Trick of the Dark- Character: Alex

So the second of the important characters within TOTD, is Alex. Alex is the closest thing to an antagonist the film has, he clashes with Scott on a regular basis and the two of them are often at each other’s throats. The reason behind this within the script is that Alex is symbolic of the destructive part of Scott’s mind, as it is later revealed that he was never really there my personal view then is that the personalities of both Susie and Alex are then symbolic of how the mind of Scott works. So then for me to say that the two are not alike wouldn’t be strictly correct because Alex is Scott if you take away all of his positivity and capacity for hope, Interestingly then, this makes him more of just an antagonist but also a microcosm for Scott’s battle with his mind and mental state. So then, which film characters, that already exist, would I compare Alex to and have I drawn inspiration from.

The first character that I draw comparison with is Tyler Durden, it makes sense that Alex would be the Tyler to Scott’s Jack right? Almost definitely this was my first port of call when creating a mentally fabricated character. This is not just for the obvious reason that they both turn out to be imaginary, this is also because, despite them being imaginary, they still have very different chains of thought to the person who created them, I love this about both characters that they have the same mind as their creator but are perceived to think differently from the original, I feel this is symbolic of human nature and the fact that we don’t see how people are actually perceiving our actions. On top of this there is also the fact that Tyler is a destructive force in Jack's life that almost drives him to suicide, this is almost identical to m own film though in a very different and more obvious way. Admittedly I have always taken issue with the ending of Fight Club and the fact that shooting himself in the cheek leads to Tyler leaving despite it only being his cheek, I don't know I suppose the point is that the action made Jack believe he was gone and by believing that he is then gone, however, I feel that my ending may have a better reason for the damage that is done rather than just a means to an end, though mine will be harder to pull off and for people to understand without me explaining it.

The next character I can see comparisons with is Marty from Seven Psychopaths, though it is worth mentioning Marty becomes a different character by the end of the film but I am referring to him at the beginning when I am referring to him. Marty is a cynical kind of character that doesn't really see the positives straight away, he is nicely juxtaposed by Sam Rockwell's character in the film who is entirely positive and energetic and this juxtaposition is something I want to emulate but tone down somewhat in my presentation of Alex and Susie. Though there are a few things that separate Marty from Alex I do think there are comparisons that can be drawn. I think however it is worth me mentioning that Marty is a comedic character whereas Alex is meant to be a little more sort or realistic and therefore he seems harsher than Marty. In addition to this, Marty is more sort of down than Alex, where Alex is angry, Marty is more sad or empty. The last thing worth mentioning is that Marty is an alcoholic, Alex doesn't really have a vice like that in his life. Marty is also the protagonist of the film and has the others playing off of him, Alex differs because he provides the motivation for Scott rather than the vice versa.

The final and possibly most fitting character is James McAvoy's Bruce Robertson from the film Filth, Bruce is a severely mentally ill character who instead of dealing with his issues and working with people he bottles it up and lashes out at the people around him in a destructive way which leads to him stepping on people at all times and in the end without spoiling the film, leaves him in a very dark place. I draw comparisons on many levels with Alex because A, Alex doesn't particularly care for the others he is with, he is in it for number one and thats it. That being said, lets not forget that Alex is an extension of Scott and his psyche, so when we say Alex is entirely selfish and destructive this is because he is the side of Scott which is destructive and only really cares about his own survival. However, it is this aspect that is Bruce's downfall and it does all of the damage that is done to him, in the strive for everything for himself he is left with nothing because of his self destructive habits that stem from a self hatred rather than a love of himself. Of course as well as hurting himself, in an attempt to distance himself from needing anyone other than himself he lashes out at people who want to help or are concerned, to get this back on track, I feel that Alex is the same and lashes out and pushes away Scott and Susie, despite all the good that comes from their cooperation just out of an internal need to be above them and do it without them. The other aspect of Bruce that is within Alex is his paranoia, this is particularly strong in both, Alex from the get go feels that the others are against him and that only grows, Bruce too struggles with this feeling in the film which only fuels his desire to be above the people who are pitting themselves against him.

I feel this has been a extensive look at Alex's character and my inspirations when writing him and from here I have a good understanding of what character I have created based upon existing ones.