MAJOR PROJECT: DRAMA CONVENTIONS

KEY WORD: CONFLICT 




As my film Backbone will be firmly rooted in the drama genre it is vital to research the conventions of the drama to understand it and make an effective film within the genre. In the book 'Directing: film techniques and aesthetics' Michael Rabiger veteran director of 35 films talks of conflict and how this is a key term in drama films. There are certain different forms of conflict which he lists below.

• Person versus person (external conflict) 

Throughout 12 Angry Men (1957) dir. Sidney Lumet the 12 jurors are in conflict with each other about whether a young man is guilty of murder or not.

• Person versus environment or social institution (external conflict)

An excellent example of this is in 127 hours (2011) dir. Danny Boyle. True story of Aron Ralston who got trapped in a canyon for 127 hours, faces a dilemma about his own survival.

James Franco in 127 hours (2011)

• Person versus a task they are compelled to undertake (internal and external conflict)

In Martin Scorceses' latest film 'Silence' (2017) two Portuguese priests go on a mission to Japan to free a Christian man who tried to spread God's word in Japan. However the Japanese do not accept this foreign religion as the two priests will discover in a fight to keep their faith and survive.  

• Person versus themselves, as in someone with conflicting traits or beliefs (internal conflict)

An example of this kind of conflict is in 'In Bruges' (2008) dir. Martin Mcdonagh. Colin Farrell's character kneels in a park and puts a gun to his head as he feels that he can't live on in the knowledge he killed a young boy by mistake.

My main character experiences these conflicts above to certain degrees. He has a decision to make that could have ramifications if something goes wrong. He is also facing potential terminal illness. 

Although primarily a drama the story also has its elements of suspense/thriller as the fear of the unknown takes over for both the lorry driver Rick and the two brothers inside the lorry who don't know what to expect on the other side.