How The Physical Aspects Of Your Character Reveal Their Inner Conflict

Script Tip July 21, 2011

By Marilyn Horowitz

So often, characters onscreen reveal physical characteristics that reflect the inward person, their history, trials and tribulations, and how they deal with it. In The Wrestler – faded, has-been wrestler Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke, reveals his past and present without saying a word – through the way he moves, his scars, the long scraggly hair, his pain-pill popping, and clothing.

As seen in the movie, these are not merely the genius and hard work of producer-director Darren Aronofsky, production designer Tim Grimes, art director Matthew Munn and key makeup artist Judy Chin, it all started with writer Rob Siegel as in a scene in the opening montage – where Randy is shown in his glory days – then in the present.

“Present day. Post-match. Randy, pushing 50, still with the same long, dyed-blond mane, sits on a bench in the boys locker room of a Wilmington, Delaware high school.

CHYRON: 20 YEARS LATER

He pulls off his purple spandex wrestling tights. Lime-green

ram's horns run up the sides. They're the same kind of tights

as in the `80s pics----and may well be the actual same pair.”

Here's the exercise:

1. Get a mental picture of your main character, their physical characteristics – clothing, way of moving, tics, physical habits and you, the writer, adopt some physical attribute: such as; sitting the way that they would – slumped or upright.

2. Set a timer for 5-15 minutes, then write a scene.

3. “Writing” as your character, in the first person, compose a story about their glory days - what made them that way - how they got the scars, that fight they won, falling down, when they were on top of the world – as in the photo of Randy standing on the top rope, his bent arms pressed against the sides of his head like RAM'S HORNS. Try to take the story a little further than where it naturally ends.

4. As you work on your script, notice how the story and the resulting physical limitation affect the character’s behavior.

5. Now focus on your obstacle/villain. Imagine a similar scene, such as, in Batman, when the Joker falls into the vat of acid which permanently scars him. This scene reveals when and why the Joker became a super-villain.

6. Set a timer for 5-15 minutes, then write a scene.

7. “Writing” as your villain/obstacle, in the first person, compose a story about what made them look, and move, this way. Try to take the story a little further than where it naturally ends.

8. As you work on your script, notice how the story and the resulting physical limitation affect the villain’s behavior.

In summary, the bumps, trials and tribulations growing up make us who we are, inwardly and outwardly, and this is also true of our characters. By including these experiences in our character’s development, we cannot help but to improve our screenplays.

To read The Wrestler script, check out this link on IMSDB

http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Wrestler,-The.html

Copyright 2011 Marilyn Horowitz