The story must be human, the characters and their motives
and actions human and true to life. _The drama is perfect as it
reflects a correct imitation of nature._"
_8. Write Mainly of Characters That Arouse the Spectator's Sympathy_
Each hero must have his opposite, as each great cause must have its
protagonist and antagonist. Indeed, as we have seen, it is this
warfare that makes all drama possible. But it will not do to glorify
the doer of evil deeds and thus corrupt the sympathies of the
spectators. The hero and not the "villain" must swing the sympathies
of those who see. Be certain, therefore, that pity for, and even
sympathy with, a wrong-doer is not magnified, through the action of
your play, into admiration by the onlookers, for in the photoplay as
in the legitimate drama the leading character may be a great offender.
This way danger lies, however, and you must walk with extreme caution,
or the censors "will catch you--if you don't watch out!"--to say
nothing of the lashings of your own conscience.
Without repeating what was said in Chapter XVI regarding the
introduction of crime into film stories, we would impress upon the
photoplaywright the necessity for always having a fully sufficient,
though not necessarily a morally justifiable, motive for any crime
that is introduced in a story; besides, the introduction of a crime
must be necessary to the action and not a mere spectacular scene.
Pages:
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349