When Surprise becomes Dramatic Irony

In an earlier blog post, we talked about the use of surprise in filmmaking. We mentioned that maybe surprise isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Surprise is related to mystery. Think about a birthday package. If you genuinely don't know what's in the box -- and it turns out to be something you really want -- than that surprise becomes memorable and effective.

And yet, it only lasts for a moment.

You can never truly re-live that moment of surprise. Same goes with movies. Once you know the secret, it's no longer a surprise. (Unless you have a very bad memory and can't remember anything.)

Now, that doesn't mean a movie that uses the element of surprise is necessarily bad. There are very good movies that use surprise. It's just that if you were to watch the movie a second time, that particular scene is no longer operating in the same way.

For example, when you re-watch The Empire Strikes Back for the second, third, fourth (or you fill in the blank) time, you will never experience the I-can't-believe-it!-Darth-Vader-is-Luke's-father! moment again.

No, instead of surprise, it now becomes tension. Or rather, dramatic irony.

We know the secret. In the movie, Luke doesn't know it. Even in Star Wars, the whole Ben Kenobi line about how Vader murdered Luke's father brings new meaning after you've watched all three of the original trilogy.

This is probably why Star Wars fans keep coming back to these movies. They weren't just about the surprise or shock of the moment. A movie should be enjoyed on different levels. An element of surprise should be able to morph nicely into dramatic irony.

[Photo via flikr, courtesy of lawndart]

The Surprise Ending

The surprise ending in a movie can be a good thing. Audiences like surprises. Far too often, movies are too predictable, we applaud when a filmmaker succeeds in creating a genuine plot twist that upends what is expected.

But, bringing the surprise factor to a movie is not easy. Practically everything's been done before.

One movie that is known for its surprise ending is Planet of the Apes (1968). For the entire movie, Charlton Heston (and by default, the audience) thinks he's on some distant planet. But the surprise is in the final reveal: a deteriorating Statue of Liberty... (He was on Earth the whole time!)


Perhaps one of the problems that comes with the surprise ending is that eventually enough people talk about it that it's no longer a surprise. Take a look at the recent DVD cover for the movie (see image on right). It completely gives away the whole secret. The 1968 poster did not do this (image on left).

And it's not just audiences. In the case of The Planet of the Apes, its secret has become part of popular culture. Perhaps you can blame parodies like the episode of The Simpsons where they make a musical based on this movie.

In a case such as this, you can certainly argue that surprise isn't always ideal.

Any thoughts as to whether or not you think the surprise ending is worth it?

Conflict is to Drama...

Conflict is to drama what water is to fish.

Or another way to think about it is that it has something to do with Newton's 3rd law. (That's the one that says that every action has an equal reaction). Too much peace and serenity in a story, and it turns into boredom.

Unfortunately, some films have taken this idea to the level where every scene has to have a chase or an explosion. But does that mean that every movie has to be about bombs blowing up? (We wrote a similar post about this.) If it did, we'd miss out on a lot of good movie plots.

Conflict doesn't have to be manifest in explosions. Yes, it may, but it isn't mandatory. Conflict can be with oneself, with others who are nearby, against a diabolical system. (Yes, even with giant robots who intend to blow up the universe, if that's the genre you're going for).

That's not to say that explosions are bad. It's just to say that sometimes an explosion can be metaphorical.

When story comes second after special effects, it shows.

[Photo via flikr, courtesy of felt is the fabric]

The Backstory of Star Wars

If you think about it, the Star Wars prequels are basically just backstory.

In fact, one could argue that they are actually unnecessary backstory. In essence, there's really nothing new learned in the prequels that we didn't already know from the original trilogy.

The original trilogy handles backstory just fine. Little by little, the old jedi, Ben Kanobi, tells Luke who Darth Vader really is... that Vader is responsible for the death of Luke's father.

But then, when we think we have him all figured out, there's a plot twist in the second movie (Empire Strikes Back): the revelation that Vader actually is Luke's father. It just adds another detail to our understanding of the backstory. Add to that yet another plot twist that comes out in the third movie.

The problem that the prequels had, especially for those who were around when the original trilogy came out, is this: Our imagination is so strong, usually it's hard to top. We put together the clues to form the full backstory in our minds.

Put the two trilogies back-to-back, and you'll find that there are little inconsistencies. Backstory and story don't quite match, especially regarding the reasons and circumstances surrounding the turn of Anakin Skywalker to the dark side.

Yes, the special effects in the prequels blow away the effects in the original.

But, this is one case where too much backstory is not always a good thing.