Breaking from genre for a column, I had suspension on disbelief on the brain. Mabye because it's summer, and this summer we've had some extremely over the top examples. Maybe because weird stuff has happened that has made question exactly what is dis-believable. It doesn't matter. The point is, when we go into a movie, we are generally allowiing that we are watching is a fiction.
Why is it, then, that we can watch a movie with giant robots or dinosaurs, or international secret agents and be okay with those elements, but still find things to say, "No, that just isn't right," when we're already well beyond the real world? It's because there is a reality set up in every movie. The ticket buyer knows going in to TRANSFORMERS 2: ROTF LMAO that they will see giant robots fighting. This is accepted reality. They do not walk in expecting that behind the Smithsonian is a giant field with mountains behind it, instead of Washington DC. This is doubly hurt when a movie set at the Smithsonian came out not too long before.
It makes them wonder exactly how much thought went into the movie, how much the film makers actually care about the story, the audience, or making sure they're doing their job. It insults the person who paid $10 to see something that they can and will easily outsmart.
Often we see movies we call "big dumb fun," or the kind of movie that "you turn you r brain off before you see." The good ones are just as big and ridiculous, but wil let you know. For me a good example was CRANK 2. Besides having CRANK establish the style, they make sure to tip their hand right away. A newscaster, while doing a short recap, ends by leaning towards the camera and hiighlighing the phrase "highly improbable." Good. They've said "Yes, we know it's ridiculous, so if that's what you're here for get ready to push the limits. If you're not into that, better to let you know now so you can pop in some other DVD.
No matter what story you're telling, take a moment early on to set the reality. If you know there is a supernatural twist to the ending, drop some acknowledgement of the supernatural in the first ten minutes. Otherwise your ending will only infuriate people. They'll think you had no idea how to end the story and pulled something out of left field. The worst part is, no matter how much they might have liked the movie up until that point, that ending will be what they walk out with. It will be what they remember when they tell their friends about the movie. It will give you absolutely terrible word of mouth.
Ending aside, a lot of suspension of disbelief is in getting details wrong. If you need a group of soldiers to take down a squad of enemies quadruple their size, or a cop who never misses a shot at a bad guy, give an off-hand mention early on. They're a secret elite squad, he's the top ranked sharpshooter in the state. We know what the real world is like. Give us at least a clue that we can expect and should accept something a little different.
If you're goal is to make a movie, which it apparently is, you either want to make the best movie you can to represent your talents, or you're getting paid to make it. Maybe both, but that should cover it either way. You should care a little. If you have the inclination to include an element such as police, the military, science, oceanographt, whatever it may be, you should have enough interest to do some research and make sure you aren't completely and utterly wrong. Wrong within the confines of operating theories is okay, but completely and unjustifiably wrong by way of any research at all, even Wikipedia, is jist, well, wrong.
Next time, more on what's "real"...
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| Patrick Storck |
Patrick hails from Baltimore, MD, where playing by the rules is frowned upon. Only average things come from playing it safe.
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