Originally by: Nigel Sheldon

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you are missing the point - all films no matter what the subject material HAVE to have at the heart of them some basic conflict (wether it be emotional or physical.

i quote

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"THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT BASIC STORIES"
how many stories do you think have been told on screen? Thousands? More? In fact the answer is EIGHT. They are listed below together with examples.
1.ACHILLES
The fatal flaw that leads to the destruction of the previously flawless individual (Samson and Delilahm superman, fatal attraction and ALL film noir) This is the cornerstone of the crime drama - the flaw not to the hero, but the villian (coloumbo, CSI, Murder she wrote, inspector morse)
2.CANDIDE
The innocent abroad, naive optimism triumphant; the hero (good man) who cannot be kept down (Chariots of fire, forrest gump, indiana jones and james bond films, mr bean, billy elliot, erin brockovich, amelie, a beautiful mind)
3. CINDERELLA
The dream come true; unrecognized virtue recognized at last; goodness triumphant after initally despised; rewards achieved through transformed circumstances (pretty woman, rocky, strictly ballroom, star wars, my big fat greek wedding, shrek, erin brockovich)
4. CIRCLE
The chase; the spider and the fly; the innocent and the victim; mostly the temptress ensnaring the love-struck male (godfather 1, othello, double indemnity, body heat, 9 and half weeks, ALL Film Noir) amelie, insomnia, dangerous liaisons)
5. FAUST
Selling your soul to the devil may bring rewards, but eventually there is a price to be paid; the long term debt; the uncovered secret that catches up with us sooner or later and damns us; the inescapablity of fate (wall street, the seventh seal, the skulls, boiler room, the devils advocate, traffic, the red shoes, ALL horror, ALL speaghetti western genres)
6 ORPHEUS
The gift taken away, the loss of something personal. Either about the tragedy of the loss itself or the searcgh which follows the loss. (Dr Zhivago, rain man, signs, jason and the argonauts)
7. ROMEO AND JULIET
Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds/does not find girl - it doesn't matter which (west side story, when harry met sally, the graduate, sleepless in seattle, notting hill, titanic, shakespeare in love)
8 TRISTAN
Triangles (eternal or otherwise); man loves woman and unfortunately, one or both are already spoken for (fatal attracation, the graduate, jules et jim, pennies from heaven, remains of the day, dangerous liasisons)

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