Modern Day Character Analysis

One more element that would be wise to look at in relation to the character of Joe is his costuming. Wardrobe is something that can be easily overlooked when discussing a character, however, it can be extremely revealing, and a useful tool when trying to figure out who a character is. For example, at the beginning of Sunset Boulevard, we spot Joe wearing the same ill fitting, worn sports jacket, pants, and cheap shirts up through the first act when Norma finally cannot take it anymore. That’s when we observe a transition from his wardrobe consisting of cheap suits, to tailored suits, the most expensive clothing, and jewelry like he’s never had. It’s not until the end of the film that we watch Joe, finally returning to his tired suits, renouncing

Aristotle is a man who centuries ago was able to begin to define what a character is, how they should act, and what makes a good character. When considering Joe, it can be easy to understand him using Aristotle’s reasonings of what a character should be like. Although Joe is not completely noble, he is a more or less good person, and he is a person that many people can relate to. We can see ourselves in his shoes, and understand his folly of reasoning, recognizing ourselves guilty of the same, even if it’s not to the extreme demonstrated in the film. We know people like him and that is what makes hims such an interesting person that can be related to. The character is also consistent throughout the film, and we can watch his change, and understand that it makes sense, and is believable with what we know of his values and tendencies. His actions are not predictable, but we can definitely understand where he is coming from and comprehend the decisions he makes after the makes them; nothing shocks us and takes us out of the narrative. The story itself also follows Aristotle’s understanding of the most effective plot, one where a basically good man suffers bad fortune through his own weakness or ignorance; along the same note, is the fact that the drama also reaches its ultimate goal according to Aristotle, bring

Even something as insignificant as speech patterns can help reveal who a character is; in a film understanding the character is especially important from a production standpoint, whether one is the actor, director, or even costume designer. Whatever the role is, understanding the character and analyzing his arc the patterns that define him is of the utmost importance to the overall structure of the story. Without a fully developed and rationalized main character, the story will always fall flat, leaving an audience wondering why they should