Understanding the innate relationship between character development and conflict creation can be an elusive mastery for many budding screenwriters. To truly appreciate this relationship, we will delve into a critical analysis of Vince Gilligan’s groundbreaking television series, Breaking Bad. This show, renowned for its intricate storytelling and exceptional character development, provides a fertile ground to examine how character arcs can not only carry but escalate conflict throughout a narrative.
The Inextricable Bond: Conflict and Characters
Conflict is the engine that drives a narrative forward. It engages audiences, creates tension, and provides the impetus for characters to change, grow, or regress. And that’s where character arcs come into play. A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story. The relationship between conflict and character arcs is inextricable because the changes a character undergoes are typically a response to the challenges, or conflicts, they face.
Understanding Breaking Bad: The Characters and their Conflicts
Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine manufacturing drug dealer, and his former student, Jesse Pinkman. As the series progresses, we witness an incredible transformation in Walter’s character as he shifts from a submissive, law-abiding citizen to a ruthless drug kingpin.
The Walter White Transformation: Conflict Through Character Arc
Walter White’s transformation is one of the most compelling character arcs in television history. Initially diagnosed with terminal cancer, Walter’s dire situation creates the first conflict – a man against life, fighting for survival. To secure his family’s financial future, he resorts to the illegal methamphetamine production, introducing a new conflict – man against society. This decision forces him into a world riddled with danger, moral compromises, and the continuous threat of exposure – a world in which he surprisingly thrives.
As Walter delves deeper into the world of crime, his initial justifications of ‘family security’ begin to crumble. We witness his burgeoning hubris and dangerous ambition, revealing his internal conflict – man against himself. Walter’s transformation from a meek, underpaid chemistry teacher to the feared Heisenberg demonstrates how external conflicts (with law enforcement, rival drug dealers, and even his family) amplify his internal conflict, driving his character’s transformation and escalating the narrative tension.
Jesse Pinkman’s Reluctant Journey: A Compounded Conflict
Jesse Pinkman, on the other hand, embarks on a somewhat inverted journey. Introduced as a wayward junkie, Jesse is initially more comfortable in the drug trade. However, as he is drawn into Walter’s expanding criminal empire, Jesse’s moral compass grows stronger. He grapples with guilt and trauma, often finding himself at odds with Walter’s increasing ruthlessness. Jesse’s growing reluctance and moral struggles, set against Walter’s escalating brutality, create intense character conflicts. These conflicts, derived from their respective character arcs, underscore the overall narrative conflict, making the stakes higher and the story more engaging.
Collaborative Conflict: Inter-character Arcs
Breaking Bad masterfully leverages the relationship between Walter and Jesse to create layered, evolving conflicts. As Walter’s ambition grows, so does his willingness to manipulate Jesse. This manipulation leads to numerous conflicts between them, each one adding depth to their relationship and complexity to the narrative. These inter-character conflicts are instrumental in shaping their individual character arcs, demonstrating the interplay between character growth and conflict.
Conclusion: The Mastery of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad showcases the masterful use of character arcs to create and escalate conflict. Each character’s journey is inherently tied to the conflicts they face, and these conflicts, in turn, drive their transformation. Walter White’s transition into Heisenberg, fueled by his external and internal conflicts, sets a domino effect of confrontations and compromises that continually heighten the narrative tension. Meanwhile, Jesse’s evolution underscores the tragic cost of their choices, adding emotional depth to the consequential conflicts.
For aspiring screenwriters, Breaking Bad is a case study in leveraging character arcs to build layered, dynamic conflicts. It underscores the importance of letting characters’ decisions and transformations drive the story’s conflict, rather than imposing conflict externally. By doing so, the narrative becomes a natural consequence of the characters’ evolution, making the story more organic, believable, and engaging.
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A.I. in Screen Trade 