This week I'm looking at some examples of the ways that shows introduce characters.
The first half of the series FOYLE’S WAR takes place before the Americans are involved in World War II. The story of a detective in a small seaside British community during the war years, the Americans are almost never mentioned.
But season four begins in 1942. And episode 401, aptly titled “Invasion”, opens on a set of establishing shots of the town: A couple men having a pint in the pub of an afternoon. Empty roads, but for the sounds of birds and a horse whinnying. A little boy playing in a small pile of leaves streetside.
The show has never done establishing shots like this.
Suddenly, we hear the building roar of cars. The boy looks up, perturbed. And what seems like an endless convoy of military vehicles speeds right at him. He stands, upset, and runs away. "The Jerries [aka the Germans] are here. The Jerries are here," he yells.
The lead vehicle shrieks to a halt. We see they've stopped because they were about to hit an old woman with flowers crossing the quiet street. "How you doing, ma'am," someone in the vehicle says. "It's okay. We're here to beat the Krauts." The woman seems disgusted as the cars blaze by.
The convoy stops again. They're lost. They ask a young woman for directions. She tells them they have to go back the way they came. As the man in charge thanks her, a young solider behind him stands and leers at her, pointing a finger. Another wolf whistles as they pass, and is told to stop doing so by his boss.
The woman watches as the cars all go in circles, looking a bit foolish, then walks inside the pub where she works and tells the men the Doughboys are here. "The Americans," one of the drinkers says. "Late for the last one, and late for this one."
Just like that, we've got the main conflicts of the episode laid out--the clash of cultures; the oblivious, entitled arrogance and churlish sexism of the Americans.
But the opening also works as a way of establishing much of the character of the Americans--their wealth; their speed and danger; their cluelessness; their boorishness.
And it uses such a wide range of techniques to do so, many of which have nothing to do with dialogue or the choices characters make:
- the contrast between the convoy's look and energy and the sleepy establishing shots;
- the audio cues of the trucks, the brakes shrieking, the wolf whistle;
- the size and speed of the convoy;
- the cinematographic choice to shoot the convoy driving straight at us, creating a sense of peril;
- the visual of a large group of trucks going in circles, and of them almost hitting the old lady, who is notably on her way to a cemetery;
- the reaction of bystanders, most especially the little boy, who is so scared he assumes they must be Germans;
- the facial expression and background action of the soldier toward the young lady;
- the comment from the Americans about being here to win the war.
When I think about establishing a character I tend to think in terms of dialogue and action. But looking at FOYLE'S WAR you see how things like a character's speed, the reactions of others to them or the context into which they enter are other can be just as effective.
File This Under: The Many Ways of Establishing Character.
NEXT WEEK (AND THE WEEK AFTER): THE OSCAR CONTENDERS FOR BEST ORIGINAL AND BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY.
