In class, we discussed the idea of character change, which simply means that a character is different at the end of the film than they were at the beginning. Character change is most often associated with some positive change that a character makes, which causes everything to turn out right and leaves us with a happy ending. Character change can also refer to a negative change that character goes through, such as a generally good person becoming a villain in a superhero film such as Spiderman.
One film that really sticks out in my head is the film American History X (1998) which follows the lives of two brothers and their family. The oldest brother, Derek, is a skinhead who goes to prison for murder. While in prison, he realizes how wrong he has been and changes his view of the world. During this time his younger brother Danny becomes a skinhead in order to follow in Derek’s footsteps. After several incidents, Derek and Danny are both no longer skinheads or believers in such hatred. Most people would think that this dramatic character change would lead to a happy ending, but that is not what you get. Instead, Danny is shot and killed by a black student that he had previously attacked. As Derek runs in to find Danny dead, the film comes to a close. It is not a happy ending, but it definitely shows character change.
