Make supporting character the lead, change the perspective?ive

[Airwings]

I couldn't find an old thread for this topic when I did a search.

I wonder how different a film will be if it doesn't have the main character in focus, but switch the spotlight to one of the supports.
It depends on which film, of course. If it is Harry Potter, not much would change when Hermione or Ron becomes the lead. They are in on the main plot anyway. And the Potter universe still put a lot of focus on him.

If there is a film without a "chosen one" or a "savior", it could be easier.
What if we take Stand By Me and change it that way? Then we have to go beyond the four kids because they have equal amount of screen time. Except for a voice-over and seeing Gordie as an adult, all four are the leads.
Ace could actually be in focus. THAT would be quite a different film then.

I can also suggest Titanic.
Rose's soon-to-be husband Carl to be the main character? Maybe it could make us feel some sympathy for him then? Because it would be told from HIS perspective, only.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

One that struck me at the time as I was coming out of the cinema, Killer Elite (2011). Jason Statham is ostensibly the hero, whilst Clive Owen is his chief adversary. But when you look at it, Owen just does his job as a good soldier. Whereas Statham (for whatever reason) is on a mission to go around murdering Owen's former colleagues. That story could easily be told from Owen's perspective, with him as the hero chasing down Statham's assassin.

Good film, by the way.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (film) - Wikipedia

Someone made a list of this very topic.

17 More Movies That Would've Been Far More Interesting From Another Character's Perspective

I'm trying to think of any movies that already tackled it, or at least certain scenes.

One that comes to mind is the opening of Batman V Superman put the spotlight on the citizens of Metropolis (and specifically Bruce Wayne) as a different perspective to the ending of Man of Steel.

 

[Airwings]

One that struck me at the time as I was coming out of the cinema, Killer Elite (2011). Jason Statham is ostensibly the hero, whilst Clive Owen is his chief adversary. But when you look at it, Owen just does his job as a good soldier. Whereas Statham (for whatever reason) is on a mission to go around murdering Owen's former colleagues. That story could easily be told from Owen's perspective, with him as the hero chasing down Statham's assassin.

Good film, by the way.

While I haven't seen Killer Elite, I must thank you for replying that fast.
The change you suggest sounds like a good one. Exactly what I was looking for in this thread

 

[Airwings]

One that comes to mind is the opening of Batman V Superman put the spotlight on the citizens of Metropolis (and specifically Bruce Wayne) as a different perspective to the ending of Man of Steel.

Good example.

We also have Flags Of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima, depicting two sides of a real-world event.
These hardly crossed paths with each other. None of the characters did really appear in both, either (except for one "blink-and-you-miss-it").
But still, this combo of films could be mentioned.

 

[Spider-Fan83]

in the Karate Kid, Johnny the real hero of the story

 

[Pink Ranger]

If you change the main character of Crouching Tiger to Jade Fox, it becomes a tale of a strong female character revenging a social wrong and taking in a mentee.

 

[Dark Raven]

in the Karate Kid, Johnny the real hero of the story

That's already the Cobra Kai web series.

 

[Batmannerism]

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (film) - Wikipedia

Someone made a list of this very topic.

17 More Movies That Would've Been Far More Interesting From Another Character's Perspective

I'm trying to think of any movies that already tackled it, or at least certain scenes.

One that comes to mind is the opening of Batman V Superman put the spotlight on the citizens of Metropolis (and specifically Bruce Wayne) as a different perspective to the ending of Man of Steel.

R&G are dead is a great film. Oldman and Roth are amazing.

The whole Gotham tv series is about this concept.

Hmmm as for films, the Godfather from Fredo's POV ?

 

[Flash525]

• Captain America, but with the focus on the Howling Commandos?
• Ironman, but with the focus on War Machine/Rhodes?
• A Gotham film focused on (a) Robin/Batgirl etc, Batman as supporting?
• A lower decks style Trek film, focusing on characters not tied into the bridge and ship-wide decision making?

 

[CaptainWagner]

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (film) - Wikipedia

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is one of my all-time favorite works. So brilliant.

Honestly, any of the classic teen flicks where the "bad guy" is just trying to do their job and these kids keep ruining their life.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Honestly, any of the classic teen flicks where the "bad guy" is just trying to do their job and these kids keep ruining their life.

 

[Web-Head]

Honestly, any of the classic teen flicks where the "bad guy" is just trying to do their job and these kids keep ruining their life.

So, Scooby Doo?

 

[MilkmanDan]

Honestly, any of the classic teen flicks where the "bad guy" is just trying to do their job and these kids keep ruining their life.

Now that you mentioned it, that smarmy, little sociopath Ferris Bueller really should have been caught. For his own good as much as society's. Instead he kept getting away with everything and probably grew up to run a pyramid scheme that destroyed people's lives.

 

[metaphysician]

One that struck me at the time as I was coming out of the cinema, Killer Elite (2011). Jason Statham is ostensibly the hero, whilst Clive Owen is his chief adversary. But when you look at it, Owen just does his job as a good soldier. Whereas Statham (for whatever reason) is on a mission to go around murdering Owen's former colleagues. That story could easily be told from Owen's perspective, with him as the hero chasing down Statham's assassin.

Good film, by the way.

Am I the only one who thought that movie got *bizarre* marketing? The ads and trailers all tried to pump it up and sell it as a traditional upbeat hot blooded action movie. The actual movie? A rather grim and surprisingly meditative neo-noir.

 

[Silvermoth]

Grease would have been a way more fun movie if Rizzo had got to be the lead instead of Sandra Dee

 

[Evil Twin]

You could argue that right up to the climax that Kurt Russell is the comic relief sidekick in Big Trouble in Little China.

 

[Airwings]

The Grudge 3

The film could focus solely on Jake, the only surviour from the previous chapter in the american versions of the japanese horror.
It could bridge the two films. First show him manage to escape the hands of Kayako, the demon.
When the cops are arriving at the block, then find the scared Jake and several corpses of people killed in the most gruesome of ways. To them, it appears that a dark blood ritual has been performed.

Jake's blabbering about a "killer ghost" get him transferred to a mental institution.
All the adults think he's not just hallucinating, but also could be behind all the killings in his hallway. Even murdering his own sister.

The film can follow Jake going through psychological evaluation. He's trying to tell that the demon is out to get him too. He describes the white face and her scary throat gurgling, trying to look and sound like her.
Dr Ann Sullivan, Jake's personal psychologist, makes Jake act out what he saw that night. She even let him paints his face white as a part of his treatment. She is already sure he's a dangerous, disturbed child but she now also diagnoses him with schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder. Which she writes in his journal.

She puts Jake up to a description of pills. When that doesn't help, she gives the boy a higher dose and also adds electroshocks to his treatment too. But he doesn't stop talking about the demon.

Now and then, Dr Sullivan watches the boy at the monitors when he is locked up in his padded cell.
One late evening, she also turns on the com, hearing little Toshio's meowing. It makes her think that Jake is doing those sounds. The she hears gurgling sounds too.
At that point, Sullivan thinks the boy is a lost cause that can't be treated.

But then, the lights starts flickering....

This was what Grudge 3 could have been about, from Jake's/Dr Sullivan's point of view.

Not interesting enough for a whole film, perhaps.
Well, maybe we could also get some insight on the upper middle aged painter that Kaykao kills by "gouging her eyes out and ripping off her jaw" (from an IMDB synopsis).
Then a 20-something dude responds with "she was old, and old people die".
To which I say: no she wasn't an old woman. And even if she was, she certainly wouldn't die like that by natural causes.

 

[Airwings]

When lead characters become supporting characters, and vice versa. should they still interact with each other?
Would the film tell the same story from a different angle, or do you rather want to have the script rewritten to suit the change?