Why is character development worth writing about?
What makes Forest GUMP such a memorable character, why was Vincent Vega apart of such a prolific moment in cinematic history, why are Goku and Naruto so unforgettable?
What makes these character standout in comparison to the other characters you’ve been seeing for years now.
Character development has its pedestal in films and literature centered around mental illness. Edward Norton in Primal Fear, Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, Russel Crowe in A Beautiful Mind and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game. All these characters have been incredibly well developed.
One of my favorite characters of all time is the character played by Edward Norton on Primal Fear. The film portrays the story of a timid, introverted young alter boy. This young boy is accused of murdering a priest. At first glance it seems impossible for A young man to have committed such a heinous crime, mainly because of the extent of the crime. He mutilated, tortured and castrated the priest. the Character development gains a much deeper significance as the plot begins to broaden.
Even the audience is accustomed to seeing Aaron (Edward Norton) as somewhat of a charity case. He holds great empathy from the audience. This is how the character has been developed. The highest level of interest and emotional investment by the audience sets out to be achieved when Aaron begins to conduct himself in a manner contrary to the development. Instances of complete lack of apprehension, fleeting occasions of wrath and impulsiveness, and then an eventual spurt of indignation and outrage. In the case of this movie, Aaron had Multiple Personality Disorder which contributed heavily to changes and alteration in the development of a character.
This advances a sense of magnetism to the Character through depth of personality and the overall narrative of the film. Masterclass defines Character development as the process of building a unique character with a personality that has depth and a clear motivation. As diminishing as this definition may seem, it holds a certain accuracy. This accuracy is evident in the unquestionable fact that non-three-dimensional characters are unessential to the plot and generally unmemorable. These are your cab drivers, convenient store clerks and extras. Well developed characters, however, establish a sense of magnetism towards themselves from the audience regardless of how irrelevant they may be from the overall plot of the story.
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