There are novels and films where nothing happens. Where the lives of the fictional characters resemble our day to day experiences in stunning detail. The majority of these novels and films fail to capture the attention of the general public and fall by the wayside.
That is of course, unless they are phenomenally written or directed. Cormac McCarthy for example, was a fantastically skilled writer capable of capturing the attention of his readers without ever touching upon the emotional arcs of his characters.
Violence and narrative aside, McCarthy’s prose could turn a bleak expedition across the American prairie into a cinematic experience for his readers. There are film directors too, who can present the mundane as enthralling, but they are few and far between.
The reason for that is people’s tastes. The average reader and movie goer wants action, narrative and emotional intensity and one such way to guaranteed all three is by making protagonists navigate high risk decisions.
James Bond in Casino Royale
The most famous scene in the iconic Casino Royale film sees Britain’s most famous spy take on super villain Le Chiffre, played by the impressive Mads Mikkelsen, in a high-stakes game of Texas Hold ‘em poker. The $120 million final pot that Bond and Le Chiffre fight it out over is wholly unrealistic, but viewers of Bond films readily suspend their disbelief when they sit down to watch the spy films. That allows the directors to add huge sums of money for dramatic effect, to engineer high risk decisions with real consequences that viewers can feel.
Naturally Bond wins the final hand, pulling a rabbit out of the hat with a straight flush to beat Le Chiffre’s equally impressive full house. This game captures the glamorous side of poker and has undoubtedly resulted in increasing numbers flocking to a comparison website to try the game for themselves, although maybe not at such high stakes!
The scene acts as a springboard for the ensuing drama and also signals to the viewers that James Bond is a man who cannot be defeated.
(High-stakes = High Drama in this Bond film.)
Conflict – Resolution
Another example of how high risk decisions impact the emotional arc of a character is through their blending with conflict-resolution themes. In The Goldfinch, an incredible novel by Donna Tartt, the protagonist makes a decision as a child that follows him throughout adolescence and into adulthood.
As the story progresses, the consequences of this decision are reiterated time and time again, and built upon by the introduction of several characters with emotional bonds that the protagonist fears will be destroyed if he is found out.
This then presents the conflict-resolution arc, which is finally explored by the author as she forces the character to come clean about several aspects of his life. In doing this, we not only as readers have the satisfaction of completion, but we also get to follow the very real and very affronting emotional journey of the central character as he comes to grip with the consequences of his action.
This is of course easier in a long form novel. The movie adaptation of the book rather expectedly manages to fall short in showing the true emotional journey of the main character.
Tartt’s detailed examination of her character’s psyche, much like the examinations of her literary inspiration Fyodor Dostoyevsky, do not translate into short-form media.
(A lack of time to explore the high intensity decision of the protagonist in The Goldfinch movie means its fall way short of the novel.)
The Two Pillars of High Intensity Decisions in Storytelling
Short, sharp and dramatic high intensity decisions such as the one described in Casino Royale are perfect for short-form media such as movies, or for short thriller novels such as the very book that the film was based on.
Longer form media such as 500+ word novels and TV series provide better opportunities for authors and directors to explore the short, medium and long-term impacts of these high intensity decisions on their characters.
Walter White’s high intensity decision to seek funds for his cancer treatment in nefarious ways, is a stunning example of how that is done on the small screen. Throughout the run of the show, Vince Gilligan portrays a man’s descent from moral grappling and wrangling, into finally, a manifestation of his dissatisfaction and anger at his unfulfilled potential.
(The longer form TV series format of Breaking Bad gave Vince Gilligan a much better avenue to explore the long-term impact of Walter White’s high risk decision making.)
In Short (TLDR)
High intensity decisions in movies, TV shows and novels are a great tool to either inject drama, or allow writers to explore the complex inner emotional world of their characters.