Birdman Group Analysis

analysis
#41

The Critic is likely a better fit for Antagonist as she happens to be in a position to prevent the Goal from being achieved for everyone involved.

While I can’t really speak to Sylvia as she wasn’t my choice for IC and I don’t think that her argument with Riggan is the same as Sam’s I will say that the argument I am making isn’t about relevance but instead about the standard of value of relevance at the cost of substance.

Basically, if Sam could say what was on her mind to her father it might go something like this: If you could just stop obsessing over how the public will remember you versus how your family will, you would free yourself from the constraint of public perception and begin the process of healing through the turmoil you have subjected your family to – you will become more relevant to us and vice versa.

The unfortunate thing is that the argument I have for MC Resolve sheds a more cynical light on this idea.

#42

@Jerome, we haven’t decided that “irrelevance” is his issue. I think I was getting that from the George Clooney story. But I would argue it’s close to that.

@Dan310, Riggan’s relationship with his daughter is “Absentee father” more or less. Do you see this changing throughout the movie? Also, she helps him get a twitter following, but does she ever ask him to be more present for her?

#43

Could we consider the critic more Hinder rather than Avoid? She’s not actively trying to stop the play from being performed. And - probably - no matter how important a critic she is, it’s just one opinion. I think she’s more a passenger than a driver, therefore not an antagonist but contagonist

#44

Crazy idea that comes to my mind. Would it be possible that this is:

Riggan (the serious actor) as MC
Riggan (the Hollywood star) as IC

Kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Thoughts?

#45

Take that idea further.

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#46

We experience the movie through Riggan “the serious actor”. He wants to be taken seriously (“Listen to me, I’m trying to do something important”), Pursues respect? But one thing against him is the public and critic’s perception - he is a celebrity. It is him, but at the same time is a persona built around him - the Hollywood star, the celebrity.

The most obvious moments where celebrity Riggan tries to influence serious actor Riggan are those when Birdman talks to him (“People love blood. They love action. Not this talky, depressing, philosophical bullshit”). But I think we could also consider the critic (“You’re no actor, you’re a celebrity”), his manager and the reporter ("Birdman four!) as voicing celebrity Riggan’s influence.

Celebrity Riggan’s alternative approach would be to continue being just a celebrity, avoid all this struggle to be considered a serious actor and join Stallone and the gang in The Expendables 4.

Actor Riggan is steadfast. Maybe his domain is Manipulation (manipulate the perception the audience and critics have of him).

Thoughts?

#47

Yes, from neglecting her in the beginning to embracing her in the end. I can also see how her influence has an affect on him throughout the movie.

The writers don’t have Sam asking her father to be more present but we do get a few things. Sam confesses to Mike that Riggan is a terrible father and he made it worse by telling her she was special. Riggan admits he was a terrible father to her and all she could say in response was “No, you were fine.” You could even consider her history of drugs/rehab as an implication that she felt neglected and unimportant. From all of this, it could be understood that she wishes he was more present for her.

If I ask myself what is the emotional argument of this story, what is the heart, I believe it’s most prevalent between Riggan and Sam. Just before the climax we see Riggan at his most vulnerable, he even starts crying, and it’s all in reflection of his own absence as father.

Sylvia’s scenes are geared towards reminding him to be a better father and also reminding him that his biggest problem is confusing admiration for love. The Raymond Chandler play is all about recognizing real love

Riggan wants to feel real love, real appreciation, he’s putting on this play to find it . Sam represents an alternative approach to that end.

#48

But who is saying this?

#49

I think you make a solid argument about the core theme of the movie – love, etc – but you have keyed in on the wrong person as the answer.

Most of the characters represent love in some way – the ex-wife, the current girlfriend, the long-term friend, the daughter, daughter+Mike, Mike + other actress.

I don’t see Sam as being the most relevant one.

#50

I think it’s not explicitly stated using dialogue, but rather by subtext. For example, when he’s being interviewed and Riggan mentioning Birdman 4 gets the Asian reporter very excited - much more than with anything he had said.

We probably need to explore other points to make sure who is the IC. Should we consider Riggan a steadfast character? What would be the story’s inequity?

#51

If I’m understanding correctly, the reason Birdman is favored is because he tells Riggan to stop trying to make it in theater and go back to Hollywood? Where he will be showered with money and fame? I’m pretty sure that’s why he’s in New York in the first place. To me that represents hinder/temptation. Add to the fact that Riggan explicitly told Birdman he was not happy during that time period. Defecting to Birdman isn’t going to resolve the inequity that has stricken Riggan.

I think, in order to clear things up, we may need to move to MC Resolve to see exactly who changes and how.

#52

Okay, yeah. What happens when you consider him a steadfast character?

What do you see as the inequity if he’s a change character?

You think he’s in NY to get showered with money and fame?

If I were unhappy in my life now, but could go back to a time/place where I was less unhappy… what would you make of that?

What do you see as the inequity that has stricken Riggan?

#53

The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance may play into all of this.

#54

He’s not in NY for money or fame he’s there for validation, it seemed to me that money and fame, hollow that they were, drove him out of the business and later to New York. The drive for validation is motivated by his ego, the idea that he matters. It seems like the only person to challenge this position is his daughter. She blasts him for caring too much at the apparent expense of his deteriorating mental health and relationships. She says nothing matters in the grand scheme of things especially not him. As they are drawn closer to each other as the film progresses she says it again, symbolized by the toilet paper roll full of dashes.

Her position appears to be the only diametrically opposed view of Riggan’s.

This choice doesn’t appear to be diametrically opposed. Just a gradient slide of his current position, a decision that doesn’t take growth to make.

My interpretation of this was tied into the OS Outcome and MC Resolve. He’s writing, directing and starring in his very first Broadway production having only Hollywood experience. It takes a certain amount of ignorance to attempt that endeavor and wholeheartedly expect universal acclaim.

#55

I’m not asking about anything diametrically opposed. You said:

I’m just asking if you think this rules Birdman out as an option. (You imply this.) In a similar way, I could say “He was a terrible father, judging himself as a father could never work.”

Since we’re here to learn, I’m asking in order to challenge your assumptions.

#56

The inequity may be how he is perceived? Kind of a fixed attitude towards him (“You’re no actor, you’re a celebrity” - why can’t he be considered both an actor and a celebrity?) And in the end the positive review from the harsh critic makes him overcome that inequity.

#57

It eliminates him as a possibility to me because how i understand IC and their ability to change the MC by their place in the Dramatica Structure Table. They are positioned diametrically opposite each other. The only thing opposite of unhappy to me is happy.

Just before he shoots himself he says “I’m nothing, I don’t exist” it’s part of the play but this time there is a hint of morose underneath those words as we also know he is carrying a loaded gun. His last words echo his daughters. She is the one who, unwittingly, allows him to overcome his alter-ego, putting on the performance of his life, silencing the bird for good.

What is it about Birdman that challenges Riggan? What is Birdman convincing Riggan of that will satisfy the problem deep down within him?

#58

Yes… but, “happy” and “unhappy” aren’t on the chart. Those are how we feel about things, not how we dissect conflict.

For example – and this really is an example and not the structure of this storyform – imagine the MC Problem was “Desire.” He wants to be a Broadway star. But it ain’t gonna happen. If he abandons his desire and sticks with his Ability to be a celebrity… he has solved his problem. In this case, it would be Birdman saying, “Look at my ability to draw in crowds and blow up buildings. Let’s do that again!” And if the MC could not find peace on Broadway – or say he finds them all to be pretentious a-holes who don’t understand Entertainment – then he actually could go back to being Birdman and be happy about it.

I can think of several times in my life where I moved forward to do something, didn’t like what I found, and then returned to square one and felt better about it.

So, that’s one way Birdman could satisfy the problem deep down within him.

#59

I’m thinking about the ending, the hospital scene and if we should also consider it (or not). I think it could be interpreted in several ways:

Since it’s the first time there’s a visible cut, the cut itself could be significant. I’m speculating:

a)A realistic interpretation: The scene is “real”, it happens later. Sam sees the body of his father on the ground and then looks to the sky thinking he’s in a better place where it won’t matter if he succeeds or not. (Probably not, the screenplay says “looks down. Nothing.”

b)A magical realism interpretation. The scene is also kind of real. Sam sees his father flying. Free. And he accepted he is both celebrity and respected actor.

c)The memento mori interpretation. Riggan shot himself and didn’t survived, the part at the hospital is just his mind trying to come up with the fact that he is dying. Remember Jacob’s Ladder, where the entire film was an hallucination? What if here it’s just the final scene? The change in location, the cut, the visible edit - I believe it’s the first one - is a hint to the purpose of the scene.

This is from the screenplay, right after the shot:

We stay with the audience a few seconds longer.
FADE TO BLACK.
The sounds slowly vanish. After a moment of silence…

BIRDMAN (V.O.)
You won’t be hearing from him anymore.

MAN (V.O.)
Is he…?

BIRDMAN (V.O.)
He’s gone.

And then we go to the hospital scene.

Some interesting things happen there (I’m copying from the screenplay, I’m not sure if there were changes in the finished movie)
-The title of the review is “The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance”
-It is mentioned people are praying all over the country.
-Newsmen and paparazzi. 80 thousand followers - He’s now got the best of both worlds. Popularity and respect as an actor.
-Yet, his reaction is quite restrained.
-The flowers Sylvia brings in are Alchemyillas, the ones he was requesting in the first scenes to Sam.

It’s probably too perfect to be real. I’d like to think it’s option C. And this could mean even if he died, he came to terms with this celebrity vs. serious actor thing

Innermost Desires --> Denial / Closure

What do you think?

#60

Just to break things up a bit … let’s consider the Relationship Riggan would have your choice for potential Influence Character. (You don’t have to list them all out … just the one you think is the right answer)