Making a Splash

You get one chance to introduce your protagonist. Make it count.

We don’t need to know about the color of her hair, how tall she is, what she’s wearing, or for that matter, that she has a scar above her left eye—unless this information is integrated (i.e., decisive for shaping the story). We should also note that using dialogue to introduce your character’s backstory is equally ineffective, awkward and unbelievable. What we want is to feel like we’re catching the protagonist right in the midst of day-to-day life. That’s what the old playwrights meant when they strove to begin in media res (“in the middle of things”).

The very first scene is your golden chance to introduce the protagonist through action. Show, don’t tell, who she is. What are her endearing traits? What drives her? These are a few questions to ask before your character steps onto the page. The audience also joins the action in media res. They must believe the movie begins because someone turned the cameras on—the filmmakers pick a moment to begin, but the story is already well underway. The human being we encounter on-screen is a complex one, about to be called on a new journey.

In BBC’s SHERLOCK (2010), Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes have separate lives underway and a rich history before they collide. It’s precisely the sum of their experiences confronting each other when they first meet that creates the potential for something great to happen—a story big bang, of sorts. Two entirely different people come together and journey forward together on a series of unlikely and exciting adventures. Over the course of that journey, Sherlock changes John and John changes Sherlock.

Let’s take a closer look at one of my favorite character introductions. In RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, the cameras turn on in the midst of an exotic jungle near the foot of a jagged peak. The as-of-yet unknown Indiana Jones steps into view first, wearing his weathered, trademark hat. (The hat is integrated: It’s part of what makes him distinct. He dons it on every adventure.) Note how the director gives the secondary characters their cameo introductions, too. By doing so, we sense they’ll be important. Suspense builds. The secondary characters provide a contrast to Indy. Whereas the hero is calm, collected and put together, the others are sweaty and take great pains to keep up with him. The man out front with the hat is different.

The trek through the jungle continues. The local guide cuts back vegetation and reveals a carving in the rock. He runs away; Indy, meanwhile, approaches, fearless. The marker has something to do with what he is seeking. Again, suspense builds. Indy pauses. He picks up a dart and casts it aside. Indy is not a man who backs down in the face of adversity. A secondary character takes a closer look and tastes the tip: “The poison is fresh.” Jeopardy builds—this is a dangerous mission and enemies lurk nearby. We arrive by a large pool in the river. One of the secondary characters betrays Jones and pulls out a revolver. However, Indy is quick to draw his whip and rid his adversary of the weapon. The traitor scampers away. Once again, all of these actions reveal Indy’s character.

With only one helper left, Indy continues to the entrance of the temple. The jeopardy rises further when we hear Indy speak for the first time. He reveals that this is as far as his competitor made it. No one has come out of this temple alive. But Indy is no novice. He fills a bag with sand—presumably because he anticipates a thing or two about the obstacles he might encounter inside the cave. (He is a high-powered researcher and specialist, after all.) Note that Indy doesn’t explain any of his actions. The writer, Laurence Kasdan, leaves it up to the viewers to draw their own conclusions. The result? We want to know more. We’re engrossed. He’s got our attention.

Next, we find ourselves in a spooky, dark tunnel with Indy and the one secondary character following behind. Indy remains calm and determined; the other man’s fear is palpable. Indy encounters an obstacle—tarantulas on his back. He couldn’t care less. He brushes them off with his whip. We wonder, is there anything of which this man is afraid? (As it turns out, we find out he hates snakes and this is all the more amusing because of the contrast provided by the spiders.) A bright patch of light enters the chambers ahead. Indy recognizes a trap and instructs his companion to “stay out of the light.” He goes to investigate. Sure enough, it’s a trap. When Indy ventures a hand to cut off the beam, deadly spikes spring out from both walls. Impaled upon the spikes is the skeleton of Indy’s competitor. Still, Indy remains calm. (His helper, meanwhile, screams in terror.)

On to the next obstacle: The passageway gives way to a bottomless pit. Undaunted, Indiana Jones uses his whip to spring across. His companion clearly has less experience in such matters and all but falls in. Once again, this builds Indy up. It serves another purpose, too. When the companion almost falls in, Indy saves him—a fitting setup for the betrayal that will occur shortly after. We reach the final obstacle: the threat of a deadly arrow that Indy clears adeptly. At last, we are in the presence of the object Indy seeks—the golden icon. Having estimated the icon’s weight, Indy pulls some sand from his sack and swaps the sack out for the icon. Genius! He seems to be out of the woods, but we realize soon enough that Indy miscalculated the statue’s weight. The whole place crumbles around him. Dodging arrows and jumping right over another pit, Indy runs for his life. As the temple door closes, his companion betrays him and forces Indy to give up the icon. Indy escapes in the nick of time, leaps over the giant pit (without the aid of his whip this time) and rolls under the door. On the other side, he finds the man who betrayed him dead, done in by one of the traps. He regains the idol momentarily but will be forced to give it up, again, when he exits the pyramid—this time to his arch nemesis, Belloq. There’s little chance now that we will forget Belloq’s face. The antagonist has made his entry.

The entire opening sequence of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK reveals the protagonist’s character through action. We also know what the movie is about. This will be a tale of adventure, courage and betrayal. We, like Indy, must learn to trust no one. If you haven’t seen RAIDERS, tonight is a good time to watch.

© SJ Murray, 2018