the journey to find and kill Chaney

Tricksters test the Protagonist to help steel them for their Final Struggle against the Nemesis. Even though her father is absent, he is present throughout the entire story because of his death and the ensuing events. And each one of the challenges that rise up along the way are a result, directly or indirectly, of her father's death.

Scott at 2011-08-31 14:07:42:

@DAF: It seems like the Nolans elongate many of the sequences in TDK, beginning as you note The Opening. And as long as you're (A) entertaining and (B) Chris Nolan (or the like), you can get away with it.

But your larger point is spot on: The Joker is such a compelling Nemesis character and that opening heist is so damn cool, it "prepares the way for our protagonist." Also it elevates the odds against Batman. Seeing how incredibly sophisticated, ruthless and maniacal the Joker is creates a baseline for our expectations. We know that Batman is going to have to bring his A-game to this party.

As a matter of fact, I'm watching TDK tonight with my sons, the first time the 11 year old will have seen it (they watched Batman Begins last night). How great to share a fantastic movie with someone you love!

DAF at 2011-08-31 14:32:25:

@Scott. How wonderful to share your favs with those you love! Couldn't agree more.

Backstory to my overly longish, slightly off-topic post: I went to a screening of Contagion last night. As usual with Soderbergh (and Scott Z Burns), I just sat there and marveled in re: how they broke all the rules and yet (for me at least) the movie still very much worked. Prompted by your very helpful post, I decided that rather than whinging about how the experienced get to rule break yet I as novice can't, it seemed more profitable to try and think through WHY it works even when the screenwriter doesn't follow the template. Hence my longish winded response to your wonderful post.

One final kinda interesting potential complication: in an interview with David S Goyer (story) and Jonah Nolan (screenplay), DG says that the protag of TDK is actually Harvey as Harvey is the one who changes as a result of his interaction with Batman and the Joker--and that Harvey's journey makes the movie a tragedy. Harvey doesn't appear 'til even later in the opening sequences, so yeah, that's one heck of an elongation if you add that switch up!

Scott at 2011-08-31 21:29:12:

@DAF: Re Harvey as the Protagonist, this is the thing with archetypes. First off, all characters wear 'masks,' that is they can from scene to scene adopt the persona of other archetypes. Second archetypes are - finally - tools for writing and analysis. Characters are organic by nature. If we deem as concrete this character is that archetype, no ifs, ands or buts, we run the risk of missing larger truths.

In my view, the Protagonist typically involves several traits including being the center of the story, the character through whose perspective the story is told, the character around whom all other primary characters revolve, the character who most directly stands in opposition to the Nemesis, and yes, the character who goes through the most significant metamorphosis.

Goyer's argument -- that Dent goes through the biggest transformation -- is a legitimate point. But is he the center of the story? Is the story told through his perspective? Is he the character who stands in opposition to the Nemesis? I don't think so. Think about it: The movie is called "The Dark Knight," not "Harvey Dent: Two Face."

Per the title, clearly Wayne / Batman goes through his own metamorphosis, even to the point of being willing to give up Batman in favor of living a 'normal' life with Rachel. That didn't work out, but that doesn't negate his change.

Moreover he is pushed to the brink of breaking his rule -- not to kill. The fact he doesn't negate that stretching of his principles.

Finally he goes from being Batman to The Dark Knight, from a hero to an anti-hero.

That seems pretty significant on the metamorphosis front to me.

As a point of takeaway per Goyer's comments, there is every good reason -- as a prep-writing exercise -- to look at each of our primary characters as the story's Protagonist. See the story universe through their eyes as the center of the narrative. It's a terrific way of deepening your understanding and grasp of those characters, especially Nemeses if you have a hard time wrapping your head around Bad Guys.