Reader Question: Is there an “aha” moment for a character as part of their metamorphosis?
Question from anonymous:
hey scott,
got a question for you about the inner journey of a character and the
moment of realization…
im trying to track the inner change a main character undergoes from
the start of the movie to the end and im wondering traditionally when
(structurally) most characters reach the ‘aha’ moment- that point
where the lightbulb goes off and they change. is that something that
usually happens before the third act when everything has gotten so bad
that they see the error in their ways and change as a result. or does
it happen more frequently later in the third act when their final
inner realization effects their outer world and we see that in the
climax. or is it some combination of the two. i guess im wondering
what happens to the character after the ‘all is lost’ moment and how
that effects them- is that what traditionally produces the change that
takes us into the third act or does the change come later on during
the finale.
i know nothing is set in stone and that it should come organically
from the story itself, but any thoughts on how you traditionally
handle the arc of character change towards the end of a film would be
much appreciated. thanks,
BEN
I suggest you try it again, Luke.
Ben places a large helmet on Luke’s head which covers his eyes.
BEN
This time, let go your conscious
self and act on instinct.
LUKE
(laughing)
With the blast shield down, I can’t
even see. How am I supposed to
fight?
BEN
Your eyes can deceive you. Don’t
trust them.
Han skeptically shakes his head as Ben throws the seeker into the air.
The ball shoots straight up in the air, then drops like a rock. Luke
swings the lightsaber around blindly missing the seeker, which fires
off a laserbolt which hits Luke square on the seat of the pants. He
lets out a painful yell and attempts to hit the seeker.
BEN
Stretch out with your feelings.
Luke stands in one place, seemingly frozen. The seeker makes a dive at
Luke and, incredibly, he managed to deflect the bolt. The ball ceases
fire and moves back to its original position.
BEN
You see, you can do it.
It’s all about Luke getting in touch with his Core Of Being: The Jedi blood that runs in his veins. At the end of this same scene, Luke has a little ‘aha’ moment:
LUKE
You know, I did feel something.
I could almost see the remote.
BEN
That’s good. You have taken your
first step into a larger world.
Later in the Final Struggle, he has a big ‘aha’ moment — when he takes on the Death Star.
So to the degree the All Is Lost plot point sets a Protagonist on their heels, that represents a difficult starting point for them to regroup, press on, and engage in the Final Struggle. When they do, if they are to be victorious, they would need some sort of connection to everything they’ve learned and as well as their Core Of Being, and depending upon how that is expressed, I guess you could call that an ‘aha’ moment. Of course, assuming they do achieve their goal, it also represents some realization of their Unity state.
Long answer. Hope some of it is helpful. I’m sure GITS readers will chime in, too. What’s your take on ‘aha’ moments? The structure — if any — of a character’s metamorphosis?
Tomorrow another reader’s question: What guidelines are there for using scene headings / primary slug lines?