The clash of ideologies essentially boils down to a conflict of different belief systems. Much like religious and ethnic issues, ideological conflicts are among the world's greatest challenges today. Compared to other themes, this concept carries a high level of sophistication. If a film can effectively showcase this, it will undoubtedly elevate the entire series.
Yes, Murphy aimed not just for one film but a series.
As a top-tier Hollywood director, with his current status, box office success for subsequent works is crucial. However, elevating his own style and securing fervent support from audiences and critics, thus cementing his place in film history, is equally important.
Therefore, he wouldn't choose overly homogenized popcorn movies, nor were niche art films his cup of tea.
Murphy intended to infuse commercial films with a high level of sophistication, presenting themes that would incite endless discussions and captivate audiences.
Ideological conflict was undoubtedly one of the best choices.
This would be a series, and the opening film had to fully showcase this theme.
As night deepened, Murphy's mind remained highly active. Effectively depicting ideological conflict was no easy task.
How to realize the clash and opposition of ideologies?
Murphy envisioned it manifesting as a collision of beliefs between the protagonist and the antagonist. The protagonist would have his own moral code, but the antagonist would have a coherent logic...
Murphy wrote in his notebook: Protagonist—Combination of multiple ideologies; Antagonist—Single ideology.
It's well-known that a singular ideology can hinder one's understanding of the world, making one prone to obsession and madness...
In reality, the concept of a singular ideology is widely questioned and criticized today. People generally believe that such utopian social designs are a path to totalitarianism.
Murphy recalled the concept of "clearing everything, leaving no stone unturned. They seek to create not just a better society, but a world completely devoid of all evils." This could be the antagonist's ideology.
In a society controlled by a single ideology, the ruling class's power would be infinitely magnified, leading to the monopolization of power.
Thus, the loss of competition brings about the voiding of the political and moral foundation.
Consequently, the legitimacy of the governance over an area or city could only rely on self-reference, unrelated to genuine human moral feelings. To maintain this false legitimacy, the ruling class would create a beautiful illusion to promote a future golden age, designing all actions to sustain their rule.
Murphy clearly remembered Orwell's "1984," which depicted such a terrifying scenario where people developed a horrifying split personality.
The themes presented in that film could be integrated into the antagonist's ideology.
He wrote in his notebook: "To achieve self-awareness and freedom, they consider their criminal acts as justice, claiming righteousness even in their inhumane killings."
"Politics must be based on morality. Therefore, even in a chaotic society like the one depicted in New York, such politics without a moral foundation cannot rebuild."
Murphy knew that, since the New York in his film would be fictional, he would let the city descend into complete chaos.
A chaotic New York would be the battleground for the protagonist and antagonist, resembling a gang war scene in New York. To achieve this, Murphy wrote two keywords under the film's theme: "Dark" and "Realistic."
Over the next two days, Murphy didn't go anywhere except visiting James Franco and Lily Collins in the hospital. He stayed home, refining the characters and script for his new project.
The more he thought, the clearer the protagonist's outline became.
Eventually, he wrote a detailed description of the protagonist: "With logic as the exterior and emotion as the core, amidst the suspenseful narrative, complex storytelling, and meticulous logic, he would be a near-obsessive character. Driven by his innermost hidden motives, he tirelessly and stubbornly seeks self-realization, waging a relentless yet logical struggle against his inner 'vault' of hidden secrets. His obsession, pain, and guilt drive him to achieve great deeds."
The protagonist's supporting characters, representing a mix of ideologies, would each have their own vastly different beliefs. Unlike the antagonist with a singular ideology who believes destruction is necessary for rebirth, these characters understand the importance of inclusion and cooperation.
All the main characters would carry their own motives and blueprints to change the world. In the near-crazed city of New York, they would stand by their ideologies, advancing or retreating, ultimately leading to an "ideological war" about choices and struggles.
"The world belongs to the people. Sometimes, they may err due to limited rationality and asymmetric information, but they ultimately choose the right path."
Even while eating, Murphy kept pondering. To elevate the film's sophistication, the themes must delve into profound concepts like "deep reflections on human nature, humanity, life, and society."
This world is a chaotic entity composed of different viewpoints and positions, with various forces restraining, intertwining, rising, and falling, creating balance, order, chaos, interest, and foundation.
Murphy thought of "The Talisman Story Collection," which could also blend some of its elements into the film.
"In a void, three consciousnesses simultaneously conceived the world: one believed in freedom, another in balance, and the third in order. The first thought the world must be created by itself, seeing the other two as enemies to be eliminated. The second believed the other two could collide with it to create the world, needing to choose. The third saw the other two as tools to create the world, to be utilized. The first learned anger out of necessity, the second learned pain from hesitation, and the third learned deceit. In the end, the second self-sacrificed and exploded, forming the first world; the first and third collided, creating the second world, which encircled the first world. Later people called the remnants of these three consciousnesses: Heaven, Earth, and Hell."
In this context, would New York be Heaven, Earth, or Hell? Different people would have different views, and they would lead the city in various directions.
Returning to his study, Murphy felt something was still missing besides the protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters. He couldn't quite pinpoint it.
The phone suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts. He picked it up, and it was his agent, Bill Rosis.
"What's up?" Murphy frowned slightly. Being interrupted at this moment wasn't pleasant.
"I have an invitation," Bill Rosis, aware of Murphy's recent work, quickly said, "Warner Bros. and DC Comics' new film 'Batman v Superman' is premiering in March. Warner Bros. invited you to the North American premiere. Will you attend?"
Hearing "Batman v Superman," Murphy was initially puzzled, then realized what was missing.
But he first answered Bill Rosis's question, "Bill, accept the invitation. I'll attend."
"Alright, I'll notify Warner Bros.," Bill Rosis replied.
Satisfied, he said, "I'll let you get back to your work."
Bill Rosis hung up, and Murphy put the phone aside, stepping to his desk to write one word in his notebook—"Public!"
This film's protagonist would be a nemesis of crime, yet without legitimate law enforcement authority, much like Superman. How would the public perceive such a figure?
In "Man of Steel," Murphy depicted the dual nature of the public's reaction to Superman, especially the aspects of rejection and fear, adding a weighty sense of tragic epic to the character.
Undoubtedly, this approach raised the film's sophistication and was an effective method to elevate the new project.
This technique could be used in the new film to portray the protagonist's treatment by the public uniquely.
Additionally, there were the motives and costs of the protagonist's and antagonist's actions.
The antagonist was straightforward, driven by a single ideology, but the protagonist's ideology was complex and couldn't serve as the initial driving force. Hence, the protagonist needed a convincing motive, not just fighting crime for the sake of it. The complexity of his motives would rationally lead to his inner struggle.
Murphy had never intended to create a perfectly righteous protagonist. Throughout his films, his protagonists often walked a fine line, teetering on the edge of collapse and potential doom.
Nietzsche said, "He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
This would be the best portrayal of the protagonist's inner struggle, expressed through his motives and the resulting consequences.
Motive and cost! Murphy used a red pen to highlight these two words, emphasizing their importance to the film.
Sitting in his chair, Murphy pondered further on these concepts.
In his childhood, he was instilled with the firm belief that justice would ultimately triumph over evil. But he had never known what the motives were, or the costs involved.
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