WRITER’S EDGE: Obsession as Motivation
Obsession is one of the strongest motivators in human interaction. It compels characters to forge ahead regardless of the consequences…
Obsession is one of the strongest motivators in human interaction. It compels a character to forge ahead regardless of the consequences usually in a blind reckless manner that often results in the characters demise.
There are parallels to the following two films regarding the same obsession. In “Moby Dick,” Captain Ahab has lost his ship and part of his leg in a previous encounter with Moby Dick, the great white whale of the sea. Now his maniacal quest is to seek revenge by searching for and ultimately killing the beast that left him a cripple. In the film's riveting climax where Ahab encounters the giant whale again, he is drowned while stabbing a harpoon into its back over and over again.
A comparable film with a similar storyline and motivation is the original Jaws. Shark hunter Quint, is at sea with the Sheriff and a marine biologist on the hunt for a great white shark terrorizing their resort town. After their boat is damaged by the shark, the Sheriff radios the shore for help. In his mad zeal to capture or kill this shark, Quint takes a baseball bat to the radio, destroying it and all possibilities for any outside help. The great white ultimately destroys the fishing boat, and swallows Quint whole.
Another movie where the obsession of the protagonist drives virtually every one of his actions is The French Connection. Detective Popeye Doyle is consumed with finding a heroin dealer whom he calls “Frog 1.” After chasing him around New York City culminating in a frenzied car chase under miles of subway platforms, Popeye corners “Frog 1” in a condemned building. Exchanging gunfire, Popeye shoots and kills a fellow detective, abandoning him to continue his frantic hunt for the suspect who has apparently eluded him.
- More articles by Steve Kaire
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STEVE KAIRE is a Screenwriter/Pitchman who’s sold 8 projects to the major studios without representation. The last project he sold, he’s Co-Producing for Walden Media. A screenwriter for over 30 years, he holds a Masters in Dramatic Writing and has taught writing classes at the American Film Institute. Steve was featured on the Tonight Show’s, “Pitching to America” and was voted a Star Speaker at Screenwriters Expo three years in a row. His top rated CD, High Concept - How to Create, Pitch & Sell to Hollywood is a best seller.
